Sources: Apple utilizing 'iCloud' internally, service to be more than music

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  • Reply 61 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTel View Post


    I'd believe the iPhone 5 will come out this June as it always has. The difference is that iOS 5.0 won't arrive until the fall. Instead you'll see an iOS 4.5 will be the OS on iPhone 5. Thus begins the slowing of the OS development cycle.



    Why is this? It takes longer to sync and test features across all the iOS devices (iPod, iPhone, iPad, AppleTV). Also, the rumored iCloud is also delaying the new OS.



    iCloud will be interesting to see as this could be a major push into the enterprise for Apple and not just a consumer offering.



    I see nothing inherently wrong with that hypothesis. They haven?t done it before, but that doesn?t mean they can?t start and they have released the iPads with glowing success without a new major version of iOS on them.



    The only cavet I see would be the white iPhone just launching. But that will help boost the this quarter?s sales and if they do keep the same look and feel as the iPhone 4 there is nothing to be lost and everything to gain at this point.
  • Reply 62 of 74
    blecchblecch Posts: 34member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Initially dubbed iTools before being rebranded .Mac and targeted at the company's computer install base...





    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Installed_base
  • Reply 63 of 74
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Costly flash memory? $1/GB isn't expensive at all IMO compared to potential data overage charges if you're relying on iCloud over-the-air.



    I want it to mainly avoid using 3G data. Sync via home wifi in a big way, remote wifi/internet for partial sync/updates (some locations I'd happily allow a full sync), and 3G just for notification of file changes probably (and on-demand download).



    In fact, I want my iPhone to monitor (and control) my data usage. By this I mean I need to tell the iPhone I have 500MB allowance and have it prevent sudden large usage and prevent ANY over usage. I need it to recognise a minimum daily usage (say 10MB?) and ensure that this will always be available - so if I have 20 days left in the month then it'll make sure that if I am using a lot of data it cuts off certain apps as I approach 200MB remaining to allow my minimum for the rest of the month. Eventually it should just allow emails, without attachments, or ask me to override.



    I can of course do the above manually, but my parents can't. And my Telco only updates my data usage about 2 days after it's used, so I have to reset my iPhone data usage each month and then do a guessed adjustment for differences in the telco and iPhone records. Last week I sent an 8 MB email. The iPhone stuffed up and continually resent that email for many hours (1.6GB)... it costs me $250/GB excess, luckily that iPhone has 2GB allowance... I want the phone to notice it's data usage!
  • Reply 64 of 74
    firefly7475firefly7475 Posts: 1,502member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Let's face it. What ever Apple do with this, all the others; Google, RIM, Microsoft, H.P. et al, will suddenly have an epiphany and realize that was just what they were about to do too ...



    How do you think Apple will approach cloud services in a way that no one else has done before, forcing them to copy?
  • Reply 65 of 74
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    It seems far more likely to me, (and far more doable), to have the cloud component work as a slightly enhanced version of the way iDisk works now (i.e. - a simple integrated storage solution for mobile devices). It also seems way more likely to me that the cloud services would allow for removing the tether between the iOS device you own and your computer by allowing you to download and install updates from the cloud and register to the cloud etc.



    Yes. The music storage is just a component of whatever service Apple is going to offer. iCloud will have your bookmarks, music, documents, pictures. (Not sure about video - but if they allow syncing between iMovie and iMovie (iPad) when on wifi I'd like that.)



    I notice you say it's an integrated storage solution for MOBILE devices though - do you think it'd be separate to your desktop storage then (like iDisk is)? So are you meaning it'll be accessed like a separate disk? Or even that you'll "sync" iTunes to the iCloud just like the iPad, with a subset of your music and video etc... and then your iPad or iPhone will sync with iCloud?



    I'm expecting a fuller integration - such that your document folders are identical in phone, pad, and multiple macs. Same too for apps (based on platform), music, photos. In effect my iCloud will contain a full backup of my Mac (or my Mac will contain a full backup of my iCloud). Although that's ideal perhaps it's not feasible, or perhaps they'll have to differentiate paid and free services in some way. Maybe instead a free service would have 2 synced computers (one at my parents, one at my home) and rather than the iPad syncing to iCloud it'll sync to either computer - iCloud could do very basic calendar (and similar) syncing and just act as the conduit for devices to find each other.



    Or maybe the cloud will refer to a combination of places my data is stored. Some on my iPad, some on my iPod, my iPhone, my wife's iMac, my MBP, Time Capsule, and some on iCloud. Any device giving me access to all my data? Greater requirements from iCloud if you have less iResources in your home. At least 1 copy of my data always on (ie: my Mac or Time Capsule or iCloud) and another copy on other devices.
  • Reply 66 of 74
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Let's face it. What ever Apple do with this, all the others; Google, RIM, Microsoft, H.P. et al, will suddenly have an epiphany and realize that was just what they were about to do too ...



    Funny, I was about to say what's been described so far sounds no different to what everyone else is already doing, or at least a combination of what everyone else is already doing.



    Files, Photos, Contacts, Bookmarks, Emails have all been syncing around in the background for a while now. Music's still quite new unless you consider subscription music services which have also been around for a while.



    I'll wait to see what they come up with before jumping to conclusions. I don't like the name iCloud though, "cloud" is already being used to refer to web apps, hosting solutions, syncing data basically anything internet related.
  • Reply 67 of 74
    sunbowsunbow Posts: 67member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by donlphi View Post


    In all fairness, I've been doing things in "THE CLOUD" for a long time. I've been sharing documents and syncing folders with different servers that could be accessed publicly or with password. I have been using Mac.com/MobileMe since the beginning of time, but honestly I don't find it to be that great. It's not user friendly.



    It has glitchy syncing (duplicating calendar dates and contacts, placing contacts into strange categories).



    There have indeed been some rough edges to MM but regarding the duplicating contacts, there is a one-time action that you need to do (see Apple Support pages) that will ensure contacts are correctly synced and do not include iTunes-synced content as well as MM-synced content. Simply turning off iTunes synced contacts doesn't fix it (a rough edge). It is most gratifying though once it has been sorted and then works well.
  • Reply 68 of 74
    tardistardis Posts: 94member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple has begun adopting the "iCloud" name within several products currently under development, suggesting the appropriately labeled moniker is indeed the frontrunner for the company's soon-to-debut Internet cloud service, which will span beyond streaming music, AppleInsider has learned..........

    The $1 billion, 500,000 square-foot facility is five times larger than the company's current data center in Newark, Calif.



    As discussed here: http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/artic...s_data_center/ it is hard to understand why Apple should be building such a MASSIVE datacentre at a single location, even doubling in size while the first half was under construction.



    Hurricane, Tsunami, human error, blown fuse, there is no redundancy here and no sign of Apple or their partners building out other datacentres elsewhere around the world, for a service, whatever it is, you can be sure will be MASSIVE and available worldwide. Makes no sense, right?



    The recent iPhone location kerfuffle has got me thinking. What if the other side of the iCloud is YOU? Or at least your desktop Mac? Could be even your iPhone or Windows PC running iTunes, an entire cloud distributed across a community of iOS users? Every time your iPad gets near WiFi, it hosts a tiny slice of a movie as backup just in case that MASSIVE Apple NC datacentre runs out of steam.



    Crazy idea? Just following orders, thinkin' different ................
  • Reply 69 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tardis View Post


    As discussed here: http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/artic...s_data_center/ it is hard to understand why Apple should be building such a MASSIVE datacentre at a single location, even doubling in size while the first half was under construction.



    Hurricane, Tsunami, human error, blown fuse, there is no redundancy here and no sign of Apple or their partners building out other datacentres elsewhere around the world, for a service, whatever it is, you can be sure will be MASSIVE and available worldwide. Makes no sense, right?



    The recent iPhone location kerfuffle has got me thinking. What if the other side of the iCloud is YOU? Or at least your desktop Mac? Could be even your iPhone or Windows PC running iTunes, an entire cloud distributed across a community of iOS users? Every time your iPad gets near WiFi, it hosts a tiny slice of a movie as backup just in case that MASSIVE Apple NC datacentre runs out of steam.



    Crazy idea? Just following orders, thinkin' different ................



    It?s possible but there are inherent issues with the idea. If your iDevice is send and receiving data to assist others then your phone is using the battery and and degrading your performance for things you wish to do on your device.



    Furthermore, as ISPs that came about from offering phone services and cable TV are finding their original services depreciated and their data bills skyrocketing as more users turn them into dumb pipes they will start to charge more for internet access.
  • Reply 70 of 74
    adonissmuadonissmu Posts: 1,776member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Scafe2 View Post


    Excellent post, I couldn't agree more,....



    Sounds about right to me. I have mobile me also and for the same reasons.
  • Reply 71 of 74
    pbphoenixpbphoenix Posts: 1member
    This is now one ongoing discussion since February 2011 and nothing happen. Apple now claims that it took the Mobile Me of the shelves because:



    Official Statement: ?The MobileMe activation key is no longer sold in the stores because there were to many issues with the refund when a customer wanted cancel the account. The retail stores were to refund the money but retail stores did not honor the refund policy and it caused to many problems so the retail MobileMe was discontinued.?



    Also the "problems' with Mobile Me are mounting, regarding syncing and more. Anyone there who has an answer?
  • Reply 72 of 74
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,178member
    Amazon's Cloud Player has now been updated to support iOS devices too. Might be worth playing with to get an idea how cloud services would work for you.



    http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/07/a...-silent-updat/
  • Reply 73 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Amazon's Cloud Player has now been updated to support iOS devices too. Might be worth playing with to get an idea how cloud services would work for you.



    http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/07/a...-silent-updat/



    I have to assume that Apple?s service will be integrated into the iPod app for audio streaming. At least that is what I think will make for the best experience. We already have an iDisk and Dropbox app where we can streaming audio and video.



    The iOS iDisk app seems to have some nice features that aren?t available in Mac OS when accessing iDisk in Finder. The app will play music in the background, has the same style controls (including scrubbing) right from the app, but the one thing it doesn?t have is the ability for a playlist or even playing all the songs in a folder. I assume this is what Apple had to work out with the labels.



    Does Amazon?s service allow you to make playlists?
  • Reply 74 of 74
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,178member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Does Amazon?s service allow you to make playlists?



    I'm pretty sure it does from reading about it, but I haven't personally used it (yet).
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