Smartphone and tablet owners in Costa Rica do not usually need encouragement to stay glued to their devices, but recent developments in terms of apps and available services are going to make the mobile experience even more enticing. Music streaming services Spotify and Rdio recently expanded into Costa Rica, and Apple has added a new category for games in the local version of the iTunes App Store.

Spotify

This Swedish online music streaming service has been around since 2008. In just a few years, it has managed to capture more than 20 million users. Spotify has an impressive music catalog that boasts as many songs as there are users. Most songs can be streamed for free with a couple of limitations, which include putting up with advertising and being able to play a certain number of songs. Users can remove these limitations in exchange for a 3,000 colones monthly subscription (about $6).

Rdio

On the same day that Spotify announced its expansion to Costa Rica, arch-rival music streaming service Rdio also moved into town. Rdio subscribers also enjoy a musical catalog with 20 million songs, but free streaming does not last forever. Depending on the premium subscription level chosen, Rdio users will pay between $5 to $10 per month to access all the goodies.

Games on iTunes

Proud owners of Apple iDevices in Costa Rica can now visit the iTunes App Store and install games directly from a dedicated category. According to reports by iOS developers, Apple made the decision to add a games category to the local iTunes version a couple of weeks ago. This is good news for developers and programmers of mobile games since they can expand their market. In fact, Costa Rica is already home to a couple of mobile app development firms that have enjoyed some level of success with their gaming creations.