Apple may have finally decided to open up iTunes in Costa Rica and the rest of Latin America on December 13th, but it only took one day for a Tico-owned digital content store to follow suit. Central de Radios (CDR), a powerful media conglomerate which owns the venerable Radio Reloj and 29 other radio stations, launched Tití Online, the first store in Costa Rica to offer e-books, magazines, ringtones, music, and more.

Ticos are in love with their cell phones, smartphones and other handheld personal computing devices. A random walk through some of the most heavily transited pedestrian zones in downtown San José or the many Universities reveals a heavy pattern of handheld device usage. For bus and train riders, mobile devices provide an escape from gritty reality, a link to their loved ones, or an often regretful means to stay connected with the office.

This love affair with cell phones is fueled not only by their voice, text messaging and Internet capabilities, but also by the variety of multimedia content that can be displayed on tiny screens and played through stereo headphones. Ticos are hungry for digital content, as evidenced by how frequently they downloaded apps, games, ringtones, and other content from Nokia’s Ovi Store in 2010. According to the Latin American public relations arm of the Finnish cell phone manufacturer, Ticos downloaded more apps per capita from the Ovi Store in 2010 than in any other country in the world. Since the overwhelming majority of those downloads consisted of free content, Tití Online is keeping prices reasonable. For example, Shakira’s single “Rabiosa” costs 512 colones, just like Ryan Adams’ “Star Sign”; while the traditional Christmas carol “Silent Night” performed by local vocal wonders El Café Chorale is just 368 colones.

Other interesting content includes Costa Rica’s own underground comix, El Zarpe, as well as business magazines and mobile apps such as a Tarot Card reader. The store is named after the tiny saimiri oerstedii (squirrel monkey), which inhabits the Manuel Antonio National Park.