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Apple on Wednesday has launched iTunes Pass for more regions after first
debuting the service in Japan on Monday. Along with Germany, the US,
and the UK, users of Australia, Spain, Canada and the Netherlands are
also reporting the availability for their regions. The service isn't
available India as yet.
Apple has also noted that "iTunes Pass is
not available in Brazil, China and Turkey" as of now. The iTunes Pass is
compatible for devices running iOS 6 or higher. From the terms and
conditions for (non-refundable, no resale) iTunes Gift Cards, iTunes
Gifts, and iTunes Pass, a user must be atleast 13 years old along with a
valid iTunes account, and it can be used only in the country in which
they are purchased.
"Now you can add money directly to your iTunes
or App Store account with iTunes Pass. To get iTunes Pass, go to the
iTunes Store on your iOS device, scroll down, and tap the Redeem button.
Then go in to any Apple Retail Store and let a Specialist know you want
to add credit to your account. Open iTunes Pass in Passbook, and have
the Specialist scan it and accept your payment. Your balance will be
updated and can be used immediately,"
notes Apple on its website.
The
iTunes Pass service by Apple essentially helps customers who use iTunes
gift cards to purchase things on the iTunes Store, App Store and iBooks
Store. In order to use new iTunes Pass, customers can add it in the
existing Passbook app in iOS. Previously, users could already fill up
their Kids account credit using physical gift cards purchased from
brick-and-mortar Apple stores or by setting up an iTunes allowance for
their kids.
Zynga said Thursday it wants to perform better, as the social games firm
reported losses widened and revenues sank in the past quarter, sending
its share price tumbling.
The loss for the past quarter deepened to $62.5 million, compared with a deficit of $15.8 million in the same period a year ago.
Revenues dropped sharply to $153 million in the three months ending June 30, from $230 million a year earlier.
"While
our quarterly financial results were in line with our guidance range,
we aspire to do better and improve execution across our business," chief
executive Don Mattrick said in a statement.
"We are purposefully
competing, and while we would like to be further along, we believe we
are making the right decisions to grow our business and unlock long-term
shareholder value."
Shares in Zynga tumbled nearly eight percent to $2.69 in electronic trades after the news, reflecting investor disappointment.
Zynga
also lowered its outlook for 2014 "primarily to reflect the delayed
launch of new games and features," according to its earnings statement.
The
company rose to stardom by tailoring games for Facebook, but has
struggled as the two firms have grown apart and Zynga seeks new sources
of revenues.
The San Francisco company announced it is launching a new line of sports games under the brand "Zynga Sports 365."
Zynga
said it signed a licensing deal with the National Football League and
NFL Players Inc. to use real NFL teams and athletes, "creating an
authentic team manager football experience that can be enjoyed anytime,
anywhere."
The company also signed a multi-year partnership with
Tiger Woods for golf-themed games expected to debut on mobile devices in
2015.
And Zynga announced a deal with Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment to license the Looney Tunes brand for mobile games
expected to be launched later this year.
"We continue to make significant investments in the highest potential areas of our future pipeline," Mattrick said.
"We
are further diversifying our product portfolio in order to reach more
consumers and widen our demographic across more entertainment genres."
