Apple to go public with iCloud plans – 3 questions

Apple is to discuss its “iCloud” cloud computing plans for the first time at a developer conference starting June 6 - raising the possibility that iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch owners may soon be able to stream music, movies and other files directly to their gadgets from a personal file library or "locker" stored on the internet.

A press release sent to media last night about the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 contains a single line referencing iCloud.

It says Steve Jobs and other executives will deliver a keynote that previews iOS 5, the next version of the software that runs iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch; Lion the next Mac OS X upgrade and “iCloud, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering”.

No more detail was offered, but pundits were quick to fill in the blanks.

It’s expected that iCloud will allow owners of Apple devices to store their music, movies and other files in the cloud (that is, on the internet, or more specifically, likely in a new billion dollar data centre recently completed by Apple) rather than only on a gadget’s own storage.

The advantages are obvious. You could access your stuff from anywhere, from any compatible device – and you’d no longer have to buy songs all over again if you lost them without a backup.

iCloud would be at its most useful when used on the move, freeing an iPhone or iPad owner from the need to connect to a Mac or PC for updates or to access their library.

Music streaming deal signed
In a parallel development, The Wall Street Journal reports Apple has reached an agreement a streaming music agreement with Universal Music. Apple wouldn't comment. The company already had agreements for a cloud style sevice with Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Group.

Amazon and Google already offer music streaming services for US users. The model is not foreign to New Zealand, either; the Sony-backed, multi-label bandit.fm launched a streaming music service here last year (although this morning its monthly plan page was delivering only a 404 error).

Mobile data meltdown?
An Apple iCloud service would be no worries in a country like, say, Australia, where Vodafone offers an unlimited iPad data plan. In New Zealand, where mobile data plans from Telecom, Vodafone and 2degrees remain capped, and pricy, it could be ruinous..

Among the unknowns:

• whether iCloud is months or years away
• whether it will be fee, or part of the $US99 annual-free Mobile Me
• will iCloud data be unmetered, or considered part of your regular mobile plan