Apple’s iCloud Unveiled

Delivering a product that, for the first time, keeps all your devices in sync, Apple announced iCloud, a replacement to the unsuccessful MobileMe which includes all of the previous services - Contacts, Calendar, Mail - and a truckload of other new features.

“Today it is a real hassle and very frustrating to keep all your information and content up-to-date across all your devices,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

Mr. Jobs added, “iCloud keeps your important information and content up to date across all your devices. All of this happens automatically and wirelessly, and because it’s integrated into our apps you don’t even need to think about it—it all just works.”

iCloud now makes it possible to download anything - an app, a song, or a book - and use it on any of your compatible devices, which also includes Windows PCs.

Basically, what you download wirelessly on your iPhone (for example) gets pushed to your iPad, Mac and / or PC and becomes instantly available there as well.

iCloud can do the same with photos by instantly streaming those you take with your iPhone’s camera, while iCloud Backup automatically and securely backs up your devices on a daily basis over Wi-Fi when you plug it in for a charge.

iCloud Storage seamlessly stores all of a user’s documents created using iCloud Storage APIs. These are also automatically pushed to all of a user’s devices.

Finally, iTunes in the Cloud offers the ability to download previously purchased iTunes music to all iOS devices at no additional cost.

New music purchases can be downloaded automatically to all your devices, while iTunes Match replaces your music with a 256 kbps AAC DRM-free version if Apple can match it. This service will be a paid one - $24.99 annual fee.

When it’s released this fall, iCloud will be available free of charge to all Apple ID holders with a standard 5GB of free cloud storage for Mail, Document Storage and Backup.

Apple expressly noted that music, apps, books and Photo Stream do not count against the storage limit.