Apple Purchases iCloud Domain Name.
Earlier on in the week, a source gave GigaOM information stating that Apple has purchased the domain name iCloud.com for $4.5 million. It was assumed that Apple is planning to roll out their new cloud-based music service under that particular name. The original owner of the name have renamed the site CloudMe and redirected visitors who try to navigate to the site using the iCloud domain name.
My source, who is familiar with the company, says that Xcerion has sold the domain to Apple for about $4.5 million. Xcerion hasn’t responded to my queries as yet. At the time of writing, the Whois database showed Xcerion as the owner of iCloud.
Apple’s Cloud Service Set To Go?
News organization Reuters has reported that Apple’s cloud-based music service is finished stating that company has “completed work” before Google who is working on a project in it’s likeness.
Apple Inc has completed work on an online music storage service and is set to launch it ahead of Google Inc, whose own music efforts have stalled, according to several people familiar with both companies’ plans.
Apple’s plans will allow iTunes customers to store their songs on a remote server, and then access them from wherever they have an Internet connection, said two of these people who asked not to be named as the talks are still confidential.
Apple Signs Deal With Warner Music For Cloud-Based Music Service?
It’s already been reported that Apple and their cloud-based iTunes is “ready to go” at this very moment, however, some have pondered about the dealings that Apple was having with the music labels and the status on those deliberations. Now, CNET is reporting that Apple has recently made deal with the Warner Music Group, one of the four major music labels, to support the new cloud-based initiative.
Apple has an agreement with Warner Music Group to offer the record label’s tracks on iTunes’ upcoming cloud-music service, music industry sources said.
Apple Hires Ex-Microsoft Data Manager
Apple is on it’s typical hiring frenzy and the company has picked up Microsoft data center manager Kevin Timmons. Timmons filled the position for Microsoft for a little under two years. He was picked up by Redmond from his previous decade stint with GeoCities/Yahoo!
News that a bunch of us have been discussing is Apple hiring Kevin Timmons (GM of Microsoft’s data center services group). Don’t expect any press releases from Apple or Microsoft on this one. … The position Kevin is going to fill is not known and is not the position vacated by the departed Olivier Sanche. Olivier’s position has been filled by another data center operations executive.
Amazon Launches Cloud Drive/WWDC Sold Out In 10 Hours
Cloud computing is definitely the way of the future, and more than being apart of the movement, everyone wants to do it right and make it unique on how their service uses the cloud. Amazon has launched their quietly talked about cloud storage service the “Amazon Cloud Drive”.
With the new service, Amazon is offering five gigabytes [5GB] of storage space for the users to have free of charge. Additional space on the service is one dollar per gig. A user can buy up to a whole terabyte [1TB], or 1000GB [$1000], of storage space and use at their discretion. In addition to that, any user who purchases music form the Amazon music store can store the content on their cloud service for no charge to wallet or storage space on the service.
Flow the Cloud-Based Task Manager Now Out of Beta!
Flow is a cloud-based task manager. This means that you can manage all of your to-dos on any computer via its web app which looks very similar to MobileMe. Flow also is available for iOS.
Here’s what TUAW reports:
First and foremost, Flow is a web app that many will find very similar to MobileMe in aesthetics. Through this interface, one can add and manage tasks through projects or even delegate tasks to other Flow users (a handy feature for teams). The real killer feature we’re seeing with Flow, however, is the cloud-based architecture. Combined with Metalabs’ new Flow app for iPhone and their Mac companion app, it’s a pretty great way to keep things in sync.
Apple Discussing Unlimited Music Downloads Ahead of MobileMe Remodel.
This week. Bloomberg chimes in that Apple is currently in discussion with a number of music labels into allowing the company to grant users the ability to download purchased music an unlimited amount of times on devices that are registered to a corresponding iTunes account. If Apple and the labels come to an agreement, Apple would be able to allow customers to use the remodeling of MobileMe as a “digital locker” where the user can stream his content to “x” number of devices that are registered to do so
Apple Launching New Social App This Week?
In the midst of the iPad-oriented event, there has been speculation that Apple is planning on release an social application for the iOS platform.
“Specifically, our source speculates that the app could have some sort of media sharing and location sharing features. Maybe photo sharing.
It could be part of Ping, it could replace Ping, it could be part of MobileMe (which may go free), or it could be separate — our source isn’t sure. But this person says that if there is a surprise at the event, this could be it. (Or, who knows, maybe it won’t be announced until WWDC, or never.)”
Apple New Cloud to Be Storage, On Subscription
Seems like Apple’s cloud is motioning to be used for stateless storage rather than a streaming subscription service. According to the Financial Times, the folks in Cupertino have “clarifed” its intent for the use of storing music files in the Cloud. Reportedly, Apple is planning to use the Cloud as a means to back up user’s music collections and sync music to Apple devices rather than a music streaming service.
Apple, which rocked digital music services such as Pandora, Rdio and MOG last week by announcing plans to keep 30 per cent of all revenues from subscriptions taken out through its App Store, has clarified its plans for using remote storage, known as the cloud, according to several music industry executives.
MobileMe Revamp to Allow Remote Access to iTunes.
One of the biggest topics of tech discussion on the Internet lately is Apple’s revamping of MobileMe. A slew of new features is said to be coming into the remodel that will completely extend the way the service is used. One of the many features that is being talked about is Apple allowing remote access to a user’s iTunes content. The Wall Street Journal has been profiling the news for some time now with continuing updates on the matter.
