iCloud

Building an iWristwatch: What smart watches need next

My watch is an iPod Nano. It's not perfect. In fact, there are many ways I'd like it to be better. But, it works. It also looks cool.

Those are two seemingly small details that are in fact quite major when considering a smart watch these days. "Working" is a matter of opinion and design in some cases, but the point is that the iPod Nano-as-a-watch does exactly what you think it does, and it does it well. So far, that can't be said for Sony's SmartWatch, a confusing remote for Android phones that ends up doing less than you expect it to, yet somehow is hard to even work in that limited capacity. I had a chance to try one out here at CNET, and was surprised at how Sony's solution was good-looking, but a complete slave requiring Bluetooth and an Android phone to get anything done -- even tell the time. That's a problem. A good watch can't mess that part up.… Read more

Greenpeace rains on Apple's iCloud (again)

Environmental activists at Greenpeace took their campaign to pressure cloud computing providers on energy to Apple's headquarters today.

Protesters set up a portable building -- i.e. a "pod" -- and protesters dressed as iPhones stood outside Apple's buildings in Cupertino, Calif.

Greenpeace also projected messages onto the glass entryway into one building asking Apple to "just stop using coal" and "be part of the next century, not last."

It's the latest event designed to bring attention to Greenpeace and its Clean Our Cloud campaign which is pressuring large data center … Read more

Apple may 'think different' on iCloud's video sync feature

iCloud and video are two words that have not gone together since the service launched last year. But a video synchronization feature rumored to arrive on iCloud next month could change all that.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal earlier today (subscription required), Apple is at work on a feature that lets users sync up videos they've taken with their iOS devices through iCloud. What's unclear is whether that's simply an addition to the existing Photo Stream feature, or something separate.

As it stands, Apple's Photo Stream feature, which was introduced alongside iOS … Read more

Beta version of iCloud.com hints at Notes, Reminders Web apps

Apple's already outed its plans to bring iOS apps like Notes and Reminders to OS X later this year, and it looks like those apps are now headed to iCloud.com as well.

As spotted by 9to5mac this morning, Apple's testing two alternate versions of its iCloud Web site for developers -- one called "beta" and one called "dev" -- that adds those two iOS apps in Web app form.

In order to use the beta version of that site, Apple notes that users must have a developer account, though developers have noticed that … Read more

Samsung readying iCloud competitor for May 3?

Samsung already has its sights set on Apple for May 3 when it will unveil the Galaxy S III smartphone, but it might also be ready to target iCloud, according to a new report.

Korean news outlet Maeil Business is reporting today (Translate), citing a leaked Samsung "consolidation plan," that Samsung will unveil an iCloud competitor, called S-Cloud, at its May 3 event in London. As with iCloud, S-Cloud will allow users to send content up to the cloud and sync that across multiple devices. However, the news outlet says that S-Cloud won't come with the content-uploading … Read more

Apple gives away Snow Leopard to boost iCloud migration

Apple has a plan to nudge more MobileMe users on to iCloud.

The cloud-based storage service will replace MobileMe in June, but only users running OS X Lion (version 10.7) will have access to iCloud. Apple has realized that many MobileMe users are probably running an older OS and may be left behind by the cost of upgrading their systems.

So Apple is giving users of older operating systems a gentle push by making the first step toward upgrading easy: the company is giving away Snow Leopard -- the 10.6 version of OS X -- to MobileMe users, … Read more

Court orders push e-mail ban on iCloud, MobileMe to continue

An earlier German court ruling banning iCloud and MobileMe push e-mail service in that country has been upheld.

The Mannheim Regional Court today ordered the ban to continue, claiming that the push e-mail service found in Apple's iCloud and MobileMe violates patents Motorola Mobility holds. In addition, Dow Jones, which first reported on the story, says the court ordered Apple to pay Motorola damages, but did not specify how much.

A German court back in February sided with Motorola Mobility in the case, arguing that Apple's push e-mail services in iCloud and MobileMe should be banned from use … Read more

Apple to discontinue iWork.com in July

With the progressive push to gain a footing in cloud-based services, Apple has tried a number of approaches in the past decade, starting with iTools and migrating to .Mac with a personal online disk and Web sites, which then evolved to MobileMe. In this timeframe Apple's MobileMe services were rather lackluster and did not get much public attention, so Apple began exploring other options, including options for enhancing its popular iWork programs with Web-based services.

The Web-based services for iWork (aptly named "iWork.com"), were integrated into Apple's iWork programs to allow easy sharing of document … Read more

Apple's new iPad: Hands-on

Editors' note:CNET's full, rated review of the third-generation Apple iPad is now available.

The iPad's new screen is a stunner. That's really all you need to know about the new iPad (yes, that's the name). That, and a reminder that pricing still starts at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model, with 4G starting at $629.

Forget all of the minor tweaks and incremental updates Apple has made to its third-generation tablet. The faster processor, the upgrade to 4G data, the improved camera--it's all housekeeping. It's the stuff it had to do. It's the stuff any manufacturer could have done.

Now, increasing the iPad's screen resolution to 2,048x1,536 pixels that exceeds any current tablet or laptop--that's a move only Apple has the scale and industry muscle to pull off. At this point, if Apple decides that the next iPad will be made from unicorn tears, I wouldn't bet against it. … Read more

Apple's plans for Netflix killer turning studios, networks away?

Rumors have cropped up over the last few months suggesting that Apple is working on a streaming-video service to compete with Netflix. But according to a new report, it might have hit some snags.

Citing sources, the New York Post reported yesterday that Apple is having trouble selling media companies on its streaming-video service. One media executive who asked not to be named told the Post that Apple is looking for "everything for nothing." Another said that the iPhone maker wants to decide what content will be offered and at what price.

Nearly a year ago, CNET reported, … Read more