Ondrej Holzman Apple finally pumped new blood into the domain tonight iCloud.com, on which developers now have access to mail, contacts, calendars and iWork documents. The iCloud web interface is remarkably similar to iOS, including dialog boxes that pop up…
We must not forget the fact that iCloud.com is still in the beta phase, access is not yet available to all users. But you can already try out most of the functions of the new cloud service. Apple introduced an iOS-style mail client, calendar and contacts, the interface is practically the same as on the iPad. The Findy My iPhone service is also on the menu, but for now the icon will refer you to the me.com website, where the search for your device remains functional. In the future, it will also be possible to view iWork documents on iCloud.com. For that reason, Apple has already released the beta version of the iWork package for iOS, which supports uploading to iCloud. In addition, it is possible that iCloud will soon replace the iWork.com service, which has worked for document sharing until now.
Also associated with iCloud is the release of iPhoto 9.2 in beta 2, which already supports Photo Stream. This is used to automatically upload the photos taken to iCloud and then synchronize them across all devices.
The iCloud service should be fully launched in September, when iOS 5 is expected to be released. So far, only developers can test the new mobile operating system, and Apple has promised to open iCloud to the public just in time for the release of iOS 5.
Apple also disclosed how much it will cost to purchase more storage space. The iCloud account will have 5GB of free space in the basic version, while purchased music, applications, books and Photo Stream will not be included. Additional storage will cost as follows:
- 10GB extra for $20 a year
- 20GB extra for $40 a year
- 50GB extra for $100 a year
