iTunes Match goes live in new markets across the globe

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 30, 2012

iTunes Match, Apple’s $25 a year cloud locker and scan-and-match music service, is being rolled out in additional countries, according to web reports. Last time we heard, Apple expanded iTunes Match to 19 countries, with a focus on the Baltic states, Latin America and the Netherlands.

Macstories first spotted that the iTunes terms and conditions for Italy have been updated with new terms suggesting an imminent launch in the country. Other web reports confirmed a similar changes to iTunes terms and conditions for Greece, Portugal, Austria, Slovenia, Bulgaria and other markets… Read More

 

Cloud storage price comparison: iCloud vs. SkyDrive vs. Dropbox vs. SugarSync

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 24, 2012

Microsoft yesterday updated its iOS SkyDrive client and released a brand new app for both Windows and Mac desktops while putting into effect paid storage upgrades.

At the same time, Dropbox released an updated iOS client with new sharing capabilities and Google upped Google Docs storage to 5 GB.

iDownloadBlog thought you might be interested to check out how major cloud storage services fare in terms of value so we’ve put together a handy comparison matrix providing an at-a-glance overview of paid tiers available from iCloud, Dropbox, SkyDrive and SugarSync… Read More

 

Tweetbot’s iCloud sync is brilliant

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 21, 2012

A couple of weeks ago version 2.2 of Tweetbot — my favorite Twitter client for iOS — was released to the public.

While that update included a number of interesting new features and obligatory bug fixes, the new iCloud sync capabilities stand head and shoulders above everything else.

One of the things that has always annoyed me about Twitter clients, and by extension Tweetbot, is that there was no reliable method for picking up where you left off across multiple devices. I know Tweet Marker support was there before, but I’ve never had very much success with it, and it only works with timelines.

I have Tweetbot installed on two iPhones, two iPads, and an iPod touch. As you can probably imagine, it doesn’t take long for things to get really messy when tweeting from all of those different devices at various points in time.

That’s where the beauty of iCloud comes in. The new iCloud sync makes Tweetbot a seamless Twitter experience, able to sync timelines, mute filters, and even DM read statuses across multiple iOS devices… Read More

 

Apple Stores reportedly readying local iCloud backups for iOS devices requiring replacement

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 19, 2012

A new report out yesterday alleges that Apple is working on an interesting new solution for Geniuses at its retail stores that would bypass the need for tethered desktop iTunes or wireless iCloud backups for people seeking iOS device replacements.

The solution would let Geniuses to quickly and effortlessly backup your entire iPad, iPhone or iPod touch prior to the device exchange process. Likewise, Geniuses would later on be able to easily move that data back onto the replacement devices.

The solution is reportedly being prototyped at Apple’s top-secret Apple Store labs near the company’s Cupertino, California headquarters… Read More

 

Greenpeace activists protest outside Apple’s Irish HQ, winning employees’ support

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 18, 2012

Just a day following an unpleasant report from Greenpeace, activists with the non-governmental environmental organization gathered outside Apple’s Irish headquarters to distribute leaflets and place banners urging the company to “clean our cloud”.

Greenpeace singled out Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Twitter for using dirty coal energy while praising Google for their eco-friendly data centers and environmental consciousness. Read More

 

PadSync: a great looking iTunes file sharing alternative

By Nick Prokesch on Apr 18, 2012

PadSync from ecamm is yet another way to access the documents folders of apps on your iDevice. The interface is very similar to iTunes File Sharing, located in the device view of a synced device. The main advantage is that you don’t need iTunes running to use it.

Maybe not enough apps you use have added iCloud support yet. Or perhaps you want to be able to easily drag and drop movie files into your movie app from your computer without performing a full iTunes sync. The rest of you might need an easy way to drag a document from your iPhone or iPad to your desktop. Let’s take a look at how PadSync can help… Read More

 

Greenpeace slams Apple over “19th-century coal energy”, praises Google

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 17, 2012

Non-governmental environmental organization Greenpeace has taken issue with Apple’s $1 billion iCloud data center in North Carolina, accusing the Cupertino company of running a facility that operates on “dirty, 19th-century coal energy”.

In addition, Greenpeace wrote in its latest report, Microsoft and Amazon are also running server farms that operate on dirty energy.

The slap in Apple’s face came just as we learned the company is building the nation’s largest end-user owned solar energy farm to partially power the iCloud data center. Read More

 

Google to launch new iOS-compatible cloud service next week

By Cody Lee on Apr 16, 2012

You can never accuse Google of not trying. Successful or not, the search company has tried its hand in several markets over the past few years. And it’s not showing any signs of slowing down.

TheNextWeb is reporting today that it has gotten its hands on a draft release from a partner of Google’s upcoming Google Drive service. That’s right. Google’s about to take on DropBox in the cloud-based storage space… Read More

 

How to Enable OmniFocus Siri Reminders on iPhone 4

By Nick Prokesch on Apr 14, 2012

OmniFocus for iPhone is a great productivity tool. With Apple’s new iPhone OS came integration with Reminders and Siri. When enabled, OmniFocus will check the Reminders app for new tasks, add them to your Inbox, and remove them from your Reminders list. This holds true for Reminders created using Siri in addition to those entered manually.

However, for some reason, The Omni Group limited the powerful new iOS 5 integration to iPhone 4S users. The good news is if you’re an iPhone 4 user, you can enable Reminders and Siri integration with a little bit of preference file editing. This trick does not affect the OmniFocus app’s performance, stability or existing functionality. Here’s how to do it… Read More

 

How Apple can solve the multiple iMessage alert conundrum

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 13, 2012

If you’ve taken advantage of iOS 5′s iCloud functionality, you understand how much potential is on tap. iCloud coerces all all of your iOS devices to stay in sync; at least that’s the theory.

While the potential is certainly there, iCloud still has a way to go before all of its issues are ironed out; though I definitely commend Apple for being gung-ho about its rollout.

One of the main issues that I’ve personally experienced — and no doubt countless others share similar sentiments — is with iMessage. More specifically, since iCloud can sync every iOS 5 device you own, all of your devices alert you when you receive a new iMessage.

Now I know; why not just disable alerts altogether for all but one device? Well, there’s a number of reasons why I would not want to do that. The main reason being is that you shouldn’t have to select one feature over another. iCloud is meant for convenience, and taking such a step would certainly be a leap backwards.

Instead, let’s examine a more proactive approach — utilizing the iPhone’s built in technology to solve the issue. That’s exactly what we tried to do. Introducing our solution to the multiple iMessage alert conundrum — Alert Priority. Read More

 

Court upholds ban on iCloud push email in Germany

By Cody Lee on Apr 13, 2012

Earlier this year, a German court slapped Apple with an injunction, forcing the company to disable iCloud’s push email service in the country. The move was the direct result of a Motorola lawsuit, who claimed Apple was using its patented technology in the feature.

Well things got worse today for the iPad-makers. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a German regional court has upheld the previous decision of the ban on Apple’s iCloud service, essentially granting Motorola a victory in the ongoing patent war… Read More

 

iTunes 11 to include iOS 6 support and deeper iCloud integration

By Cody Lee on Apr 10, 2012

9to5Mac is reporting tonight that it has learned some details regarding the next major iteration of Apple’s media management software, iTunes 11. Apparently Apple has been working on it for months now, and has recently seeded an internal beta.

According to the report, the iTunes update will feature a host of new additions including support for iOS 6… Read More

 

How secure is your iCloud data?

By Cody Lee on Apr 4, 2012

To say that iCloud is a big deal for Apple is a bit of an understatement. The cloud-based storage and backup service was launched just 6 months ago, alongside the iPhone 4S and iOS 5, and has already garnered more than 100 million users.

But its quick rise in popularity and deep integration into Apple’s software has led to one major question: how secure is it? Well the folks over at ArsTechnica recently spoke with some software security experts to find out… Read More

 

Apple confirms Apple TV-related iTunes issues

By Cody Lee on Mar 23, 2012

Have you recently been having problems with your Apple TV not downloading iTunes content? Well if so, you’re not alone. TheNextWeb is reporting that Apple has just confirmed that it is experiencing some issues with its iTunes service.

The problem is accompanied by an error message that reads “this item cannot be downloaded on this network, you must be connected to a Wi-Fi network,” and is preventing folks from downloading or streaming content to their Apple TVs… Read More

 

HBO to finally allow Universal and Fox movies into iCloud

By Cody Lee on Mar 12, 2012

According to recent reports, Apple is secretly trying to put together its own TV subscription service. And by the sounds of things, it doesn’t seem to be going very well. Studios are afraid to let Apple anywhere near their multi-million dollar industry.

But it appears that at least one major content provider is coming around. The Wall Street Journal has learned that HBO is finally going to relax its terms enough to allow iCloud users to stream previously purchased content to other iOS devices… Read More

 

Apple airs new “Harmony” iCloud commercial

By Cody Lee on Feb 26, 2012

As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple has started airing a new commercial this weekend starring its new iCloud service.

The advert, which does not include any spoken words, does a great job of demonstrating iCloud’s capabilities to the not-so-tech-saavy general public… Read More

 

Apple forced to suspend iCloud push services in Germany due to Motorola lawsuit

By Cody Lee on Feb 24, 2012

It looks like Motorola has won another major victory in Germany against Apple today, as reports are coming in that the Cupertino company has been forced to suspend its iCloud push services due to a court injunction.

The two handset-makers have been involved in an ongoing patent war in the country over the last few months, and so far, Motorola has clearly had the upper hand.. Read More

 

Confirmed: Apple planning to build large data center in Oregon

By Jake Smith on Feb 21, 2012

In December, we heard Apple was looking to buy 160-acres of land in Prineville, Oregon. The new mass of land was reportedly for hosting servers to power Apple’s iCloud, much like the $1 billion data center Apple owns in North Carolina.

Tonight, MacRumors points us to a KTVZ article confirming Apple has purchased the land in order to open up a large new data center… Read More

 

‘iTunes in the Cloud’ goes live in Japan, iTunes Match to follow

By Cody Lee on Feb 21, 2012

It’s been more than a month since Apple’s last iTunes Match roll out, but it looks like the company is getting ready to launch the popular music-mirroring service in Japan.

Macotakara is reporting that Apple has flipped the switch on its ‘iTunes in the Cloud’ component for Japanese users, allowing them to view and re-download previously purchased music… Read More

 

OS X Mountain Lion borrows heavily from iOS

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 16, 2012

Today Apple took the wraps off of OS X Mountain Lion (I know, we should have saw that one coming) and continuing with the movement started with its predecessor, OS X Lion, it borrows heavily from iOS.

In fact, you could say that OS X Lion’s iOS implants were rather mild compared to what Mountain Lion plans to offer. Apple is obviously serious about completely combining the best elements of iOS directly into its desktop operating system, and no where is this more evident than with Mountain Lion.

Like times past, Apple has released a video teaser outlining various components of their upcoming OS X update. You’re already aware of one of them — iMessage — but what are the others? Read More

 
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