A reader sent us this email he received from the "MobileMe Quota Service", informing that he was using 4.2GB of his 5GB of free iCloud storage.
The email notes that once the storage is full, iOS devices will no longer back up or save data to iCloud and mail sent to me.com email addresses will get bounced.
Users are directed to the iCloud settings on their iOS device to buy more storage. The email also notes that more storage can be purchased on a Mac or PC.
Apple has not released details on pricing for additional storage.
Apple is widely believed to be set to introduce new Sandy Bridge-based MacBook Air models in the very near future, with a variety of sources over the past few months having pegged the refresh for a June-July timeframe. One recent report has claimed that Apple is holding the MacBook Air release until OS X Lion is ready to go, meaning that a release would apparently occur sometime in July.
Detailed specs on the new models have yet to appear, although they will almost certainly include the new Thunderbolt connectivity standard being pushed forward by Apple and be based on Intel's Sandy Bridge platform, a significant enhancement over the Core 2 Duo platform used in the current MacBook Airs.
Over the past week, we've received several anonymous tips claiming that at least some models of the next-generation MacBook Air will be be available with a black finish, different from the aluminum case used on the current MacBook Air and most of Apple's other Macs. The most specific of the claims suggests that a black anodized aluminum case would be available on a top-end MacBook Air model, in much the same way as Apple once offered a high-end black MacBook on top of the standard white offerings.
We are unable to confirm the rumors of a black MacBook Air option at this time, but with multiple sources having now reported the claim to us in recent days, we've decided to at least share it for interest and discussion.
It has been seven weeks since the "Mac Defender" malware first gained significant publicity, and we've seen Apple in response step up its anti-malware efforts with the release of a security update late last month that not only addressed the known Mac Defender variants at that time but also introduced daily checks for new malware definitions. The action significantly expanded the rudimentary anti-malware capabilities introduced with the launch of Mac OS X Snow Leopard.
The creators of the "Mac Defender" malware have not, however, given up in the face of Apple's increased defenses, moving within hours to release a new variant evading detection. Apple responded quickly, however, adding new definitions to detect the variant within a day.
That cat-and-mouse game has continued for the past three weeks, with Apple issuing new malware definitions on a nearly daily basis and the File Quarantine functionality defined by Apple's updated Xprotect.plist file now detecting 15 different variants of Mac Defender. While reports of users falling for the ruse and installing Mac Defender have declined in recent weeks as increasing numbers of users have installed the security update and had their anti-malware definitions updated, some users are still reporting difficulties stemming from the software.
Consequently, it seems reasonable to conclude that Apple has significantly eaten into the profitability of the existing Mac Defender scam, but it is unclear whether the malware writers will simply continue to slightly tweak the existing implementation and infect however many computers they can before Apple quickly updates the definitions or if they (and undoubtedly others) have broader plans in mind now that they have determined how Apple is addressing the threat.
All Things Digital reports that in the latest update to its Hulu Plus application, television streaming company Hulu has brought itself into compliance with Apple's new In-App Subscription rules, taking advantage of a recent shift in Apple's stance to simply remove an external link to sign up for the paid service rather than offering subscriptions inside the application under a system in which Apple would take 30% of the revenue.
All Hulu had to do was strip out the link that sent potential subscribers to its Web site, because Apple's new rule will ban "apps that link to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app."
As initially deployed back in mid-February, Apple's In-App Subscription mechanism allowed publishers to set prices, but also required them to offer the same offers inside their applications as found through external mechanisms. Under the program, Apple would retain 30% of the revenue on subscriptions generated within the applications as a fee for bringing the subscriber to the service. The new terms were set to go into effect on June 30th for existing subscription-based applications, leading many to wonder how services such as Hulu and Netflix would deal with the requirements.
External subscription link text (bottom) removed from Hulu Plus login screen
But with Apple reversing course earlier this month, those services now have a much easier path to compliance with Apple In-App Subscriptions terms. Under the revised terms, publishers with subscription programs are not required to also offer In App Subscriptions, provided that they do not link users to external purchasing mechanisms.
Consequently, apps like Hulu Plus can meet the requirements by simply having their subscription links removed from within the app. Hulu loses the benefit of direct link-outs for new subscribers, but does not have to offer In-App Subscriptions that would undoubtedly result in significant amounts of revenue being diverted to Apple. Users interested in subscribing to Hulu will simply have to visit Hulu's site on their own, manually entering the address or finding it through a search engine, in order to sign up.
All Things Digital notes that the solution adopted by Hulu is likely to make its way to a number of other prominent services such as Netflix and Rhapsody, although it is unclear how others such as Amazon's Kindle Store will be able to satisfactorily comply with the new rules going into effect next week without removing a significant convenience factor of being able to purchase individual e-books via link-outs from the app itself.
Adobe today announced the release of Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5, new versions of the company's rich application development tools that now support cross-platform mobile app development for iOS, BlackBerry, and Android.
Developers now have a single platform for building highly expressive mobile applications that can be distributed via the Android Market, Apple App Store and BlackBerry App World. Offered standalone or as part of Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection, Flash Builder 4.5 enables the creation of applications that work seamlessly across leading mobile device platforms.
"The reaction from developers to the new mobile capabilities in Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 framework has been absolutely fantastic," said Ed Rowe, vice president of developer tooling, Adobe. "They are amazed by how easy it is to create great mobile apps for Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad. Companies can now effectively reach their customers no matter what type of device they have."
Adobe has also issued a blog post discussing the update and highlighting some of the applications recently built with the new tools.
Flash Builder 4.5 is available a standalone purchase in both Standard ($249) and Premium ($699) versions, with the Premium version also being included in Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection bundles. Flex 4.5 is a free, open-source framework.
One of the big new features in the upcoming OS X Lion is auto-resume for all applications. The feature comes from iOS where the distinction between open and closed apps is blurred, as every app will resume right where you left off.
Now apps you close will reopen right where you left off, so you never have to start from scratch again. And when you install software updates, you no longer need to save your work, close your apps, and spend valuable time setting everything up again. With Resume, you can restart your Mac and return to what you were doing — with all your apps in the exact places you left them.
Jeremy Laurenson, however, writes about a potentially embarrassing situation he ran into while running OS X Lion. Laurenson reports that he and his wife had been watching his wife's delivery in Quicktime Player and later quit the application. In OS X Lion, this saved the state of the video and windows, leaving him a surprise when he later launched a movie for a colleague:
Imagine my surprise (and luckily nothing crazy was on screen) when I double-clicked to open a different video file to show a colleague and the ole “delivery video” popped right up as well.
Laurenson sees this causing "all kinds of issues" as people adjust to the new system.
Update: Alternatively, you can now turn Resume off in Lion as a global setting, but not per app. This setting was added recently:
CNet's Brian Tong has revealed on Twitter that "all new" next generation Mac Pros and Mac minis will arrive in late July or early August.
EXCLUSIVE: My sources tell me ALL NEW Next-Gen Mac Pros and Mac Minis will launch either end of July first week of August.
Tong previously accurately predicted the arrival of new iMacs in the "end of April or 1st week of May". The iMacs did arrive in the 1st week of May as predicted. Tong indicates his source for the Mac Pro and Mac Mini updates are the same as for the iMac updates.
No details are provided on the specs of the machines besides the expected incorporation of Thunderbolt and Sandy Bridge CPUs.
Readers who are disappointed with Apple's new Back to School promotion may be interested to hear that electronics retailer Best Buy is offering to match Apple's promotion with their own.
Apple recently launched their 2011 Back to School promotion. Instead of the typical iPod giveaway, Apple is now offering a $100 iTunes/App Store gift card instead. We've been told that Best Buy will be matching this promotion with a $100 Best Buy gift card for the same qualifying customers. This is an unadvertised promotion, so customers will have to ask for it specifically.
Apple's Back to School promotion is open to college students, students accepted to college, parents buying for college students or faculty/staff at any grade level. Qualifying computers include the MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac Pro.
When it runs into conflicting data, Apple's upcoming iCloud service will automatically determine which is the correct one without bringing the user into it, according to Daring Fireball's John Gruber. Speaking on The Talk Show with Dan Benjamin, Gruber lays out what he believes to be iCloud's course of action in dealing with sync conflicts: (via MacStories)
In iCloud, I believe you will never be presented with [a sync conflict] dialog, no matter how much has changed in one of the instances while it was "offline". The server-side iCloud, when there seemingly is a conflict, will make a decision and it will decide which one is the best (in Apple's terms the "truth"). That is what Steve Jobs means when he says "The Truth is in the Cloud." iTunes will decide which one is right and that's it. iCloud will push that right one to any device that has this account that has a different version.
But, here's the trick – what happens if it's not the right one? On the server side, it will remember all of the other ones, almost like versioning. There will be some sort of interface like "go and look at your contacts." There will be some sort of way to say "show me previous versions and let me pick the one that is right". You pick it and push it back up into the cloud and tell it "that's the truth" and Apple will push it out.
Currently, MobileMe pops up a dialog box (shown above) forcing users to resolve conflicts, before a sync can continue.
Apple hasn't officially revealed many details about exactly how its new services are going to work, iTunes Match nor the other various bits of iCloud. Gruber claims this isn't just a theory, that he knows is sure this is how iCloud will work. We'll know more when iCloud launches this fall.
For geeks with Bond-esque style, Adafruit Industries have created iCufflinks. They're electronic cufflinks crafted out of machined aluminum with the standby or power symbol, International Electrotechnical Commission 5009, engraved on it.
That symbol, better known as the Power Button Logo on Macs, doesn't just light up on the iCufflink; it pulses like the sleep indicator on recent Macs.
The company didn't just emulate any pulsing LED, either. Adafruit reverse engineered Apple's sleep indicator, a technology Apple actually patented. Apple found that the by mimicking human breathing for their sleep indicator, it was more "psychologically appealing and superior" to other waveforms.
The iCufflinks are currently sold out due to initial demand, but Adafruit hopes to have more in stock soon. They are available from Adafruit's online store for $128. The cufflinks are also open-source with source code, circuit board files and schematics published online.
Apple today released a PDF documenting (PDF link) how large business and educational customers with many Macs will upgrade to Lion via the Mac App Store. It appears that even for those customers, Apple will not be offering Lion via physical media. Like the consumer release, OS X Lion will be available via online delivery only.
Apple will offer business customers volume license contracts for $29.99 per license, with a minimum of 20 licenses. Education customers can purchase the Apple Software Collection (Mac OS, iLife and iWork) starting at $39 per license, with a minimum of 25 licenses.
For customers wanting OS X Lion Server, it will be available as an add-on for $49.99, in addition to the $29.99 upgrade for standard Lion. Snow Leopard Server is not required to purchase Lion Server, but existing Snow Leopard Server installations can only be upgraded to Lion Server. Both Lion and Lion Server need to be purchased for Snow Leopard Server-equipped machines.
To actually download Lion, volume license customers will receive one redemption code for each contract. The redemption code can be used to download Lion from the Mac App Store. When the redemption code is entered, the Lion installer will download to the Applications folder, but will not install immediately. This Lion installer is used to install Lion on other systems. Download once, install many times.
IT departments will be able to use the same mass installation techniques they use today. To install Lion on multiple systems, they'll copy the Install Mac OS X Lion application from the Mac App Store to each target system. Once copied, the installer will be launched and Lion will install in place. There is no need to boot from an external disk. Administrators will also be able to use System Image Utility in OS X Lion Server to create NetInstall or NetRestore Images.
Apple previously announced that it will be releasing OS X Lion in July.
Engadget has a hands on with Firemint's Real Racing 2 HD with support for Apple's AirPlay mirroring feature coming in iOS 5. While you can mirror anything on the iPad's screen to your Apple TV, some game developers have been building in support to provide a different interface on the device itself vs. the screen. This is similar feature to what Nintendo's new Wii U console offers.
For this game (and we imagine many more to come), you use the iPad as the controller -- both while navigating through menus and in race mode -- while the game appears only on your TV (though the tablet does display some vitals, and a map of the track). There's noticeable lag between the iPad and Apple TV when using AirPlay, which may be an issue for games where timing is important, such as Rock Band, but didn't seem to set us back while playing Firemint's racing game.
This ability to display different images on the device and the video out isn't actually new with iOS 5. Several other iOS games such as Max Adventure and Chopper 2 also offer a similar experience under iOS 4. But without AirPlay mirroring feature, users have needed a $29 VGA adapter to take advantage of this feature. In iOS 5, AirPlay mirroring also offers this ability to those with Apple TVs.
iOS 5 is in developer beta at the moment, and will be released to the public this fall.
Spotify is finally (almost) ready to launch in the U.S., closing deals with three of the four big music labels -- Warner Music, predictably, is the lone holdout -- and a massive funding round, raising $100 million at a $1 billion valuation.
Spotify is a freemium music service, offering both free and paid subscription offerings, similar to Pandora. Spotify lets users listen to whatever songs they wish, in whatever order they wish, rather than building "channels" of like music on Pandora.
Spotify has a significant presence in Europe, with more than 1 million paid subscribers and 6 million ad-supported free users. In the US, it may face a more uphill climb with heavy new competition from from Google, Amazon, and Apple, plus there are existing music services from Rhapsody and the aforementioned Pandora. In fact, Apple has been rumored to have made efforts to prevent Spotify from being able to launch in the U.S.
Spotify plans to charge around $10 per month for its premium service, and allows users to stream millions of songs they don't own.
The company, founded in Sweden but based in London, raised $100 million from Digital Sky Technologies, Accel and Kleiner Perkins, all heavy hitters in the venture game. DST is a major investor in Facebook, which might help the two companies to make a deal. Spotify and Facebook are working on a "significant integration" according to All Things D's Peter Kafka, though that isn't tied to the U.S. launch. Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is a known Spotify fan.
Spotify has a decent war-chest, plus proven success and buzz from its European operations. If it can ink a deal with Warner, it might actually, finally, launch on this side of the pond.
Earlier this week, we noted that Apple had filed a response to Samsung's patent countersuit, calling a recent motion by Samsung to gain access to unreleased iOS hardware an "attempt to harass" and irrelevant to the case at hand. The filing came just ahead ahead of a deadline for Samsung to share its unreleased hardware with Apple.
Apple yesterday made another move in the chess match, amending its complaint against Samsung to strengthen the language and to include a number of new Samsung models, including some of those set to be turned over to Apple today, as infringing products.
Many of the changes are designed to portray Samsung's alleged infringement as an incredibly outrageous act of copying. The original complaint already accused Samsung of "slavishly copying" Apple's designs. The amended one stresses that Samsung "has been even bolder" than other competitors emulating Apple's products and has created "products that blatantly imitate the appearance of Apple's products to capitalize on Apple's success."
In addition to the original 15 Samsung models cited in Apple's lawsuit, the following models have been added: Droid Charge, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Prevail, Galaxy S (i9000), Gravity, Infuse 4G, Nexus S 4G, Replenish, Sidekick, Galaxy Tab 10.1, and Galaxy S II. Apple has also tweaked some of the patent claims included in the lawsuit, removing a few assertions and adding other patents to the mix.
Apple's dispute with Samsung is being closely watched for a number of reasons, including Samsung's recent strong growth with the Android platform, Samsung's role as a prominent supplier for components of Apple's iOS devices, and the vociferousness of Apple's claims of outright copying by Samsung accompanied by numerous side-by-side comparisons in support of the claims.
Back in March, we noted that Safari speed improvements in iOS 4.3 brought about by the addition of a new Nitro JavaScript engine did not extend to web apps launched from the home screen, meaning that webpages launched from convenient home screen icons exhibit significantly slower performance than those exact same pages loaded manually or from bookmarks within Safari.
As noticed by CNET, a thread on Hacker News shares that iOS 5 does in fact provide home screen web apps with access to the Nitro capabilities, making them comparable to their directly-loaded counterparts.
Q: Did they fix the bug from 4.3 where home screen web apps don't use Nitro?
A: This is probably breaking my NDA to say this, but yes, they did. Web.app now has the "dynamic-codesigning" entitlement, which enables Nitro.
The thread goes on to reveal that the Nitro implementation does not extend to web pages loaded within other apps that take advantage of UIWebView to provide browser functionality without redirecting users out of the app and into Safari directly. That omission is reportedly due to restrictions that prevent the Nitro entitlement from being extended to all apps for security reasons.
The New York Times reports that Facebook is finally set to release a free iPad app "in coming weeks", remedying a curious omission for the social networking service that touts over 600 million users worldwide.
People briefed on Facebook's plans say that in coming weeks the company plans to introduce a free iPad application that has been carefully designed and optimized for the tablet.
The app has been in production at Facebook for almost a year, going through several design iterations, and is now in the final stages of testing, according to these people, who declined to be named because they were discussing confidential product plans.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who along with other company executives noted last November that the company was still been trying to decide how best to handle the iPad, is said to have been "heavily involved" in the app's development.
People who have seen the application said it has a slick design that has been tailored for the iPad and its touchscreen interface. Facebook developers and designers have also overhauled the Facebook Chat and Facebook Groups features for the application. And the app will go beyond the features available on the Facebook Web site by allowing users to shoot and upload photos and videos directly from the iPad’s built-in cameras.
Facebook's iPad app comes just as TechCrunch reports that the company is preparing to launch a new HTML5-based mobile platform codenamed "Project Spartan" that would take on iOS on its home turf by running within the mobile Safari browser.
As of right now, there are believed to be 80 or so outside developers working with Facebook on Project Spartan. These teams are working on apps for the platform that range from games to news-reading apps. Some of the names should be familiar: Zynga and Huffington Post (owned by our parent AOL), for example. The goal is to have these apps ready to roll in the next few weeks for a formal unveiling shortly thereafter.
Facebook's vision for Project Spartan reportedly includes integration of its Facebook Credits payment system that would allow developers to offer paid apps and in app purchases directly through the web-based platform.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
A reader sent us this email he received from the "MobileMe Quota Service", informing that he was using 4.2GB of his 5GB of free iCloud storage.
MobileMe's sync conflict resolver. Via 
Back in March, we 
