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Apple adds movies in the cloud for Japan, others
Apple has continued their global expansion of iTunes in the Cloud for Movies with the addition of eight new markets for the service. Movie fans in Austria, Estonia, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Switzerland can now re-download content they've previously purchased in iTunes from the cloud. Since launching in 2011 as a music service, iTunes in the Cloud has slowly expanded to cover new markets and services. In 2012, support was added for Movies, but the roll out to different markets around the world has been slow. For a complete list of countries where the service is currently not available head over to Apple Support.
iTunes Store update lets you buy media today, download it tomorrow
While we like the convenience of shopping the iTunes Store from any device, that doesn't mean we want the download wherever we happen to be -- just ask anyone trying to buy the Beatles Box Set using a flaky coffee shop hotspot. As of a quiet update noticed by Macworld, customers won't have to risk a long wait for some of their impulse purchases. Buy from iTunes on any device and you now have the option to defer very large downloads, whether they're music box sets, movies or TV shows. Shoppers have to live in an area where iTunes in the Cloud is up and running for downloads elsewhere, but that's about the only major catch. Swing by the source link for Apple's explanation of how its delayed gratification works for each format.
iTunes in the Cloud for movies hits 11 new European countries
Apple has rolled out movie support for iTunes in the Cloud for 11 new European markets, notes TNW. Customers in Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden can now download past and future movie purchases from iCloud whenever they want. In addition to the movie rollout, Apple has also enabled iTunes in the Cloud for TV shows in France. iTunes in the Cloud originally rolled out in the United States in 2011 with support for music. Movie and TV shows were added in 2012. Apps and iBooks had been available for re-download since the launch of their respective stores. A full list of countries and their supported iTunes in the Cloud services can be found here.
iTunes in the Cloud looks to be hitting more of Europe with TV series, films (update: confirmed)
While stateside users might complain that we get all the good stuff in Europe first, Apple's iTunes in the Cloud for movies and TV shows has finally got around to rolling in to France and other parts of Europe, eons after it came out in the US. We confirmed that the new functionality works in France, which lets you buy films and TV shows from a computer, Apple TV or iOS device, then download it for free from the cloud on another. Others have reported by Twitter that it's working in Holland and Sweden as well, making it the first big move for the service since it rolled into the UK, Australia and Canada last summer. Until now, users in those nations were only able to download books, apps and music purchased in iTunes from the cloud. There's still no word from Apple about the move, however, and the list of supported countries hasn't been updated for those features -- so we'll enjoy it for now and hope Cupertino doesn't change its mind. Update: We've confirmed with Apple that this rollout has indeed taken place. Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden all get movies in the cloud, while France gets both movies and TV series in the cloud.
Daily Update for July 20, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
iTunes in the Cloud movies find their way to Australia, Canada, the UK and 32 more countries
The advent of movie support in iTunes for the Cloud was a boon to Apple TV owners as well as any iTunes user with a tendency to hop between devices -- within the US, that is. Apple today swung the doors open and let Australia, Canada, the UK as well as 32 other countries and regions around the world get access to their movies whenever they're signed in through iTunes or an iOS device. Not every studio is on the same page, as many American viewers will know all too well: it's more likely that you'll get re-download rights for a major studio title such as Lockout than an indie production, for example. Even with that limit in mind, there's no doubt more than a few movie mavens glad to avoid shuffling and re-syncing that copy of Scott Pilgrim to watch it through to the end.
iTunes Store opens in Hong Kong, Taiwan and 10 other Asia-Pacific territories
Our Apple-loving compatriots on the west side of the Pacific Ocean have been able to purchase the latest in iPhone and iPad software from the App Store for a while, but believe it or not, they've been shut out of the iTunes Store. Apple has just opened the virtual iTunes storefront in a dozen locations across the Asia-Pacific region. The "big three" Asian markets that will get access to music and movies for the first time today are Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Other locations that are going live today are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. All of the new stores will feature local content as well as the big international favorites. Apple chose to launch the new branches of the iTunes Store complete with iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match subscriptions.
Apple opens iTunes Store in Hong Kong, Taiwan and 10 other Asia-Pacific territories
Many Apple fans on the opposite side of the Pacific from Cupertino haven't had much of a choice to shop from iTunes, even though they've had the App Store for some time. There's now a much better sense of balance: Apple just flicked the switch on the iTunes Store for music and movies in a dozen countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific region. The company singles out our own Richard Lai's Hong Kong as well as Singapore and Taiwan, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam are also getting the media catalogs, which include local content along with the international hits. It's a full catch-up as well, with iTunes in the Cloud re-downloads and iTunes Match subscriptions available in every new country. If you're a huge Andy Lau fan but wanted his albums from the most iPhone-friendly store possible, the wait is over.
Universal Studios' films now available on iCloud, Fox still grounded
Back in early March, it became clear that content from Fox and Universal Studios would be held back from being available in the all-encompassing iCloud, presumably due to the HBO release window stranglehold impacting both libraries. Today, however, the tides of change are having an impact of their own. Mac Rumors is reporting that Universal titles no longer boast the unfortunate warning that they used to, allowing iTunes users to enjoy titles from iTunes in the Cloud. Regrettably, Fox titles still exhibit the hold back, but we're told that negotiations are ongoing to remedy that. So, movie plans back on for this evening?
Apple releases iTunes 10.5 with iTunes in the Cloud
As far as iTunes updates go this is a pretty big one -- version 10.5 brings with it what Apple's calling iTunes in the Cloud, which allows for automatic downloads of purchases to your Mac or Windows computers and all of your iOS devices, as well as the ability to download previous purchases on said devices as many times as you want. It's not exactly a traditional cloud-based service, but you do always have access to all of your purchased media, regardless of the device (so long as it runs some form of iTunes). As expected, it also finally adds WiFi syncing for your iOS devices, although you'll still have to wait a bit longer for the iTunes Match service -- it's slated to roll out closer to the end of the month. As usual, you can look for it in Apple's Software Update, or you can hit the link below to download it directly.
New iCloud FAQ: Yes, there will be webmail
Since iCloud was announced by Apple on June 6, the TUAW inbox has been filled to capacity with questions about the many features of Apple's cloud computing platform of the future. Unfortunately, we have been just as much in the fog as you have about what features are moving from MobileMe to iCloud, and how the transition between the two services will take place. Today, Apple published an online document titled "Frequently asked questions about the MobileMe transition and iCloud" to clear away the confusion. As it turns out, I was wrong in my speculation that Apple was going to be getting rid of web-based versions of Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Find My iPhone (as was our friend and former Engadget colleague Josh Topolsky, who apparently got some bad intel from a misinformed or confused Apple PR staffer). Fellow TUAW editor Chris Rawson disagreed with me on that speculation, and it turns out that he was correct. Apple has publicly stated on the FAQ page that "Web access to iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Find My iPhone will be available at icloud.com this fall." Apple notes that "The core services provided by MobileMe have been rewritten to work seamlessly with iCloud." That being said, the FAQ shows that three services of MobileMe aren't going to make the transition -- iWeb hosting, Gallery, and iDisk. If you use MobileMe to host your iWeb-created site, be sure to read our posts on replacements for MobileMe hosting and WYSIWYG HTML editors for Mac. Apple has also posted a knowledge base article about transitioning your iWeb sites to another host. Of course, new features -- iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, auto-downloads and purchase history for apps and books, and backup and restore of mobile devices -- are to be added with iCloud. That may be cold comfort if you're a longtime iWeb user, have complex iDisk workflows or extensive MobileMe galleries... but it's something. For those of you with .mac or .me email addresses, Apple is going to let you keep that address into the future. The company states that you can "move your MobileMe mail, contacts, and calendars, as well as your bookmarks, to the new service. When iCloud becomes available this fall, Apple will provide details and instructions on how to make the move." Apple also provides knowledge base articles on how to save MobileMe Gallery photos and iDisk files. Other highlights of the document include info on merging MobileMe accounts (not possible), using multiple iTunes account for store purchases and iTunes in the Cloud (possible), what to do if you will be using more than the free 5 GB of iCloud storage (you can buy more), and submitting a refund request for unused or partially used MobileMe licenses. Be sure to take a look at the Apple document and associated knowledge base articles as they're sure to ease your mind about some iCloud questions -- and possibly raise other questions about your life in the cloud.
Windows XP users will finally need to upgrade to enter the iCloud
This got a bit lost amid all the WWDC 2011 hubbub earlier this week, but Apple quietly delivered a bit of bad news to steadfast Windows XP users with its iCloud announcement. Unlike its MobileMe service and recent versions of iTunes, which have somewhat surprisingly supported Windows XP all this time, use of Apple's iCloud service on a PC will require either Windows Vista or Windows 7. Of course, XP users shouldn't feel too bad about being left behind -- as TUAW notes, Apple's only extended support for the Mac version of iTunes 10.3 back to OS X 10.5, which was just released in 2007 (when Windows XP was already starting to tell other upstart operating systems to get off its lawn). [Thanks, Stephen]
iTunes Match not coming to the UK until 2012?
Music collectors in the US will be able to subscribe to Apple's iTunes Match service this fall, but it looks like our friends across the pond will have to wait a little longer before lofting their libraries up to the cloud. According to sources within the British recording industry, licensing negotiations between Apple and the country's major labels have only just begun and likely won't be concluded until 2012. A spokesman for the Performing Right Society, an organization that protects the rights of musicians and songwriters, likened the situation to the launch of iTunes, which only spread to international markets some 14 months after launching in the US. Speaking to the Telegraph, Forrester Research vice president Mark Mulligan echoed these predictions, while offering some insight into the industry's approach: "Apple's cloud music service will not launch in the UK until at least quarter one of 2012. These types of negotiations take a long time... For one thing the UK arms of all the major record labels are biding their time and waiting to see how the service affects download sales in the US before they sign up to anything." Neither Apple nor any of the major labels have commented on the negotiations, but if things drag on we'd be willing to share our cloudy iTunes in exchange for a crack at Spotify.
iTunes (in the Cloud) 10.3 beta available for download, we go hands-on
If you live in the US or Canada then the iTunes 10.3 beta is ready to rumble on your PC or Mac. Automatic downloads and access to your purchase history is limited to iOS 4.3.3 users on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (GSM only, sorry Verizon subscribers), iPad and iPad2, and 3rd and 4th generation iPod touch devices. Once you meet those requirements, the iTunes in the Cloud beta promises to keep all of your newly purchased iTunes music in sync between devices while giving you the choice to download previously purchased tracks whenever you want at no additional cost. 10.3 beta also brings the Automatic Downloads feature to your apps and books, now allowing you to purchase tomes from your desktop while keeping them in sync with the iBooks app running on your iOS devices. Naturally, we couldn't help but test it out ourselves from both a Mac and iPhone 4, so click through for our first impressions.
Editorial: Engadget on iCloud and iTunes Match
Today, Steve Jobs revealed a great many things, but the biggest bombshell was this -- Apple's iCloud, which promises to sync all your content, automatically, even wirelessly, to Apple's new server farms... for free. All that processing power in the picture above can't have been cheap, and multiplied by the entirety of those data centers... well, let's just say it's a heck of a promise and we've got somewhat mixed feelings about how it'll play out. Hit the break to see what we thought of Apple's play for cloud storage.
Apple announces iTunes in the Cloud, iTunes Match
Apple has just announced its long-awaited cloud-based music service: iTunes in the Cloud. While not a streaming music service as some had speculated, it will let you download any music you've purchased to all of your devices at no additional charge -- something Steve Jobs notes is a first for the music industry. All new music you purchase can also automatically be downloaded and pushed to up to ten different devices -- and, as with the other apps that make up the broader iCloud service, it's completely free, with a beta version available today (in the US only, unfortunately). What's more, Apple has also announced a complementary iTunes Match service that will let you put your existing collection of ripped CDs in the cloud. That's done by scanning your library and matching songs to the versions Apple already has (a DRM-free 256kbps AAC file), rather than uploading everything -- a process Apple notes takes "minutes," not "weeks" -- although songs will be uploaded in cases where there is no match. It will run you $24.99 a year (for up to 25,000 songs, apparently), and promises to give you all of the "same benefits as music purchased from iTunes" when it launches sometime this fall.
iCloud unveiled at WWDC, free for all 9 cloud apps, MobileMe RIP
Apple tipped its hat early, but now we have the details from the man himself. "iCloud stores your content in the cloud and wirelessly pushes it to all your device. It automatically uploads it, stores it, and pushes it to all your devices." And by "automatically," he means it: in addition to every day content, such as purchased music, iBooks, photos and videos, device settings, and app data that will be automatically backed up over WiFi, Documents in the Cloud will effortlessly sync Pages, Numbers, and Keynote data between all of your iOS devices. There will be no advertising (contrary to previous rumors), and calendar, mail, and contact sync is free (for up to five gigs). Also in store is the new Photo Stream cloud feature, which is essentially a gallery in Photos that exists on all of your iOS devices, Apple TV, your OS X and even your Windows PCs, and syncs through the cloud. Take a picture on your iPhone and it appears on your laptop and your iPad, and it's stored in the cloud for thirty days. And no, your Photo Stream pics do not count towards your 5GB total. iCloud will be released concurrent with iOS 5 this fall. If that isn't enough, Apple has announced iTunes Match, a $25 per year service that scans your iTunes library library and populates your iTunes in the Cloud account with any of your previously bought and ripped music -- in handy 256Kbps AAC, DRM-free files (as long as the titles already appear in the iTunes store). Last but not least, MobileMe is no more. If you're a current member, you can still access everything as usual through June 30, 2012 (according to Apple), but there will be no new enrollments. And if your subscription has auto-renewed recently? Well, we've received plenty of tips from readers who have received refunds this morning. So at the very least you have that to look forward too!%Gallery-125471% p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'}
Apple's cloud music service ready for launch
A report out of Reuters claims Apple is set to launch its online music storage service. The service would allow users to store their iTunes content in the cloud and access it from an internet-connected device. Apple has yet to secure the licenses for the new service and is in the process of negotiating with the music labels before the service's big launch. No word on whether changes to MobileMe are included with this upcoming launch. Apple will reportedly beat Google to the punch and launch its music storage and streaming service ahead of the search giant. Hints of Google's foray into music streaming have appeared in the latest builds of Android, but the rollout of this service is reportedly delayed. Amazon has beaten both Apple and Google with its Cloud Drive and Cloud Player service, which lets Amazon users store their music library and other files in the cloud. Amazon's Cloud player can play back these stored music files using a desktop web browser or an Android device. You can use a relatively easy workaround to access Cloud Player on your iOS device as we described here.
Amazon launches 'cloud locker' music service
Amazon announced Cloud Drive and Cloud Player for the Web and Android, a new web-based service that lets you store your music and other files in the cloud and access them on the go. Streaming music is possible using a web-based player compatible with the Mac and PC as well as an Android application. The Cloud Drive service competes with online storage solutions like Dropbox by letting you upload music, video, photos and other documents to an online locker. The service provides you with 5 GB of online storage space for free, and additional storage capacity is available for a minimal fee. The paid service includes 20 GB of storage for $20, 50 GB for $50 and so on. Amazon's Cloud Player service is free and brings music streaming to the masses who shop Amazon's web store. Amazon apparently launched the service without the blessing of the recording industry and is working on securing post-announcement licenses. The online retail giant is forcing the music industry to play its hand and either support the service or risk appearing as the bad guy by shooting Amazon down. It's a gutsy move, but one that Amazon needs to make if it wants to catch up with its competition. Speaking of competition, read on to find out how Amazon is taking on Apple's popular iTunes music service.