GreenBkk.com Tech | Factbox: Apple unveils iCloud, Lion and iOS 5

Factbox: Apple unveils iCloud, Lion and iOS 5

Mon Jun 6, 2011 5:22pm EDT

(Reuters) - Apple Inc unveiled a new storage and retrieval service, called iCloud, that gives customers access to all their music, photographs and other files across their devices.

Chief Executive Steve Jobs and his executive team also took the wraps off an upgrade to Apple's computer operating system, and new software for its iPhone and iPad mobile devices.

Here is a summary of the main elements in all three announcements.

iCloud:

- Remotely stores music, photos and documents and syncs them with all devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and personal computers

- When something new is added to one device, all of a user's devices are updated "almost instantly."

- iCloud will be available this fall.

- iTunes Match can store and sync any of a user's songs that were not bought on iTunes for $24.99 a year (U.S. only)

- Features 5 Gigabytes of free storage for mail and documents.

- Apple did not announce pricing for additional storage. Purchased music, apps, books, photos do not count against storage limit.

- iCloud stores photos for up to 30 days during which users should connect devices to Wi-Fi for automatic downloads.

- Apple has three data centers to support iCloud.

Lion:

- The latest Mac OS computer operating system.

- Costs $29.99, available in July.

- Includes touch-screen support with multi-touch gestures, similar to iPhone and iPad.

- Allows peer-to-peer document sharing over Wi-Fi.

- On sale only through iTunes store.

iOS 5:

- The next version of iPhone, iPad operating system.

- Includes iMessaging, a rival to Research In Motion's BlackBerry messaging service.

- Allows tighter integration with Twitter.

- Allows wireless software updates, so iPhone/iPad customers do not need to own a computer.

- Available this fall.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; editing by Matthew Lewis)

Credit: Reuters (www.reuters.com)