By card in the ear

Apple has launched a new gadget on the market. iTunes Custom Cards are advertising media that can be used by record labels and promoters to distribute music to fans. The cards with printed logos and messages are ideal for giveaways, competitions and the like, according to Apple, and are a hip replacement for promotional CDs as they are generally much cheaper. The acid test took place at the Montreux Jazz Festival, where concertgoers were given a custom card with a code for the free download of three songs from the iTunes Music Store.