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Apple adds demo video to MobileMe mail
The MobileMe web app went down for scheduled maintenance last night, and returned this morning with an overview video. In about three minutes, it points out the features of the recently-redesigned Mail web app. Those who have been using it for a while won't find anything new in the video, but it's still a nice review. It starts by describing the different view options and how to enable each. Next the friendly Apple voice demonstrates how to create and apply rules, and finally moves on to several formatting options (another recently-introduced feature). Again, anyone who's been using the web app for the last few weeks won't find anything new, but it's still a well-done overview. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
MobileMe to go down for scheduled maintenance
MobileMe customers who use the web apps will experience some down time later today as Apple performs some scheduled maintenance. Expect the web services to be offline between 10:00 PM and 12:30 AM Pacific Time. Apple doesn't mention if other services will be affected, so we assume you'll still be able to send and receive email via Mail for the Mac and iOS, as well as manage events with iCal. If you're restricted to using the web apps, get your work done early and enjoy a little forced down time later tonight. For the latest MobileMe news and status updates, you can look here (the closest Apple has come to maintaining a blog). You'll find a history of recent status updates here.
Apple slyly enables background iDisk music streaming in iOS 4
Well, would you look at that? The v1.2 update to MobileMe iDisk that Apple pushed out last month has a secret -- er, did have a secret. One of the concealed new features of the app is background streaming, or as Apple puts it, the ability to "play audio from your iDisk while using another app." For starters, it's pretty fantastic just to have this functionality in-hand for your own garage jams, but what's more is that any licensed music on your iDisk still streams perfectly fine. Only time will tell if any record labels (or that mean, mean RIAA) step forward with a grievance, but this could very well be the beginning of iTunes in the cloud. Or a reason for buying Lala. Or a mysterious combination of the two.
Rocky day for MobileMe email
After a day of intermittent issues for email on MobileMe, Apple has noted the issue on the MobileMe support page; the company says the problem is now resolved but "some MobileMe users could not send.... We apologize for any inconvenience. No kidding. We've had communications about this from our readers, and I've had spotty service for a full 24 hours. There are also comments on the Apple Support boards about today's hiccups. I made the mistake of using the MobileMe support Live Chat option yesterday, where I described my issues to 'Jason'. I told him I knew several people with the problem. His solution was for me to change my mail password. I typed back that I didn't see how that was the issue because I'd already told him I have the problem on 4 Apple devices (iPhone, desktop, MacBook Pro and iPad) and that the problem was happening on several networks, not just the home and office. His response was that if I wasn't going to cooperate he was done, and he cut off the chat. Nice. Apple support is usually excellent, but MobileMe has had a lot of problems over the years, and I have consistently found MobileMe support to be often uninformed and defensive. As of this afternoon EDT Apple says it is fixed, and I hope that's true. Apple charges quite a lot for MobileMe services. The company could do better at reliability, and monitoring Apple support comments from users, instead of doubting a problem exists. I'm looking forward to the day when MobileMe 'just works.'
MobileMe iDisk app updated
Apple has updated the MobileMe iDisk app (free) with several new features, including full iPad compatibility. Now universal, MobileMe iDisk looks great on an iPad and offers full iOS 4 multitasking support. It saves its state like other multitask-optimized apps, so it'll present the last file you were browsing at launch. Also, you can open compatible documents for iBooks, Pages, GoodReader, or other apps that support the "Open in..." feature. The iPad's split screen display also makes it very easy to view documents while browsing folders. If you have audio files stored on your iDisk, the app will let you listen to them in the background while you do other things. MobileMe iDisk is free, but it requires a valid MobileMe account. The app was first released last year for the iPhone, and this is its first significant upgrade since last December.
Apple issues MobileMe calendar beta
Early this morning, Apple released a beta of the MobileMe Calendar Web app. MobileMe customers can request an invitation at me.com/calendar. As with the Mail beta, the new Calendar has received a major UI overhaul. A new list view, similar to what's on the iOS devices, makes it simple to scan upcoming events. Also, the day, week, and month views have been redesigned. A new feature will let users share calendars with other MobileMe members. During the beta, you can share one read-only calendar. You'll also be able to send out invitations with RSVP from the Web app. Of course, users will still be able to sync all events between the Web app, desktop iCal, and iOS versions. It might take a few days to receive your beta invitation, so be patient. The Mail beta became a final product in relatively short order, so we're looking forward to enjoying an all-new Calendar Web app soon.
Apple's MobileMe iDisk App updated for iPad, redesigned Calendar goes beta
Too lazy to cancel your $99 MobileMe automatic subscription renewal and make the jump to one of the many free alternatives? Don't worry, your lethargy has paid off this morning as Apple introduces its new MobileMe iDisk 1.2 app and a beta version of its new MobileMe Calendar. iDisk is pretty much the same app you know and ignore only now it's optimized for the bigger iPad screen, tweaked to support iOS 4 multitasking, and offers the option to open iDisk documents in compatible apps -- like using iBooks for PDFs for example. The faster loading MobileMe Calendar beta (login to MobileMe to request an invite) features redesigned day, week, and month views; calendar sharing amongst friends, family, and predators (if you like); the ability to publish a calendar to a team or group; and event invitations to anyone holding an email address (me.com or not) with RSVP support and automatic change notifications. Best of all, the Calendar beta uses the CalDAV standard, you know, just like that free Calendar from the company that rhymes with frugal.
Want to upload 720p movies from iPhone 4? Try Pixelpipe
If you were disappointed that you can't upload full 720p video from your iPhone 4 to YouTube without transferring it to a computer first, then check out the latest update to the free app Pixelpipe. While there has been some speculation over whether app developers would be able to access the full-resolution videos for sharing, commenters were quick to assure us there was no reason to worry. Pixelpipe claims that it will share your edited mobile masterpiece in all its splendor not only with YouTube but also to Flickr, Facebook, MobileMe, Viddler, Posterous and a bunch of other video-capable sites (as well email and FTP) for videos up to 200MB. The update to 2.01 is also quick to add iOS 4.0 multitasking for background uploading and should continue to serve as a semi-ubiquitous multi-tool for getting our videos (and pictures) uploaded almost anywhere you want them to go. We mentioned Pixelpipe previously around the time of the 3GS launch last year; it seems to have come a long way since then. It is worth noting that some users seem to be experiencing some instability with the app that will hopefully get ironed out quickly. If you are having trouble with it, keep your eyes peeled for other developers to follow up with alternatives now that we know 720p uploading is possible. Update: Reader Aaron notes that SmugShot is also 720p-upload enabled. Hat tip to Chris Pirillo
Apple updates Gallery for iPhone 4, iPad version still AWOL
Apple has pushed out a new version of MobileMe Gallery, a free app for people who post pictures to the MobileMe service and want to access them on their iPhone or mail them to friends. Apple says the app now has higher resolution images on an iPhone 4 when connected to a Wi-Fi network. Apple also says, with no specifics, that there are 'various bug fixes'. What's missing from all this is that iPad owners have to use the same Gallery app and scale it up, making their images look precisely like crap. You'd think that with the beautiful iPad screen Apple would support it with a universal app. Well, maybe someday.
I've upgraded to iOS 4: Now what?
You've upgraded your iPhone to iOS 4, and you're anxious to play with all sorts of new and wonderful features. Before you do that, take a few minutes to make sure everything is working as expected. Here's a list of things to confirm. They aren't in any particular order, and not all of them will apply to everyone, but some of them will, especially if you have "restored" your iPhone. 1. Launch the phone app and go to the voicemail tab. Make sure that it isn't asking for your PIN. If you're really cautious, you might even call your iPhone and leave yourself a voicemail just to make sure it's working as expected. Six more easy and necessary steps after the break.
Apple updates MobileMe
MobileMe emerged from its downtime this morning with a new app, improved navigation and significant changes to Mail. The app is MobileMe for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Now customers can locate, lock or even wipe their lost device from another iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Of course, that means you'll need access to two devices, but that's a minor technicality, right? The new version of Mail is out of beta and available to everyone. There are a lot of changes here, including some that have been added since the beta program started. New widescreen and compact views allow for more of your messages to be seen without scrolling. The older classic view is still available, but seems cluttered when compared to the other two. I'm using the compact view, which displays messages like the iPad does in landscape orientation. Rules are now in place for everyone (they need a few minutes to get working), and apply to messages received on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad as well. One-click archiving will send your messages to the archive folder for future reference. It is possible to select multiple messages at once, making archiving easier. Also new is faster performance (there's no need to click and load every message), SSL security and a formatting toolbar. You can even reformat long URLs into something more manageable. Changes that are new since the beta release include support for external addresses. Now you can read all of your mail in one place. Plus, if you reply to a message received from an external address, you can send it from that message, not your MobileMe account. Junk mail filtering has also been improved since the beta. Now, flagged messages go directly to the junk mail folder. You can always go in and rescue false positives, however. Aside from Mail and the new Find My iPhone app, MobileMe navigation has been changed. All of the services now feature a unified toolbar. The cloud icon remains constant, and clicking on it brings up an app switcher for moving between services. Have fun exploring the new MobileMe. Congratulations to Apple and the MobileMe team on a solid update.
Apple releases Find my iPhone app
Apple has released a Find my iPhone app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch today, bringing the MobileMe service to the three devices (it only tracks the iPhone and iPad, of course). If your iPhone or iPad goes missing, you can install the app on any other iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and log in with your MobileMe credentials (a MobileMe account is required) to find it. Once located, the app places its location on a map. From there you can display a message on the iPhone or iPad's screen, have it play a sound (even if silenced), remote lock it or even wipe it clean. Of course, the whole thing hinges on your having a 2nd device to find the first one. Find my iPhone is free and universal and available now.
Apple's MobileMe Mail gets a refresh for some reason
You still using (and paying $99 a year) MobileMe? So you haven't been lured away by Google's or Microsoft's free offerings then? Ok, then you'll probably notice that MobileMe looks a bit different today. Pictured above is the new MobileMe application switcher that now requires two clicks to do what previously took one (i.e., switch MobileMe applications). Looks pretty though. Mail is the biggest change with new widescreen (pictured above) and compact views, rules, single-click archiving, a formatting toolbar, and SSL all introduced in the beta last month. Huzzah? P.S. Sadly, that's a screengrab from our actual MobileMe account. Somebody please remind us why we still pay for this?
Apple launches 'Find My iPhone' app to remotely wipe and find your lost treasure
Stay with us here because this one isn't obvious. Apple just launched its Find My iPhone app on the iTunes App Store -- a service previously limited to MobileMe's web interface. The App will find your iPhone or iPad or iPod touch should it be lost or stolen. So obviously, you don't install it on your lost/stolen device, you install it on a different iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, yours or somebody else's (try a Starbucks). Panicked owners can then login with their MobileMe account to map their missing property and then remotely lock the device or wipe the data. The App can only be installed on iOS 3.1.3 or later devices and is available now for free.%Gallery-95615% [Thanks, Brian M.]
MobileMe web access will be MobileGone between 10 PM and midnight PDT
Don't be expecting to see any MobileMe web functionality tonight for 2 hours between 10 and midnight PDT. Apple says it is shutting the service down for "scheduled maintenance". A note on the MobileMe support page states: MobileMe members will be unable to access MobileMe applications at me.com. Access to MobileMe will still be available on desktop applications, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Normal service is expected to be restored at the end of the maintenance window. It's likely this work will support iPhone 4 which hits the streets next week. Hopefully Apple learned a lesson from the 2008 debacle when Apple brought out the iPhone 3G at the same time it launched the .Mac re-branding that became MobileMe.
Enter Gmail contact syncing and DropBox; exit MobileMe?
Well, that's that. I have whittled MobileMe down to two useful functions: Find My iPhone and Remote Wipe. And yes, I use one of those functions quite often, say, when my husband is off on some 80 mile jaunt on his bicycle. I have, thankfully, yet to require the services of the other one. But the rest of it: email, syncing, and online storage? Gone the way of the dodo. Initially, I moved mostly over to Gmail to take advantage of its more robust email aliasing. I have several email addresses on personal domains, and Gmail gave me the best mix of domain use, plus sophisticated filtering and spam identification. MobileMe just doesn't play nicely with personal domains, and once Google enabled IMAP for gmail and then push email, I basically abandoned my .me address, relegating it to receiving Apple Store retail receipts and my Apple ID for iTunes.
Sync Wars: Address Book vs. Google Contacts
Steven Frank from Panic has outlined several important differences between the way that Address Book (on Snow Leopard) and Google Contacts manage data. This is on his personal website. He's quick to point out that it is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but it reflects several things that I also noticed. A few months ago, I had the notion to replace my MobileMe subscription with syncing to Google services, using BusyCal (whose icon is shown here) for calendars and either BusySync or Address Book's own built-in support for syncing contacts to Google. The experiment was short-lived. I'm not saying that it isn't possible to do, but there are some limitations and incompatibilities. As one example, when you create an event on the iPhone calendar, you can create two alarms. I use this all of the time. The first alarm is a "Hey, don't forget this is coming up" reminder, and the second alarm tells me "Hey! You need to deal with this now." When syncing to a Google Calendar, you can only create one alarm. Is that a major difference? No, but it's not insignificant. Read on...
UI changes in Apple's Mail beta
The surprise announcement of a beta version of Apple's browser-based MobleMe Mail has users curious about the service's future. While we await our invitations, we compared the only beta screenshot we've found to Mail's current appearance. Here's what we found, starting from the top. Toolbar The new toolbar is blue and features fewer icons. The Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, iDisk, Find and Settings icons currently on the far left have been replaced with a single MobileMe Cloud icon. Perhaps it produces a drop-down revealing the other services. It seems unlikely that Apple would release a public beta that's so incomplete so as not to include links to services beyond email, but it is a Mail beta, so Apple is likely focusing on the functioning of that service before providing links to the rest. Check out the gallery below for side-by-side screenshots. %Gallery-92975%
Apple issuing invitations for MobileMe Mail beta
An eagle-eyed reader spotted something new on his MobileMe account after the completed maintenance this evening -- an invitation to join a "mail beta" for MobileMe. What is this? We originally thought it could possibly be linked into the rumors that MobileMe may soon be free, but reader Beau quickly pointed us to a news post from Apple detailing a new MobileMe Mail beta application. Features include: The ability to have both widescreen and compact views. Rules to help keep mail organized on any device you use MobileMe. Note that any rules set up on the beta may override rules already in place on OS X Mail, so disable duplicate rules on your Mac before giving this a test drive. Single-click archiving of e-mail. Formatting toolbar including the ability to shorten long URLs. Improved performance for MobileMe Mail through me.com. SSL security no matter where you access your MobileMe Mail. The beta will work best with Safari 4, Firefox 3.6, and Internet Explorer 8. Additional information can be found on this support page. To get an invitation, sign into your MobileMe account through me.com and you'll see the invite in the bottom left corner. Please note that the beta is only available to English-language users of MobileMe at this time. Thanks to Moses for the tip!
Rumor: MobileMe may soon be free
MacDailyNews reports an unconfirmed rumor that Apple may soon make MobileMe's services free to all users. MobileMe currently costs US$99 per year for a subscription; it provides cloud storage, email, photo galleries, and syncing of contacts/calendars/bookmarks across Macs, PCs, iPhones, and iPads (not to mention Find My iPhone). While the service has many useful features (some implemented better than others: I'm aiming my stinkeye at you, iDisk), many have balked at the price tag. Similar storage and email services from competitors like Google and Microsoft come either free of charge or at reduced cost compared to MobileMe; even MobileMe's distant ancestor, iTools, was a free offering back in the day. Of course, MobileMe delivers more iPhone & Mac-friendly syncing than Google does, but at $99 per year, it's a fair bet that few people are taking advantage of everything MobileMe has to offer. MacDailyNews' source says MobileMe will become free of charge "sooner than later... depends on certain facilities going operational." This almost certainly refers to Apple's new server farm in North Carolina. Aerial footage of Apple's server farm, released in February, showed that the complex's buildings were either mostly or entirely constructed, so the facility may be ready to go online at any time. I hope this rumor is true, especially the "sooner than later" part -- my MobileMe subscription is due for renewal at the end of this month.
