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Apple’s expansion of iTunes Match is nearly complete, with the music-matching service and companion iTunes in the Cloud downloading now available in all but a handful of countries where Cupertino offers music for sale. The rest will surely come in due time, but this week finds a handful of Nordic countries added to the lineup. More on that in our Tuesday recap!
Straight Talk, Net10 Get Contract-Free iPhone 5s, 5c on Dec. 13
Tracfone Wireless announced Monday that its Walmart-exclusive Straight Talk and Net10 no-contract cell phone services will be adding Apple’s iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c to the product lineup this Friday. iPhone 5s will be sold in stores and online in space gray, silver or gold colors for $649 with 16GB only, while the iPhone 5c will be available online only in white, blue, green, pink or yellow for $549 with 16GB. Straight Talk offers unlimited talk, text and data starting at $45 per month, while Net10 features a Friends and Family plan starting at $50 for the first line and $40 for each additional.
Square Slims Down Credit Card Reader
The Verge reported Monday that Square has thinned down its iconic Reader dongle, which is used to swipe credit cards for small businesses. The new design is said to be 45 percent thinner, now matching the thinness of an iPhone 5s, and swiping accuracy is also improved and more compatible with a wider range of smartphones and tablets. The new Square Reader is now available from the company’s website, and will be popping up in more than 30,000 retail stores next year.
Amazon Cloud Drive Photos App Updated for Videos, iPad Support
Amazon updated its free Cloud Drive Photos app for iOS on Monday, adding native iPad support with version 2.0 as well as the ability to upload to and stream videos from the cloud. Video uploads or downloads are limited to 2GB or 20 minutes in length, giving Amazon customers yet another way to use their free 5GB of Cloud Drive storage. Amazon Cloud Drive Photos 2.0 is now available from the App Store.
iTunes Match Arrives in Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden
MacRumors reported Monday that iTunes Match is spreading its wings and flying to a handful of new Nordic countries this week, with tipsters confirming the launch in Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Priced at $24.99 per year in the U.S., iTunes Match is available in Denmark, Sweden and Norway for 249 kr or €24.99 in Finland. The same countries have also launched iTunes in the Cloud for purchased music, which is also now available in Bulgaria and Portugal for movies as well.
BitBQ Acquires Edovia’s TouchPad, NumPad Apps
Edovia announced Monday that two of its apps have been sold to BitBQ, who plan to introduce major updates to both in the first half of next year. The apps in question are TouchPad, which allows iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users to remotely control a Mac or Windows computer using the touchscreen display, and NumPad, which acts as a wireless number pad for the iPhone or iPod touch. The sale won’t affect end users, who can continue to re-download the apps same as before. Meanwhile, Edovia is hard at work on Screens 3.2 for iOS as well as the upcoming Screens 3 for Mac, which will be available in the first quarter of next year.
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