Tag Archives: MobileMe

Apple Discontinues MobileMe And iWork Rebates

Posted on April 19, 2011 by AppleBitch


Apple has apparently discontinued the $30 rebate program that it operated for consumers who puchased MobileMe or iWork at the same time as a new Mac or iOS device as in the case of MobileMe, or a new Mac in the case of iWork.  The new policy was revealed in an Apple internal memo sent to 9to5Mac which detailed changes that become effective yesterday (April 18, 2011). 

The change immediately prompts rumors that Apple is planning on releasing updated version of both MobileMe and iWork ’11, something that has been speculated on for a while.  MobileMe is rumored to be receiving a complete overhaul with users gaining access to a music locker, which could act as a cloud-based holding area for purchases from iTunes.  The price tag for this service is rumored to be around $20 annually.  In addition, other reports have suggested that Apple would be making changes to the pricing tiers in order to remain competitive with services like GMail and DropBox.  The new service would apparently have more free options.
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Rumor: Apple Gearing Up For Siri In iOS 5 And 4G LTE In The Fall

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Mark


Following rumors yesterday that iPhone 5 would not be seen at the WWDC, announced by Apple to begin on the 6th June, TechCrunch has thrown some more interesting rumor tidbits out into the void. The site is reporting that iOS 5, which may not launch until Fall 2011, will feature a large component of the technology behind Siri, a personal assistant app. Apple purchased the company in April 2010 and, while the app still remains on the App Store, many have expected that Siri would play a large role in the future of the iPhone OS.

The other major note of interest is regarding 4G LTE integration into the iPhone.  A contributor to TechCrunch, Steve Cheney, puts the odds at 50/50 for a 4G iPhone appearing in the Fall, should the device not be launched at WWDC in June.  The site suggests that this could be the ‘very reason’ why the iPhone 5 will not launch until much later in the year.
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With iOS 5, Will Apple Finally Bring A New File System To iOS Devices?

Posted on March 27, 2011 by AppleBitch


Ever since the launch of iOS, or iPhone OS as it was previously known, the ability to store, manage and transfer files with the iPhone and iPad has been under repeated scrutiny, with Apple implementing a rather roundabout way to organize files on mobile devices. The inherent lack of a transparent file system on iOS devices has often been termed as a limitation arbitrarily implemented by Apple, and has occasionally been subject to criticism.  So, is it likely that we will finally see a transformation of this feature in iOS 5?

To use an example, in moving a movie file to an iPad, the user is required to sync that movie file via iTunes by placing it in the Movies section of the iTunes library, which isn’t too bad if the movie is in an iTunes compatible format.  But what if the movie is contained in a file type unsupported by iTunes such as the popular .avi format?  The user has to specifically assign the file to a particular app in iTunes such as the CineX Player app by adding the file through iTunes in a non-intuitive menu.  Once there, that movie file cannot be accessed and played by VLC, despite the fact that it is a compatible file type.  Weird, isn’t it?
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Rumor: iOS 5 Could Be Delayed Until Fall 2011?

Posted on March 27, 2011 by AppleBitch


Following up on their OSX 10.7 Lion report stating that the development of the new Mac operating system was ahead of schedule, TechCrunch have presented the flip side of OS development by reporting a rumor that the new version of Apple’s mobile device operating system, iOS 5, may in fact be facing delays. The site reports that the new OS that was initially planned for a June/July launch has been delayed until the the Fall of 2011.

The report also pours cold water on the rumor that Apple would be holding an event in April to give a preview of iOS 5 and a new version of MobileMe.  While the site states that this will not happen due to the revised iOS 5 release schedule, it is not clear if the MobileMe portion of this event would be abandoned as well.  The report also suggests that it is possible that iOS 5 could be shown at the WWDC in June, but still maintains a Fall release schedule.  Of course, it should be noted that both of these reports are strongly labelled as ‘rumor’ and that one could be equally as inaccurate as the other. 
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Rumor: Revamped MobileMe Music Locker Coming Soon For $20

Posted on March 25, 2011 by AppleBitch


A rumor concerning a revamped MobileMe, expected to be launched in April, is suggesting that the new system will include a ‘music locker’ for users and that the price tag for the new service will be somewhere around $20 per year.  The report comes from music blogging site The Music Void (via 9to5Mac) and suggests that Apple has already secured deals with Warner Music and is using it as a bargaining point for other labels to join in the agreement.

The new system could potentially offer two key features which, when combined, would offer users complete access to their music on-the-go.  The first, as mentioned above, would be the digital music locker, where users would be able to store all of their music as a backup versus the current iTunes protocol of only allowing downloads once.  This would bring the music that is available on iTunes more into line with app purchase policies i.e. download as many times as you want.
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New Rumor Lends Support To Apple Relaunching MobileMe With Free Storage

Posted on March 18, 2011 by AppleBitch


Another rumor regarding the potential relaunch of MobileMe has appeared, this time via iLounge, who is suggesting that Apple will be releasing the new MobileMe in April.  The report is based on a source who works at an educational institution and who was apparently told by Apple that the new MobileMe would be fully supported by Apple for the first year.

The report also says that those MobileMe consumers who recently purchased another year of the existing service would see support for a further year.  The current version of MobileMe would therefore cease to exist at that time.  The news lends futher credibility to a rumor that appeared last week from a German language site which stated that Apple would be holding an event between 4th – 17th April to introduce the new MobileMe and give a preview of iOS 5.
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Rumor: MobileMe And iOS 5 Event In April?

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Dave


A new rumor from German language site Macerkopf.de claims that Apple will be holding a media event between April 4th to 17th of this year to give media their first look at the new iOS 5 operating system for Apple mobile devices as well as the new and long awaited revamp of MobileMe.  The event would apparently take place in Cupertino at the Apple campus (via MacRumors).

While the reliability of the source that Macerkopf.de is using for this information has not been indicated, it is not such a far flung claim given that Apple is expected to introduce iOS 5 at the WWDC which we reported would likely take place in early June with the launch of the iPhone 5.
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Moving Data: Why iPhone 5 Won’t Have A Storage Bump

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Lucy


The launch of the iPad 2 last week provided a few insights on what we might see from Apple with the launch of the iPhone 5 in the summer.  One of the most telling observations was that Apple did not include any storage increases in the iPad 2, maintaining exactly the same range of options ranging from 16-64GB.  This perhaps offers some hints regarding the potential specs of the iPhone 5.

With the iPad 2 maxing out at 64GB and the top storage option of the iPhone 4 at 32GB, there is no reason to expect that Apple would increase the storage in the new iPhone.  The company is apparently in the process of upgrading MobileMe to allow for a large amount of data to be stored in the cloud.  The fact that some of this storage may come free of charge means that increasing the onboard storage of iOS devices comes to be less of a priority.
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Why Didn’t The New MobileMe Appear With The iPad 2?

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Mark


Prior to the media event where Apple launched the iPad 2, rumors had circulated that a new version of MobileMe would also be launched.  While the rumors came from a rather loose lipped and dubious source, the fact that Apple has slowly been removing boxed versions of MobileMe from its retail stores and is directing online purchasers towards a mandatory free trial suggests that something is on the cards.  If so, why wasn’t it launched with the iPad 2?

Aside from the fact that the greatest way to make an impact is to showcase only one product, the simple answer would be that the new version of MobileMe simply isn’t ready.  Reports this week suggested that Apple was still in negotiations with the major music labels that are associated with iTunes in attempts to being offering unlimited downloads of iTunes purchased music.
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Rumor: New MobileMe To Launch On March 21st?

Posted on March 1, 2011 by AppleBitch


There are new indications that Apple may be preparing to launch a revamped MobileMe service on the 21st March following unconfirmed rumors that it may play a part in tomorrow’s iPad 2 media event. An AppleBitch reader, James, tipped us that he managed to place an order for a MobileMe pack prior to Apple removing the option to order from their website.  A shipping notification for the MobileMe pack has now been received saying that MobileMe will arrive on Monday 21st March.

Apple recently started removing boxed copies of MobileMe from their retail stores and have also removed the option to purchase it directly, instead referring potential buyers to sign up for a 30 day free trial, at the end of which they would be able to pay the $99 fee for the year. This removal and mandatory switch to a free trial was first reported on February 24th, which is 25 days before March 21st. The 60 day trial therefore covers the entire interim period over which new customers could potentially sign up for the service without having to pay.
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