Amazon's Cloudy with Chance of Rain

YOU CAN LOOK AT CLOUDS FROM BOTH SIDES NOW: A free Amazon Cloud Player iOS app hit iTunes' App Store yesterday, bringing functionality that will compete with Apple's own iCloud, notes AppleInisider.com. The app allows users to stream music from Amazon's Cloud Drive, download tracks for offline use and create and edit playlists. Amazon recommends that users load Cloud Player on a Mac or PC to upload their music collections "from iTunes or your other folders." “By bringing Cloud Player to iPhone and iPod touch, we now have the most widely compatible cloud playback solution available, giving our customers the ability to buy once and enjoy their music everywhere," Amazon VP of Digital Music Steve Boom said in a press release. The e-commerce giant launched Cloud Player last March, beating Apple’s entry by several months. Initially, Cloud Player wasn’t compatible with iOS, though the music streaming service began unofficially working a few months after launch. Last November, third-party iOS apps making use of Cloud Drive were reportedly removed from the App Store because of legal issues. The labels weren’t pleased that Amazon had launched Cloud Player without negotiating new licenses. (6/13a)