iTunes music store in Canada soon

Canadian music lovers who've been itching to get into the ITunes online music store will have the chance next month.

Apple confirmed Tuesday that it will make ITunes available in this country in November. But Simon Atkins, a spokesman for the company in Canada, said Apple isn't ready to announce an exact date yet, or the price for songs here.

The word of a Canadian November debut came as the company launched a European Union version of its store for downloaders in Austria, Belgium, Finland, &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/04/25/27982.html ' target=_blank>Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, reports Canada Entertainment.

The iPod Photo holds digital photos alongside an owner's &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/culture/2002/05/04/28221.html ' target=_blank>music library.

There are 40GB or 60GB models which hold up to 10,000 or 15,000 songs, and its extended battery life gives users up to 15 hours of music playback or up to 5 hours of slideshows.

The U2 iPod has been introduced as the band gets ready to release the album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" in late November, informs The Age.

Apple's vice president of applications, Eddy Cue, said: "We're excited to bring the iTunes Music Store to even more music fans across Europe, and with this expansion we now reach customers in almost 70 percent of the global music market. ITunes is the world's number one online music store, with more than 150 million downloads and over 70 percent market share in the United States and United Kingdom."