Starbucks

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It's kind of comforting to know that no matter where you go in the world, Starbucks is there to deliver your tall skinny latté to its usual perfection. Things got even better for you (and your iTunes playlists) when the company began giving away free music tracks for featured artists and now, alongside your regular cup of joe, Starbucks will be offering up free apps to load on your iPhone.

First up for Starbucks' app "Pick of the Week" is Shazam Encore, a handy little app for music lovers that identifies the songs you're listening to out in the wild. This is quite a deal, as Shazam Encore usually retails for $6 in the iTunes App Store.

There's no word on how often Starbucks will be adding apps to their "pick of the week" lineup, but keep an eye out – it could save you some cash on cool apps.

Coffee: it's something I drink every day, and surely for the taste (although, admittedly, the caffeine's a factor, too). Or so I thought — until I attended a recent Starbucks tasting and discovered that I'm not really tasting my coffee.

Starbucks Coffee Master Zach Mercer led me through a sampling of the latest Starbucks Reserve coffee, a rare cup by the name of Jamaica Blue Mountain. It was then that I discovered how to truly taste coffee like a pro.

Want to do the same? Start with black, perfectly brewed coffee, at a temperature around 200ºF. Then follow these basic coffee-tasting steps.

Starbucks doesn't just want its coffee drinkers to drop in for joe each morning; it also wants customers to stay for lunch.

Today, the coffee company rolled out a new line of Bistro Boxes — all-day meals and snacks under 500 calories with a focus on healthier, more wholesome food — to approximately 5,400 Starbucks locations across the United States and Canada. The target? The 45 percent of Americans who are "wellness seekers looking for healthy options," according to one executive.

The lineup includes $7-and-under entrée-sized Bistro Boxes, such as Chipotle Chicken Wraps, Sesame Noodles, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and a Salumi & Cheese box. Also available are the smaller-sized Tuna Salad, Protein Plate, Chicken & Hummus platter, and Cheese & Fruit box.

Given the trend of healthier on-the-go menu options, this rollout seems to make sense for Starbucks. But considering the fact that these items don't come cheap and Americans aren't willing to pay more for healthier options, it remains to be seen whether these offerings will be successful. Will you try them?

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