Google Inc. who was shot to launch a music service to compete with Apple Inc’s iTunes Christmas.

Reuters reports that the Mountain View search giant is in talks with music labels on plans for an online store and cloud service that would let users play songs without downloading them onto their devices.

The news service quoted anonymous sources who say that Google vice president of engineering, Andy Rubin has been updated leaders in the music industry on the new music service and spoke of a pre-holiday launch .

Rubin would have been welcomed by the music industry hopes to benefit from a relaxation of the grip that Apple is now in internet sales of their products.

About 70 percent of all digital music sales is already happening in the iTunes Music Store.

Apple has launched a new social network feature called Ping for its iTunes software.

Allows users to create networks of friends and musicians, in a manner similar to services like Twitter and Facebook.

The service can also create lists based on what members of these networks are listening.

“It’s a social network all about music,” Jobs said, the launch of the application during a demonstration in San Francisco.

iTunes U, a system for distributing content to Apple for students, allowing them access to something lectures films, language audio books have been downloaded by the 300 millionth time.

The iTunes U was launched three years ago. Since its launch, over 800 universities have joined the system, iTunes U sites have their assets and half of them publicly distribute their content through the iTunes Store. ITunes U users can access more than 350,000 files, audio or video, educational institutions worldwide.

The educational facilities that decide to publish their materials through iTunes U can decide weather they want them to be accessible to everyone or only to their own students and other members of their educational community. The iTunes U allows users to download the materials directly to their iPod or iPhone via WiFi or through the iTunes store, but it is not limited to these portable devices – users can also access the materials through their PC or Mac.

The success of iTunes U has accumulated slowly over the last three years. Late last year, the number of times it was downloaded from iTunes U just over 100 million dollars – but over the last eight months has suddenly started to grow rapidly, reaching 300 million downloads to date.

Albums:

1. “Recovery,” Eminem

2. “God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise,” The Pariah Dogs, Ray LaMontagne

3. “iTunes Session,” Lady Antebellum

4. “The Suburbs,” Arcade Fire

5. “Foundling,” David Gray

6. “Sigh No More,” Mumford & Sons

7. “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum

8. “Hands All Over,” Maroon 5

9. “Intimacy,” Kem

10. “The Final Frontier,” Iron Maiden

Singles:

1. “Right Above It (feat. Drake),” Lil Wayne

2. “Teenage Dream,” Katy Perry

3. “Dynamite,” Taio Cruz

4. “Love the Way You Lie,” Eminem

5. “I Like It,” Enrique Iglesias

6. “Just the Way You Are,” Bruno Mars

7. “Just a Dream,” Nelly

8. “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love,” Usher

9. “Magic (feat. Rivers Cuomo),” B.o.B

10. “Cooler Than Me,” Mike Posner

The above is the list of iTunes’ top 10 selling albums and singles of the week ending Aug. 23, 2010.