Weekly News Roundup – 18 January 2013

Once again the week is coming to an end and that means it’s time for a roundup of the past weeks news!

Amazon Just Fired A Missile At Apple’s iTunes Business – Amazon announced a new initiative that it hopes will threaten Apple’s iTunes business. Amazon is launching an HTML MP3 web store that’s made for Apple devices: the iPhone and iPod touch. It will also run smoothly on the iPhone’s default browser, Safari.

Facebook adds free calling feature for US iPhones – Facebook has added a feature in its mobile phone app that allows free calling for US iPhone users.

Get Eight Useful Mac Apps, Including Vidconvert and ImageSmith, for Free – Software bundles provide a great way to save money on apps, especially when those bundles cost nothing at all. The Mac Freebie Bundle offers eight useful Mac apps for the low price of $0

Rolling Stone debuts in Apple’s iPad Newsstand – Just under two years after the magazine’s co-founder decried other publishers’ rush to embrace Apple’s in-app subscription plans for the iPad, Rolling Stone’s first iPad edition hit Apple’s Newsstand app Thursday.

Apple analysts earnings growth could slow for the first time in nine years – The iPhone and iPad maker is slated to report its fiscal-first quarter earnings on January 23 and estimates are all over the board.

Apple takes 15% off 13-inch Retina MacBook Pros in Online Refurb store, now start at $1439 – It was just a few weeks ago that Apple began selling Retina MacBook Pros at the online Apple Store at 15% off prices. Today, Apple began selling the 13-inch variety at the same 15% discounts for  15% off yielding prices that now start at $1439.

For A Limited Time Angry Birds Rio For iPhone And iPad is Free – Now is your chance to take advantage of the promo Rovio is having on their Angry Birds Rio game. You can download Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Rio HD from the App Store for free right now.

Apple Researching Removable Mobile Device Clip with Tactile Trackpad Controls – Patently Apple highlights an interesting Apple patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today. The application describes a removable clip for a mobile device such as an iPod, with the clip integrating tactile or trackpad like controls to be used either while attached to the device or as a remote control.

Apple’s Cellular iPad Mini Launches in China to Tight Supply – Apple has today released the WiFi + Cellular versions of its iPad and iPad mini tablets in China, but strong customer demand around the globe has caused it to launch with a 2-week backlog on all iPad mini models.

iPhone market share to peak at 22 percent? – One research firm says market share for Apple’s iPhone will peak at 22 percent, and that the device will hit that ceiling this year — with market share then remaining flat.

Apple’s Newsstand to get exclusive early access to Hearst publications – In a new deal with Hearst that went active on Thursday, Apple is offering iPad versions of the publisher’s catalog days before they release on other platforms, including print editions.

Jerry McDougal, Apple VP of Retail, Departs Apple – Apple vice president of retail Jerry McDougal, a key player in Apple’s retail development over the past 12 years, has departed the company to spend more time with his family, reports IFOAppleStore.