What is iCloud?
02 NOVEMBER 11
Put simply, iCloud is a way of wirelessly storing and syncing all of your music, photos, books and apps across all of your devices. So, for example, if you download a song on your iPhone it will automatically and wirelessly sync with your iPad and your PC.
The iCloud software acts as a storage solution for your media and personal content as well as a bridge that connects all your devices for purchased media and personal photos and videos. Some are hailing the iCloud as the final piece in the puzzle that ties everything together, continuing Steve Jobs' original vision for control over the entire hardware and software experience and presenting a unified ecosystem.
YOUR CONTENT ON ALL YOUR DEVICES
If you do have a range of devices, it can be incredibly frustrating managing everything across all devices and trying to remember which one you were using when you downloaded something. Now all that hassle has been taken away. No more memory games; just download what you want, and its everywhere! And no more trying to remember where your USB cord is either, as it's all done wirelessly via your Wi-Fi. iCloud automatically and securely stores your content so it's always available to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. You will always have access to your content and you'll no longer have to manually sync.
HOW TO GET IT
To reap the benefits of this great new software, you will need to ensure that you download iTunes version 10.5 on your PC or Mac, and that you also download iOS 5 on your devices. To get started with iCloud and learn how to customise your settings click here and follow the onscreen instructions.
WHAT YOU GET
When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5GB of free storage, which should be plenty of room because of the way iCloud stores your content. Your purchased music, apps, books, and TV shows, as well as your Photo Stream don't count against your free storage. If you need more storage, you can easily purchase a storage upgrade right from your device.
The iCloud software acts as a storage solution for your media and personal content as well as a bridge that connects all your devices for purchased media and personal photos and videos. Some are hailing the iCloud as the final piece in the puzzle that ties everything together, continuing Steve Jobs' original vision for control over the entire hardware and software experience and presenting a unified ecosystem.
YOUR CONTENT ON ALL YOUR DEVICES
If you do have a range of devices, it can be incredibly frustrating managing everything across all devices and trying to remember which one you were using when you downloaded something. Now all that hassle has been taken away. No more memory games; just download what you want, and its everywhere! And no more trying to remember where your USB cord is either, as it's all done wirelessly via your Wi-Fi. iCloud automatically and securely stores your content so it's always available to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. You will always have access to your content and you'll no longer have to manually sync.
HOW TO GET IT
To reap the benefits of this great new software, you will need to ensure that you download iTunes version 10.5 on your PC or Mac, and that you also download iOS 5 on your devices. To get started with iCloud and learn how to customise your settings click here and follow the onscreen instructions.
WHAT YOU GET
When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5GB of free storage, which should be plenty of room because of the way iCloud stores your content. Your purchased music, apps, books, and TV shows, as well as your Photo Stream don't count against your free storage. If you need more storage, you can easily purchase a storage upgrade right from your device.
- An additional 10GB (15GB total iCloud storage) will cost you $25 per year
- An additional 20GB (25GB total iCloud storage) will cost you $50 per year
- An additional 50GB (55GB total iCloud storage) will cost you $125 per year
iTunes
With iCloud, the music you purchase in iTunes appears automatically on all your devices. You can also download your past iTunes purchases. The important point to note here is that this is only for purchased music, and does not include music you may have imported into iTunes from CDs or purchased somewhere other than iTunes. Keep an eye out for iTunes Match (coming out soon) for syncing the rest of your music.
Photo Stream
With iCloud, when you take a photo on one device, it automatically appears on all your other devices. iCloud stores your new photos for 30 days so your devices have plenty of time to connect and download the photos. Your iOS devices keep a rolling collection of your last 1000 photos. If you want to save your favourite shots on your device permanently you will need to save them to your Camera Roll or any other album. This can also work for photos that you import from your digital camera to your computer, by placing them in the Photo Stream upload folder on your computer.
Set up Photo Stream on an iOS device
- On your device's Home screen, tap Settings, and then tap iCloud. Note: If you're asked to sign in with your Apple ID, then you haven't set up iCloud on this iOS device. Sign in with your Apple ID to set up your iCloud account.
- Tap next to Photo Stream to turn it on.
- Any new photos you take with your iOS device are uploaded to iCloud and added to your Photo Stream.
Set up Photo Stream on a Windows computer
- Choose Start menu > Control Panel > Network and Internet.
- Click on iCloud (you will also get to this Window when you first install iCloud).
- Select the Photo Stream checkbox.
- To change the default Photo Stream upload and download folders, click Options. Click Change to choose a folder, and then click OK. By default, photos are automatically downloaded to the My Photo Stream folder inside the Photo Stream album in your Pictures library, and uploaded from the Uploads folder inside the Photo Stream album in your Pictures library.
- Click Apply.
- Any new photos you import from a digital camera to the Upload folder are uploaded and added automatically to your Photo Stream.
Apps and Books
If you own multiple iOS devices, iCloud makes sure your apps and books are everywhere you want them. Download a new app or book on your iPhone and it automatically appears on your iPad. If you want an app or book that you purchased in the past simply go to your purchase history, either in iTunes or in the Updates section of the App Store on your device, and download them again. For books, it will even sync your bookmarks and notes.
Backup
iCloud automatically backs up your important stuff on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch daily, over Wi-Fi when your device is connect to a power source. Once you plug it in, everything is backed up quickly and efficiently. iCloud backs up your:
- Purchased music, TV shows, apps and books
- Photos and video in the Camera Roll
- Device settings
- App data
- Home screen and app organisation
- Messages (iMessages, SMS, and MMS)
- Ringtones
Mail, Contacts, Calendars and Tasks
This allows you to sync your Mail, Contacts, Calendars and Tasks with your Outlook. You can switch from one device to another and still go about business as usual. Please note: If you have Optimus Systems myoutlook or Exchange Email you do not need to use this service, so just leave these un-ticked so that they don't use up your storage quota.
This allows you to sync your Mail, Contacts, Calendars and Tasks with your Outlook. You can switch from one device to another and still go about business as usual. Please note: If you have Optimus Systems myoutlook or Exchange Email you do not need to use this service, so just leave these un-ticked so that they don't use up your storage quota.
Bookmarks, Notes, Reminders
iCloud stores the web pages you've bookmarked, notes you've written and reminders you've created. Please note: The bookmarks only work with Safari 5.1.1 or Internet Explorer 8 or above, it won't work with Chrome or any other Internet Browser.
Find my iPhone
As soon as you realise one of your Apple devices is missing, iCloud can help you figure out where it is (if it is on and connected to a registered Wi-Fi network or have an active 3G data plan). Simply sign in at icloud.com or use the Find My iPhone app on another device to see your missing iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac on a map. You can configure it to play a sound to help get someone's attention and also display a message on its screen. You can remotely set a passcode lock to keep your information private or initiate a remote wipe to delete your personal data and restore your device to its factory settings. You can also request that you get an email as soon as it makes a Wi-Fi or 3G connection.
A word of warning about iCloud - this is the initial release and as with every new piece of software there are always kinks that need to be ironed out. But as with every Apple release, it will typically get better over time and soon you'll be wondering how you ever survived without it!
The above information about iCloud features was taken from the Apple website. For more information and to watch the iCloud video click here.
If you would like to know more about iOS 5 click here to view our article.
If you would like to know more about iOS 5 click here to view our article.
