14 DAY TRIAL // iCloud is now officially an integrated component in Mac OS X, with Apple handing developers a new beta of the incremental 10.7.2 Lion update on Sunday.
Labeled build 11C55, the latest Mac OS X 10.7.2 beta reportedly asks the code savvy types registered with Apple’s developer program to focus their testing skills on iCloud, Address Book, iCal, Mail, Safari, and MobileMe.
People familiar with the new build have confirmed that support for the beta version of iCloud is now incorporated directly into Mac OS X.
Apple has begun moving user accounts from MobileMe to iCloud, one person familiar with the matter said, allowing the transfer of mail, contacts, and calendars to the new web-centric suite of services.
iCloud is a set of free cloud services that work seamlessly with applications on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC.
It automatically and wirelessly stores content in and pushes it to all devices.
“When anything changes on one of your devices, all of your devices are wirelessly updated almost instantly,” Apple said on June 6, when it publicly unveiled the MobileMe replacement.
At the time, Apple confirmed that iCloud would be released alongside iOS 5 this fall. The Mac maker is yet to confirm an exact launch date.
It is widely believed that Apple’s scheduled launch event will also feature an iPhone announcement.
When it’s released to the general population, iCloud will include the following free services, according to Apple:
The former MobileMe services — Contacts, Calendar and Mail, all completely re-architected and rewritten to work seamlessly with iCloud.
The App Store and iBookstore — download purchased iOS apps and books to all your devices, not just the device they were purchased on.
iCloud Backup — backs up your iOS devices to iCloud daily over Wi-Fi when you charge your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, automatically and securely
iCloud Storage — seamlessly stores all documents created using iCloud Storage APIs
Photo Stream — automatically uploads the photos you take or import on any of your devices and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices
iTunes in the Cloud — download your previously purchased iTunes music to all your iOS devices for free
Apple is also beta testing OS X 10.6.9, a new version of the Snow Leopard operating system which also boasts iCloud integration.
Both OS X 10.7.2 Lion and OS X 10.6.9 Snow Leopard are expected to drop around (or even before) Apple’s rumored fall 2011 event.