Apple News, Analysis and Podcasts

As HTML 5 continues to evolve, web developers are liking their new tools more and more. The question is whether the HTML 5 standard will ever be completed and browsers adjusted to tackle this brave new world.

 The makers of Byword have updated their Mac application to include iCloud syncing. This new version can move files from the finder to iCloud. It can then open, save and edit those same files. Files that are saved onto iCloud are also stored on the local hard drive for off-line editing. This is only the first step for an iCloud editor.

In order to make full use of iCloud, files will need to be editable on more than just the Mac. The Byword developers have just solved this problem by releasing a version for the iOS. It is a universal application for both the iPhone and iPad. Does Byword have anything that makes it stand out from the rest?

Apple has a way of causing the earth to move — well almost. When Apple introduced iTunes and iPods, people began to look at music in a totally different way. Moreover people started looking at digital music in a legal way. At the same time we said goodbye to buying our music at Tower Records and Walmart.

On Wednesday, March 7, Apple is highly likely to unveil the iPad 3. The rumored hardware looks to be breathtaking. A retina display, massive graphics and CPU processing power, and a camera that will rival that of the iPhone, all while sending this goodness up and down to clouds everywhere with 4G speeds. iPad 3 is going to be a major leap in iPad technology, so much so we'll wonder why the iPad 2 wasn't called iPad 1S.

But for all the hoopla and sex appeal iPad 3 hardware will contain, it's the core of the product, the software, that will send would-be rivals back to the drawing board all over again.

This is part 2 of a 2 part series on cloud service comparisons. Part I of Cloud Services Comparison >

SugarSync: SugarSync is a cloud service that competes well with Dropbox. Both services sync files between the cloud and multiple computers and devices. Unlike Dropbox, SugarSync can sync any folder or folders on a computer. Files can also be emailed to one’s SugarSync account, which comes in handy on mobile devices. 5GB of free space is included as a standard option, which fairs well compared to most other competitive offerings that start at only 2GB. SugarSync plans are also a little cheaper than the rest, however, SugarSync does have some issues. The service itself is pretty slow and it takes up more memory than Dropbox. The software is also more complicated to navigate and use. For iOS users, very few applications are setup to access SugarSync files. While SugarSync covers the basics, it just does not have enough advantages to replace Dropbox.

A cloud service is basically a hard drive in a data center that allows users to store their data or files on the Internet. These services are increasing in their popularity as developers create more useful features. Apple is one of those developers who has thrown their hat into the ring with iCloud.

Cloud based services are continuing to evolve at a rapid rate as new features are added and new players emerge. This article will look at some of the more popular cloud services and compare them with each other. The services include: iCloud, Dropbox, SugarSync, box, Amazon's Cloud Drive, Google's cloud services and LaCie's Wuala.

A recent article by CIO.com titled, "Apple in the Enterprise: Breaking Microsoft's Grip", makes the keen observation that Microsoft is starting to lose their dominant grip in the corporate space. Apple's iPhone and iPad are breaching corporations the same way that Research In Motions Blackberry's did — through the Sales & Marketing Door. iPad's and iPhone's work well on most corporate networks, so it's been difficult for the IT department to prohibit the use of iOS devices within sales and marketing groups. The result has been an explosion of Apple's iOS devices being used in Microsoft's seemingly impenetrable fortress: corporate environments.

Making lists is a daily task in this modern era. It is one of the reason why post-it notes became so popular. The smartphone has completely changed the way we think, create, save, share and access lists where ever we go.

Apple release an app called Reminders with iOS 5 this fall. This one application will cause many applications in the App Store to become obsolete, as Apple has brought it's ease of use and refinement to the to-do list genre.

In the wake of Amazon's 7" Kindle Fire tablet launch, Barnes & Noble has shot back across the Amazon bow with their own vision of a 7" device. Yesterday saw the release of the 7" Nook tablet, which delivers a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage with an SD card slot, and a 1024 x 600 dpi display. The new Nook delivers a bit more than the Kindle Fire, but it also runs $50 more at $249. But does this have any effect on what is actually a true tablet, the iPad?

Steve jobs ripped the 7" device market, stating they would die out, as they were too small to do real work on them, and that they are "...tweeners; too big to compete against a smartphone, and too small to compete with the iPad". This is akin to no-mans-land in Tennis. No one ever wants to be standing where the ball bounces. Go to the net or stay behind the baseline, it's that simple. But are 7" devices not worthy of the tablet moniker? Is there a market for this space?

Steve Jobs was an amazing visionary... or was he? If you think about it, the senior managers at Infinity Loop may just have been great fans of Star Trek. For example, we all thought the touch interface used on the iPhone and iPad was revolutionary. But you don't have to look far to see this was really just a copy-cat of something envisioned in the 80's...

With the release of iOS 5 and Mac OS 10.7.2, Apple has added iCloud features to both operating systems. One of the applications that has benefited is Safari, Apple's default web browser.

Renton, WA, South Center Mall Apple Store: Over 200 people lined up to get their hands on one of Apple's newest – or less expensive (dare I say cheap or free!) – iPhones. Apple Stores are handing out voucher coupons similar to the iPad launch, but on a more sophisticated level. Apple employees need to know which carrier, configuration and color of iPhone is wanted. The Apple employee then hands out a voucher for that device (see image above).

The voucher program appears to indicate that Apple will not have enough iPhones on each carrier to meet demand. This does not match rumors that were claiming Apple had been producing new iPhones for well over a month in the 150k per-day range.

Let's waste no time and just dive right into why Apple's 'Let's talk iPhone' special event is going to be huge:

In the 60's, after President Kennedy's assassination, Simon & Garfunkel brought us the Sound of Silence. That tone can be sensed again this week in for the form of Fire, that has all but gone out. Amazon's gushing moment came from their new line of Kindle's launched this past Wednesday. But since Friday, the absence of any enthusiasm and chatter about the devices, specifically the Kindle Fire, has been deafening. 

Apple is set to announce a new iPhone next week. With the announcement of a new iPhone, Apple should be releasing a new version of their mobile operating system, iOS 5 and the new cloud service, iCloud.

Apple is moving away from MobileMe and iDisk to iCloud, a new way to store files on the Internet. Yet, this new iCloud is still a service and requires a subscription to use if you want more than 5GB. For those who don't trust Apple or don't want another subscription, there are alternatives.