* A beta version of iTunes Match became available last night, and while only developers can currently get at it, the limited software release sheds more light on what the service will be like once it officially rolls out this fall. For the $25 annual fee, music can be streamed and/or downloaded from iTunes Match onto any iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Mac computer. Songs in users’ collections that are already available on iTunes won’t need to be uploaded — they’ll be streamed from Apple’s master copy. Check out this video preview, courtesy of Insanely Great Mac, of how it all works. (MacRumors and Insanely Great Mac)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ShM5jm4sQ

* Verizon Wireless (VZ), AT&T (T), and T-Mobile USA will invest more than $100 million in a mobile payments venture called Isis, a move intended to capitalize on a market that Juniper Research says could reach $670 billion by 2015. (Bloomberg)

* How has Google (GOOG) CEO Larry Page performed since taking the reins earlier this year? The Wall Street Journal does a deep-dive. (The Wall Street Journal)

* Check out Fortune’s 2011 list of “The Smartest People in Tech” for a round up of the industry’s sharpest players and future giants. (Fortune)

* How new HTC design head Scott Croyle thinks the company’s products will change. (VentureBeat)

* Six ways retailers are using mobile to supplement the store. (Ad Age)

* A wide-ranging interview with Box.net CEO Aaron Levie on everything from Google + (fail) and Steve Jobs (irreplaceable) to why most startups are so consumer-focused. (Business Insider)

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