Monday, June 6, 2011

Apple : WWDC 2011: iCloud - Apple's cloud service is FREE

Apple : WWDC 2011: iCloud - Apple's cloud service is FREE

WWDC 2011: iCloud - Apple's cloud service is FREE

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT

Apple has officially announced the arrival of iCloud, its brand new cloud service.

In an unprecedented move, Apple revealed just what it would be unveiling at this year's WWDC before the actual event – so we all knew that it was on the horizon.

Apple had trademarked the name 31 May, but what exactly Apple would allow you to stream was still unknown.

Rumours were that Apple had managed to get all the music labels on board, in a bid to bring true personal music streaming to the masses.

Steve Jobs took to the stage to announce the iCloud would indeed store your content and wirelessly push it to all your devices.

He also announced that every day content will be backed up on to iCloud and the service is completely free.

Jobs also noted that as of today, MobileMe - which cost $99 - is no more.

It will back up all your purchased music, books, photos and videos - as well as all your settings. In short: you can synch up all your iOS devices to iCloud and they will all have the same content.

iCloud features

There's a number of features with iCloud, including Documents in the Cloud. This is a Google Docs rival, where you can access all your documents uploaded to iCloud. If you edit them, then you edits will automatically synch.

Apparently we have all been waiting 10 years for this sort of functionality on a mobile device.

With Photostream, iCloud will allow the syncing of photos to the cloud. This is seen as separate album in your Photos, so it's not actually a different app - which is handy.

You can store the last 1,000 photos on your iOS device and all of them if you are using a Mac.

They stay in the cloud for 30 days, if you want to keep them on your device, then you move them to an album.

What this also means is that you can take a picture on your iPhone and it will be automatically available on your iPad.

And the last bit is iTunes in the cloud. Yes, it's what we have all been waiting for. You will be able to have a single purchase go straight to multiple devices. Jobs is calling this "a first in the music industry". Even though it is not.

While this part isn't exactly streaming all your music to your device, it will be interesting to see if this ease of downloading will stop people looking elsewhere for music.

But, there is also Apple's one more thing, which is iTunes Match - this will match your entire iTunes library and puts it in the cloud. This costs $24.99 and all your songs will be upgraded to 256Kbps AAC DRM-free tunes.

It's treading on the toes of Spotify but only lightly - this service only gives you your music in the cloud and not the millions of tracks you can get on Spotify.

It's an intriguing prospect nonetheless.

The iCloud UK release date is unknown but it will be in the US this Fall, which is unsurprisingly the same as iOS 5.

WWDC 2011: iMessage: Apple takes on Blackberry's BBM

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:24 AM PDT

Apple has announced at WWDC 2011 that it will be bringing a new instant message service to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

Called iMessage, the service allows you to start a cross-device conversation where you can post text messages, photos, videos, contacts and even do group messaging.

This is a massive hit to RIM, who prides itself on BBM for BlackBerry, and it is also puts the iPhone 4 in firm contention as a business phone.

Message in an iPhone

According to Apple, iMessage works both over Wi-Fi and 3G and if you want to send a message all you have to do is tap the camera icon, pic a pic and you are away.

Apple has managed to squeeze around 200 new features into iOS 5.

Unfortunately, you are in for a bit of a wait as the iOS 5 UK release date is this fall – which pegs it for a release around September.

WWDC 2011: Mac OS X 10.7 Lion: UK release date and pricing revealed

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:53 AM PDT

Apple has announced the release date and pricing of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion at WWDC 2011 and it's surprised us all by making the operating system stupidly affordable.

With the launch of OS X 10.7 Lion, Apple has dragged itself into the 21 Century, by announcing that the OS will not be available on disc but through download only.

And that's not all, Jobs and co have knocked a massive $99 of the price of the OS – making it available for just $29.99.

250 new features

Originally shown off back in February, Mac OS X 10.7 Lion offers over 250 new features, with a good chunk of them inspired by Apple's mobile OS.

The OS uses gesture control and you can have applications at full screen, autosave your documents and even look at them back in time.

The Mac OS X 10.7 Lion UK release date is July 2011. As pricing is $30, expect to pay the same in pounds as that is how big companies do their conversions nowadays. And the good news is you can put it on five Apple devices!

WWDC 2011: Apple apes Android for official iOS 5 unveiling

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:52 AM PDT

Apple has officially unveiled iOS 5, offering loads of new features that seem a little similar to Google's Android UI.

The first update is for notifications, with push notifications now aggregated in a pull-down menu available at the top of the screen... much like the system used for Android. This is also accessible from the lock screen, with a simple swipe gesture taking you straight to the relevant app.

These notifications will pop up at the top of the display in full-screen mode, but are not persistent, meaning they'll dismiss themselves after a few seconds if you're too into your current Words with Friends war.

Bouncing onto the News Stand

Magazines are going to get their own section of the new iOS 5 launch, bringing with it a dedicated home screen pop-up from the app icon.

iOS 5

This means that your new subscriptions are automatically downloaded to the phone and available offline, with more titles being announced each day.

Twitter integration

Apple clearly thinks Twitter has become mainstream enough to be part of its iFamily, with a 'one click' option for applications to let you use Twitter functionality.

All you'll need to do is sign in through the Settings menu and any app can request integration with your Twitter account, meaning no more constant signing in to every new application you download - meaning Twitter is set for a big boost in app love.

Twitter will get some strong integration across the iOS device, with the ability to Tweet from the Camera, Photos, Safari and Maps applications - and like Android, Twitter contacts can be added into the Contacts menu.

Safari Reader - nothing but the words

Safari has been given some big upgrade love with the new iOS 5 - the big one being the new Safari Reader.

This function lives in the address bar, and turns any web page into a long column of text for easier parsing. This text can then be emailed in its entirety, in a move that will please website owners the world over.

Tabbed browsing is now supported too, as a feature that will probably suit iPad users more than iPhone ones, and Tweeting directly from the browser is now supported too.

Geofencing

Reminders might not seem like much of an update for iOS 5 - after all, it's just prettier versions of lists of things you have to do.

But add in things like time, date and location notifications (meaning you can set up a 'geofence' according to Apple that will prod you to do something when you leave a certain zone) and you can see this is something that might actually add in some cool functionality - plus it will sync across other apps like iCal.

Camera updates

Apple is claiming that its camera is one of the most oft-used pieces of hardwaer on sites like Flickr, and has updated the functionality accordingly.

The big one is the addition of a camera icon on the lock screen, meaning you can shave all-important seconds off the snapping time if you see something you want to capture.

Plus you can use the volume up button to take pictures. We know, a dedicated camera button for the iPhone! Wishes clearly DO come true.

Extra photo editing software for easy cropping and enhancement has been added in to iOS 5, and pinching to zoom will, well, zoom in on photos when you're trying to capture the perfect pic.

Mail movement

Next up in the Apple iOS overhaul is the Mail application - with new elements like draggable addresses so you can pop them across from To to Cc to Bcc.

Flagging and full-searchable messages have been added in too, plus rich text formatting for easier interaction with your e-mails.

A built in dictionary makes it easier to keep your spelling under control, and for the iPad thumb users: a split keyboard.

Simply grabbing it with your thumbs and sliding upwards will split it in two, making it easier to tap out the emails more speedily.

Updates go computer-free

That's right - Apple is cutting the cord and taking the computer out of the equation with the new iOS 5 update. You won't need to tether your phone or iPad straight after purchase any more, and all updates will be delivered over the air.

Apple claims this is because many users just want to use the iPad as their primary computing device, so interacting with the Calendar or Photos is now all done on device if you so wish - with wireless iTunes syncing on offer too.

Game Center gets all social

Ever wanted more friends to play with? Well, Apple is pushing the notion of friend discovery with the Game Center update, offering you the chance to see the scores of friends' friends too.

Gamer profiles have been updated to include photos as well, plus turn-based gaming is baked right into the application for more responsive gaming.

You can also purchase games directly from the Center, and Apple is claiming over 50 million users already, with achievement points added in - directly competing with the likes of Xbox (which got a sneaky mention for having fewer users on Xbox Live despite being around for eight years).

BBM? No, it's iMessage

The final flourish from Apple with the new iOS 5 is the addition of iMessage, a BlackBerry Messenger-a-like application that lets you send messages to other iOS users.

The new application supports a multitude of features, including the ability to send pictures, videos or contacts, and also start a group message too.

Apple ios 5 finally launches

Real-time notifications mean you won't have to wait to see if someone is bothering to reply to your missives, and read receipts mean the lazy among us have lost the 'oh, I didn't see it' excuse now.

Apple is promising hundreds of new features with the new iOS 5 unveiling, with the likes of full iPad TV mirroring without wires and new gestures to flick between applications on offer too.

iOS 5 release date

So the important question: when is the new iOS 5 going to be launched? If you're a developer, it's good news - the iOS 5 SDK is available now and being seeded as you read this.

Other users will have to hunker down and wait for a bit unfortunately, with Apple offering an Autumn (or 'Fall' if you love US speak) release date for the new iOS 5.

The new software will come to the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad and iPad 2 - plus the third and fourth generation iPod touch clan.

WWDC 2011: New OS X 10.7 Lion features shown off by Apple

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:09 AM PDT

Apple may have already revealed a little bit of information regarding OS X 10.7 Lion, but at this week's WWDC 2011 conference Jobs and co revealed a whole lot more.

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is only going to be available in the Mac App Store and should make upgrading easy as pie, especially given the new low price of £20.99.

Originally unveiled to developers in February and announced back in October 2010, OS X 10.7 Lion has taken some of what makes iOS great and updated for the desktop.

Roooooar

Today's announcement sees over 250 new features added to the OS, with Apple's Phil Schiller showing off ten key features at WWDC today, including full-screen applications and multi-touch gestures using the trackpad.

Mac os x lion

Also shown off was Mission Control, which brings together Expose and Spaces:

Mac os x lion

Like a super-charged app switcher, Mission Control gives you an easy overview of all your open apps and windows, as well as letting you compartmentalise your windows in various Spaces - keeping work and play nice and separate.

Mac OS X Lion will also have the Mac App Store built-in, bringing in-app purchases and push notifications to the desktop.

Next up is Launchpad, which Schiller describes thusly: "You can get at any app with a simple gesture." It looks a lot like the iOS homescreen, with your apps laid out in a grid set up.

Mac os x lion

Resume sounds brilliantly useful - it opens apps to exactly the place you left them, right down to the text you had selected when you closed the app.

Also new to OS X Lion is Autosave: "Lion can... save your work for you. It's powerful, but simple," says Schiller. "But there's more; if you don't like what you've saved, you can revert. You can select lock if you don't want it to autosave. You can duplicate the document from the title bar and start working on another version."

And that's essentially the next Lion feature that Schiller is showing off, known as Versions. Each iteration of your document is saved as you go, and you can access all of them. It offers manual snapshots and efficient storage, and only the current version of the document is shared if you send it on to someone else.

Mac os x lion

AirDrop is the next feature to be unveiled; it's basically DropBox but over a smaller network, allowing peer-to-peer file sharing. It's a drag and drop affair, with data encryption and works over Wi-Fi.

Mac os x lion

Finally, Mail has been updated in Mac OS X Lion; it looks a lot more like the iPad app, offering conversation view, updated search with suggestions and a favourites bar.

Mac os x lion

The Mac OS X 10.7 Lion release date will be July 2011, when you'll be able to explore the other 240 features at your leisure.

Also revealed at the Apple keynote today were iOS 5 and Apple's new iCloud service.

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