Among a number of serious unveilings at Google I/O, the search behemoth revealed its purchase of Simplify Media. Simplify is focused on distributing locally-stored content to peripherals like mobile devices. And, just like Lala, Simplify ‘retired’ its service a few weeks ago, in preparation for a combined offering. Now, Google is unwrapping a service that allows users to port, purchase and access DRM-free music files from wherever.

So, Androiders will soon be able to stream music from their PCs or Macs. This will take the form of a desktop app that easily syncs into the upcoming Android OS. 2.2. Additionally, through the Android Market, fans will be able to easily purchase songs and sync them to their devices, though content deals remain forthcoming.

Of course, this is being billed as another epic attempt to dethrone Apple, though the Simplify-powered concept will pull songs from iTunes – as well as WinAmp and Windows Media Player.

The story is a lot more complicated than that, though perhaps EMI is simply an easy punching bag at this stage*. Part of the blame should also be shared by Apple Corps., the Beatles business entity, though finger-pointing is never a sign of progress.

Either way, the band known for smashing and evolving creatively is now a total dud in the digital space. The Beatles are one of the last standouts on iTunes (and other platforms), for reasons that seem difficult to articulate.

*EMI subsequently offered a statement after the initial publication of this report. “Discussions are ongoing,” an EMI representative stated. “We would love to see The Beatles’ music available for sale digitally.”

So, what is Apple planning, anyway? “It’s yet to be seen what the acquisition of Lala will mean to the iTunes service, I don’t think Apple has made that clear to the market,” Bronfman stated. “So I wouldn’t suggest it will not have an impact, but I certainly won’t speculate what kind of impact it will have.”

Perhaps Bronfman is less interested in sparking a media hubbub this time around. Or, perhaps discussions are really nonexistent. “We made great progress with Apple last year with the introduction of variable pricing, and obviously it’s our hope that we can continue to make progress and continue to advantage content in a digital world,” Bronfman relayed. “But I can’t say there’s a specific initiative today with Apple to – I think we need to digest and the consumer needs to digest this first move to variable pricing, and once that’s happened and is happening, then I think the next set of conversations are due. But that’s not happening today.”

Meanwhile, an under-the-radar surprise is coming from music retailers. Both Hastings Entertainment (HAST) and Trans World Entertainment Corporation (TWMC) have been posting serious gains of late, potentially on the strength of deal rumors. Just recently, Trans World chairman and CEO Robert Higgins purchased an additional 201,800 shares of TWMC at an average price of $1.76. By the Wednesday bell, Trans World appreciated 14.71 percent to $1.95.

Elsewhere, Sirius XM Radio (SIRI) remains the post-$1 stock that could. At the bell, shares of Sirius edged downward 2.65 percent but remained at $1.10.

The quick-release follows a similarly-early iPhone jump. The aggressive app and consumer electronics approach, according to Pandora founder Tim Westergren, is helping to power serious usage gains. Just recently, Pandora crossed its 50 millionth user, an accomplishment achieved through word of mouth but also a multi-platform approach. “An ever-increasing number of folks are coming to Pandora for the first time on a smartphone or a Blue-ray player, or a connected home audio device,” Westergren blogged.

Sounds a bit unscientific, though official numbers from Apple will clear the speculation. But instead of shortages and total inventory blowouts, Munster pointed to available stock. “As of 7:30PM ET on Saturday night (4/3), 19 of 20 stores we called still had availability of all models, which is a positive for first day sales given Apple was able to fulfill most demand,” Munster wrote in a research note. Most Apple Stores were closed on Sunday for Easter, and the iPad officially hits stores on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the number of iPad apps is already topping 3,122, according to Mobclix. Of those, 80 percent are paid.

But this is still a horse-race with many laps ahead. At the closing bell on Wednesday, Apple finished at the nosebleed $235, and an accompanying cap of $213.1 billion. Walmart landed at $55.60, for a resulting cap of $211.56 billion.

So what’s a few billion here and there? Perhaps the more important contest involves Microsoft (MSFT), whose second-place cap of $256.86 billion suddenly seems surmountable. Exxon Mobil (XOM) remains atop the roost, with a $316.23 billion valuation

Amazon debuted its Daily Deal feature in June 2008, and has more recently been asking labels for a one-day exclusive on sales before an album’s official release date, as well as label marketing support for the Daily Deal on an artist’s website and social media pages, the head of sales at a major label told Billboard.

“When that happened, iTunes said, ‘Enough of that shit,’” the executive said.

Due to Apple’s pressure, sources told Billboard that label executives had decided not to promote recent releases from Lady Antebellum and Ke$ha as Amazon Daily Deals.

Authored by Mark Hefflinger

Also, Apple has revealed the best-selling songs of all-time on the iTunes Store.

1. Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
2. Lady GaGa, “Poker Face”
3. Black Eyed Peas, “Boom Boom Pow”
4. Jason Mraz, “I’m Yours”
5. Coldplay, “Viva la Vida”
6. Lady Gaga & Colby O’Donis, “Just Dance”
7. Flo Rida, “Low feat. T-Pain”
8. Taylor Swift, “Love Story”
9. Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love”
10. Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”

The Store first opened in 2003, though most of the tracks are recent pop releases.  That indicates a continued ramp-up in volume, and the numbers support that theory.  In January of 2009, Apple revealed a cumulative download total of 6 billion, at the time part of a multi-year plateau.  But the leap to 10 billion is double the previous annual rate, raising an interesting question of just where download sales are heading.

Earlier this week, Warner Music Group revealed slowing, year-over-year download sales, and Warner chief Edgar Bronfman noted that the introduction of variable pricing was totally ill-timed.  But the current jump offers evidence in the other direction, and could suggest aggressive growth outside of North America.

Just recently, US-based Nielsen Soundscan pointed to 2009 download growth of 8.3 percent to 1.159 billion a-la-carte downloads, and album sales growth of 16.1 percent to 76.4 million.  In the aggregate – after multiplying albums by ten tracks -  the broader gain is roughly 11.3 percent to 1.923 billion songs in the US.