iCloud

In addition to announcing stellar iPhone 4S sales, Apple also revealed today that iOS 5 and iCloud are off to a running start.

According to the company, 25 million people are already using iOS 5, even though this version of the mobile operating system launched just last week. In addition, Apple's iCloud, a cloud-based data service, has added 20 million users in less than a week.

Although the iOS 5 user numbers are impressive, Apple's success with iCloud is most notable, considering that it's an entirely new product. The service allows users to sync and store content … Read more

Those of you trying to figure out to how to tap into Apple's iCloud now that the service is officially up and running can turn to the company's setup guide.

The newly released guide explains how to get the online service working on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, as well as on a Mac or PC, a process that apparently can be confusing.

To start off, you'll need to upgrade iTunes to version 10.5 and then upgrade your Apple gadget to iOS 5. The iOS 5 install may itself be the first challenge since some … Read more

Apple is in talks with Hollywood studios to deliver movie streaming to the company's line of products, as well as PCs, according to a new report.

If Apple can ink deals with studios, the company will allow customers to buy films on iTunes and then stream those films to any iOS-based device, computers, and the Apple TV, the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday, citing sources with knowledge of the talks. If all goes well, Apple hopes to launch the service at the end of this year or early next year.

Although the LA Times didn't cite iCloud specifically, … Read more

At long last, iOS 5 is finally here, two days before the launch of the iPhone 4S.

(Related: We've heard that a number of users have had problems installing the update. Get the latest news on install issues in this post from CNET's Josh Lowensohn.)

Though iOS 5 is not as drastic of an upgrade as we saw with iOS 4 in June 2010, it does offer some much-needed and exciting enhancements for iOS users. A few are quiet and long overdue and others will seriously change how you use your Apple handset.

On that note, perhaps the … Read more

Apple is planning to launch its cloud-based storage and syncing service, iCloud, to the public today, but so far, only some folks are able to log in.

Users who have an Apple ID and go to iCloud.com to sign in to the service will be unable to use the service for now, unless they have a developer account. The full rollout is expected to occur sometime later today.

Once users are in iCloud, they can view, add, or change Contacts, input events into Calendar, and store documents in the cloud with the help of the platform's iWork application.… Read more

A day ahead of Apple's big release for iOS 5, the new version of iTunes lays the groundwork for the desktop hooks to the next version of the mobile operating system. The big new feature in iTunes 10.5, which you can download for Windows and Mac, is support for iCloud, Apple's service for syncing data wirelessly.

The iCloud change is significant. The free service enables you to store music and video purchases in Apple's cloud service, and make them available across your iOS devices or computers with iTunes installed. Automatic downloads are also supported in this … Read more

After months of curiosity, Apple's iCloud service will finally be active on October 12, mere days away. While there's a lot we already know about Apple's device-wide set of cloud services, it's becoming clear that the concept is still a mystery for most people--and even, to some extent, for us. Yes, iCloud's still a little cloudy.

We know about document-editing, iTunes Match, photo streams, and cloud syncing of settings and app data, but here's what still confuses us as we approach the day where we'll be figuring it all out for ourselves.

You can redownload iTunes music...but can you erase it? The beta functionality that currently works in iTunes allows downloading previously purchased music: check. However, there's no way to manually delete tunes once downloaded to make room for other files. How can this be? Will iOS 5 fix this? It seems so, but perhaps only by deleting a song at a time. Can music be deleted at a faster clip? Right now videos/podcasts/apps/photos can be deleted, but not music.… Read more

When Steve Jobs announced iCloud last week at WWDC in San Francisco, he left us all asking questions about how exactly the product will function.

The books, apps, and music (U.S. only) components of iCloud are already available, but since the full product will only launch in September, Apple won't provide any support until then.

Below are your questions from throughout CNET, including e-mails, Twitter, and Facebook. Apple will offer complete details in September, but here's what we know so far.

Q: Can I use iCloud as a backup service for my music if my computer … Read more

Apple's much-anticipated announcement of cloud services for its OS X and iOS device portfolio was as sleek and integrated as most everything the Cupertino, Calif., company does.

While there has been extensive coverage of last week's announcement, I think the most important aspect of the announcement hasn't been given its due.

Apple now owns the beginnings of what will likely be the world's leading integrated consumer cloud portfolio.

Let's be clear. I'm not claiming Apple is the only consumer cloud service or that it will have the dominant share of cloud services overall. But … Read more