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Motorola wins two significant legal victories against Apple

02/03, 6:20am

Motorola strikes a blow for Android against Apple

Motorola has scored two significant victories against Apple in Germany, the result of two separate legal actions it has initiated in a Mannheim court, according to FOSS Patents. The first of the two cases dates back to a decision handed down in December where Motorola won an injunction against Apple on its implementation of 3G/UMTS technology and has resulted in Apple pulling its iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 as well as all of its iPads from its online store in Germany. The second has resulted in an injunction against Apple’s implementation of push e-mail in iCloud and MobileMe.

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Phishing scam targets MobileMe users

12/19, 11:00pm

Latest variation making the rounds

Though most Mac users already know never to send their login information for any site in response to an e-mail (often posing as the user's bank, brokerage firm, Apple or other name-brand internet companies), variations on the phishing e-mail continue to pop up, particularly just before and after Christmas. The Mac Observer's Bryan Chaffin reports getting a new one specifically aimed at MobileMe users.

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Emails from Comcast, RoadRunner going missing at Apple

12/07, 4:40pm

Old me.com, .mac accounts not getting messages

Some emails sent to me.com or .mac addresses are going missing, according to complaints on Apple's support forums. In particular messages sent from Comcast but predominantly RoadRunner domains are either arriving as much as a day late, or disappearing entirely. The affected domains are also scattered across the country rather than located in a particular region. Unexpectedly, forwarding a message from one account to another may work without issues.

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Cook: Apple could return some MobileMe features to iCloud

09/12, 9:45pm

CEO responds to customer concerns

Representatives from new Apple CEO Tim Cook's office recently called a customer who sent an e-mail bemoaning the forthcoming loss of certain sync services and iDisk in the transition to this fall's iCloud service, and was told that the company would consider adding back some of the lost features "if there's enough feedback on the subject," AppleInsider reports. Some features of MobileMe, which cost $99 per year, are being dropped from the free iCloud service.

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New Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 beta merges iCloud features

09/11, 9:45pm

Lion beta 11C55 turns on full iCloud

Apple gave developers a full view of iCloud integration in Mac OS X for the first time with an unusual Sunday release of a new Mac OS X 10.7.2 beta. The new 11C55 build already includes iCloud instead of requiring a separate install, like in earlier releases. No known bugs exist with the build, but users are expected to test both iCloud itself as well as Address Book, iCal, Mail, Safari, and legacy MobileMe support.

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Tim Cook spending time on responding to customer emails

08/30, 12:05pm

Apple paying close attention to executive mail

Like his predecessor, Steve Jobs, new Apple CEO Tim Cook is taking the time to respond to customer emails, reports say. Much of the email Cook has received so far is said to be congratulations for his new job, to which he is normally responding with simple thanks. In some cases though he has gone into more detail, for example thanking an Iraq veteran for his military service, and repeating Auburn University's "War Eagle" battle cry in response to someone who used it first.

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iCloud.com goes live for developers, pricing revealed [U]

08/02, 3:00am

iCloud website was briefly open to MobileMe users

(Update: now closed to all but developers) Apple held a surprise for the later part of the day on Monday by launching iCloud.com for developers as a beta. The pages take on many of the non-media tasks of MobileMe but use a visually much richer interface made to look both like iOS as well as the skeuomorphic (real-world analogy) calendar and contact interfaces of Lion. Most of these, such as Find My iPhone or iWork, usually need settings switched on in MobileMe.

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Apple may need Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 to use iCloud

07/23, 11:10pm

iCloud may require Lion updates

Apple's upcoming launch of iCloud may need an update to Mac OS X Lion two versions ahead. A claim late Saturday has supposedly shown an "iCloud for OS X Lion beta 5" in the developer channel that would need the 10.7.2 update to run. The BGR source's notes had the far-term update being available solely for the sake of testing iCloud.

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Apple iCloud guide shows web apps for MobileMe features

06/24, 2:30pm

iCloud to have web apps for mail, calendar, more

Apple has posted an iCloud transition guide both to outline what was changing and to assuage worries that web apps might go away. The Q&A promises that the calendar, contacts, e-mail, and Find My iPhone will all still have web interfaces. The only services going away will be iWeb hosting, the Gallery pages, and iDisk, although iDisk is partly replaced by iCloud.

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Apple reviving expired MobileMe logins for iCloud transition

06/16, 3:55pm

Requires iOS 5, OS X Lion

Apple is resurrecting expired MobileMe accounts in the transition to iCloud, notes 9to5Mac. Under the current arrangement, old MobileMe username and password combinations can be used as iCloud Apple IDs. The option only works, though, if a person has iOS 5, OS X Lion and the iCloud beta client.

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New job listings may cast doubt on iCloud web interface

06/15, 10:00am

Web hooks for platform may be relatively limited

Recent job listings suggest that iCloud may not get a MobileMe-style web interface, or at least not a complete one. The company currently has several iCloud Java Server Engineer positions open, each of which requires "5 years experience designing, implementing and supporting highly scalable applications and web services in Java." A single opening is present for an iCloud C++ Server Engineer, which involves creating and supporting "highly scalable applications and web services in C/C++ on Unix platforms," plus familiarity with Apache and HTTP servers like nginx and lighttpd.

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Error page reveals iCloud may mirror MobileMe web services

06/13, 7:55pm

Me.com and Mac.com addresses to be retained?

Although Apple has positioned iCloud as the eventual replacement of MobileMe, the company has not yet spelled out exact details on any transitions or changes from the myriad services MobileMe offered, leading to some user anxiety over the fate of individual services -- from iWeb page hosting to photo galleries. A discovery by a reader at Mac Rumors seems to indicate that some of the MobileMe services are already being mirrored on iCloud servers.

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Jobs reportedly gives iWeb hosting the axe post-iCloud

06/12, 10:25pm

Jobs says iWeb going away after iCloud shift

Apple chief Steve Jobs in a e-mail response to a fan reportedly confirmed that iWeb hosting was going away with the shift to iCloud. When asked if he'd need an alternative web builder and a hosting service, the CEO supposedly gave a simple "yep" response from his iPhone. The MacRumors reader was worried at having to start fresh and made it clear in the feedback.

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Apple blocks changes to MobileMe email in iCloud transition

06/07, 3:55pm

Aliases must remain static until switchover

MobileMe email aliases must remain static until the fall, an Apple support document states. Until that time, aliases can no longer be added or deleted, set as active or inactive, or even have their colors or descriptions changed. Although actually sending and receiving email continues to work, the ability to modify the aliases will only be restored once MobileMe users start migrating to iCloud in the fall.

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Leaked file shows MobileMe-to-iCloud upgrade process

06/07, 12:15pm

Document explains iOS, Lion, Windows steps

A leaked PDF file shows how Apple intends to migrate people from MobileMe to iCloud. The document is split into three different sections: one for iOS 5, another for OS X Lion, and a third for Windows. With the first two, Apple's wording currently assumes a person is using the iOS 5 beta or the Lion developer preview.

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Apple readies iTunes 10.3, sets deadline for MobileMe's end

06/06, 5:05pm

Find My iPhone 1.2 allows delayed notifications

Although the current version is presently listed as v10.2.2, Apple should shortly be distributing iTunes 10.3, a new version of its jukebox software for Mac and Windows systems. The upgrade will mainly add support for iCloud, Apple's new service for sharing apps, music and other content across multiple devices. The company is sometimes slow to enable software updates it has announced elsewhere.

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WWDC leak: 'think of iCloud as the new iTunes'

06/05, 6:25pm

iCloud may be new paradigm for iOS devices

Apple's plans for its iCloud launch could make it more of a fundamental platform shift for Apple than just an upgrade to its existing service, a new clue has given out at the last minute before WWDC. One source for the historically reliable John Gruber said not to see iCloud as an extension of MobileMe but instead to "think of iCloud as the new iTunes." Instead of routing most syncing through a desktop app, much of it would happen through the Internet and let iOS devices work independently of a computer.

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Apple cloud music publisher talks said easy, ready for June

05/20, 4:45pm

Apple iCloud music publisher talks said procedural

Apple's remaining talks with music publishers for its cloud music should be very straightforward, sources mentioned Friday. Now likely to have secured labels, it was already known to need deals with each label's corresponding publisher but isn't expected to face trouble. The company doesn't have any "theological hurdles" with publishers and hadn't reached a deal only because of who it had to approach first.

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Apple adds Sony to completed iCloud music deals

05/20, 7:40am

Apple has Sony for iCloud, only Universal waiting

Apple's deals for its cloud music service, tentatively part of iCloud, gained momentum overnight after mentions of a third label deal. Following Warner and EMI, Sony has also reportedly signed onboard. Music industry contacts reiterated to Bloomberg that Universal was also close to a deal, though they added that publishers still needed to sign on along with the labels.

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Apple makes EMI deal for iCloud, could wrap up by WWDC

05/18, 11:30pm

Apple gets EMI for cloud music, near done

Music label insiders revealed late Wednesday that Apple had signed on EMI for its cloud music service. The company had already landed Warner for its service, so far known as iCloud, and now had half the major labels it needed. The contacts informed CNET that only Sony and Universal were left and that their deals were close enough that they could be ready by next week.

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MobileMe Mail suffers from service disruptions [updated]

05/16, 2:20pm

Servers failing to respond to pings

The Mail component of MobileMe is currently down or suffering from serious issues, some users are reporting. The exact nature of the trouble can range from difficulty with the web app to IMAP services being unavailable. Pinging mail.me.com may not work, and did not work for MacNN.

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Amazon runs out of stock of MobileMe

05/13, 9:30pm

Orders now handled by reseller

Amazon, a popular discounter and reseller of Apple's MobileMe retail box, has run out of stock and is now using a reseller, The Factory Depot, to fulfill orders. The change comes nearly three months after Apple warned resellers it was discontinuing the boxed edition of the service, which only contained a code used to pay for or renew an annual subscription to MobileMe.

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Apple inside look shows MobileMe fiasco, post-Jobs grooming

05/07, 7:30pm

Apple corporate structure gets detailed look

An in-depth study of Apple's corporate structure has uncovered previously secret details about both the 2008 fallout over MobileMe, how CEO Steve Jobs has been preparing for his eventual exit, and a potential clue as to a major project. Following the major service problems after MobileMe launched alongside the iPhone 3G, Jobs reportedly assembled the entire MobileMe team and asked them "what MobileMe is supposed to do," according to Fortune. After an explanation, he simply responded "so why the f*** doesn't it do that?"

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Lion exploration shows iCloud codenamed as Castle

05/01, 12:40am

Lion search shows MobileMe sequel nicknamed Castle

A code hunt by Consomac.fr on Saturday helped confirm that iCloud would be a direct sequel to MobileMe through discovering its codename. Searching through the elements of the Find My Mac feature, the French team found account migration features that would let users "complete your upgrade" from MobileMe to Castle. The name is presumed to be just a placeholder and wasn't accompanied by any clues as to features.

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Leak: iCloud likely Apple's service name, goes beyond music

04/29, 12:00pm

Apple iCloud said beyond media, in iOS 5 and Lion

Sources claimed Friday that the iCloud name was likely what it would call its upgraded cloud services and wasn't just confined to a media locker. The just-acquired name would find itself on both iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion and sync not just music in a locker but MobileMe and possibly more. Betas of iOS 5 and Lion were expected by AppleInsider to show at WWDC in June.

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Sources 'confirm' Apple purchase of iCloud

04/29, 10:35am

No word to support $4.5 million pricetag

Apple did in fact buy the iCloud.com domain name from Xcerion, say sources quoted by All Things Digital. Although initial word of the deal came in Thursday, its state was described as uncertain at the time, and iCloud.com is still technically registered under Xcerion's name. The ATD sources have declined to say whether or not the alleged $4.5 million pricetag is accurate.

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Apple said to have bought iCloud.com

04/28, 7:45am

Apple said buying iCloud domain

Apple may have bought iCloud.com [redirect] in a sign it's getting closer to launch its rumored cloud media locker service. Swedish online storage firm Xcerion is rumored to have sold the web address to Apple for $4.5 million and moved over to CloudMe.com on April 5. GigaOM hadn't independently confirmed the deal, but a WHOIS check Thursday morning confirmed Xcerion was for now still officially listed as the iCloud domain owner.

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RIM buys calendar sync service maker Tungle

04/27, 9:55am

RIM buys Tungle for BlackBerry calendar sync

RIM on Wednesday bought Tungle. The company is best known for a calendar sync service that lets users keep their schedule updated across desktop apps and platforms as well as share available scheduling time with others. Users could either update on the web as well as on BlackBerry and iOS mobile apps, with an Android version still in the works before the takeover.

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Apple's iTunes cloud locker may eventualy carry a fee

04/26, 2:00pm

iTunes cloud music may not be free for long

Apple's iTunes cloud music plans might not necessarily be free to use, contacts in the music business hinted Tuesday. They stopped short of claiming to know the pricing but heard it could be free to use at first and incur a fee later. CNET in getting the tip also didn't learn how the model would work, such as whether it would be a trial for a MobileMe subscription or if it would be a separate fee.

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Apple ends MobileMe, iWork rebate programs

04/19, 10:05am

MobileMe winding down, iWork pushed to App Store?

Apple has shut down rebate offers for MobileMe and iWork, according to a leaked internal memo. It was previously possible to get $30 off a MobileMe subscription when buying a Mac or iOS device, or $30 off a new copy of the iWork suite when buying a Mac. Resellers were asked to "remove any reference to these promotions by close of business" on the 18th, the memo indicates.

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HP's TouchPad cloud music, video plans leak in presentation

04/16, 8:30pm

HP TouchPad cloud music, video supported in leak

HP's intention to build a webOS cloud media locker, and possibly beat Apple and Google to the feature, was given more definitive support late Friday after a leaked presentation. A pair of slides describing the TouchPad reportedly showed both the known HP Movie Store but also an intelligent, online music syncing option. PreCentral's copy showed that it would not only allow remotely storing and streaming music, including songs users "don't yet own," but would determine owners' preferred music and prioritize it for local caching on the TouchPad itself.

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Google Music negotiations have 'gone backwards,' may be over

04/15, 3:45pm

Google Music talks regressing

Google Music's progress may have not only stalled but backfired if a leak Friday is accurate. A change in terms over the past few weeks may have seen progress "gone backwards" as the two sides couldn't reach a deal. Whether or not it was the direct cause, AllThingsD heard the discussions for cloud music were fundamentally "broken" and that Google was even reconsidering the plans themselves.

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Apple poaches Microsoft's datacenter manager

04/14, 3:15pm

Apple hires Microsoft datamanager GM Timmons

Apple's cloud ambitions became clearer late Wednesday with reports that Apple had lured away Microsoft's Datacenter Services General Manager Kevin Timmons. His new role wasn't known but came just two years after he had left a role as the operations lead at Yahoo. The move spotted by Green M3 is believed to have been very recent, and Timmons has yet to update his LinkedIn profile (above) to reflect the change.

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Apple working on building cloud services team

04/13, 1:15pm

Company promises 'future of cloud services'

Apple is assembling a special team dedicated to cloud services, a job listing reveals. The company is currently hiring a Cloud Systems Software Engineer for its Cupertino campus, where the person will join a "small team" responsible for developing "the future of cloud services at Apple." The listing is extremely vague as a rule, referring to the team's projects only as "software which forms the foundation" of the "most exciting new products and services" at the company.

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Google buys PushLife for multi-platform media sync

04/08, 8:55pm

Google buys PushLife for media syncing

Google on Friday quietly bought out PushLife in what could be major help to its Google Music initiative. The deal, estimated to be worth $25 million, gets a company whose self-titled service let non-iOS smartphones get access to iTunes collections and other to streamline getting to Windows Media Player. Users can not just play but manage the collection remotely, making playlists or buying new music, PushLife mentioend.

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Apple said ordering 12 petabytes of iTunes cloud storage

04/06, 1:00pm

Apple said getting 12PB of Isilon cloud storage

An insider at Isilon Systems claimed Wednesday that Apple had made an unusually large request for cloud storage systems. The company has reportedly bought 12 petabytes of space for the sake of video downloads on iTunes. Storage Newsletter's contact believed the move would be enough to make Apple the biggest Isilon customer, eclipsing video-heavy sites like DailyMotion and NBC.

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Office for Mac SP1 due to arrive next week with Outlook sync

04/06, 12:00pm

MobileMe calendar sync halting on May 5th

The first Service Pack for Office for Mac 2011 will go live next week, Microsoft has announced. The company is promising a collection of stability, security and performance updates, as well as "some new features." Chief among these is calendar, task and note sync between Outlook and Mac OS X's Sync Services, which will for instance allow Outlook appointments to be copied to an iPhone or iPad.

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Windows Phone may get resurrected Kin Studio

03/30, 10:55am

Microsoft hires for Windows Phone Mobile Studio

Microsoft's defunct Kin Studio may come back as a slightly rebadged Windows Phone service. Job listings make mention of a Mobile Studio service for Windows Phone that would "redefine the mobile phone." Few clues are found directly in the listing itself, but it would entail a new interface and likely get away from the teen-focused theming from the Kin version.

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MobileMe to get 'alternate payment methods' soon?

03/29, 2:30am

Contradicts rumors of all-free service

A German Mac news website claims that Apple has plans to implement alternative payment methods for their suite of internet services, known as MobileMe, in the near future. Currently, those without credit cards are caught in a dilemma -- they can't renew their subscriptions electronically, but neither can they buy a retail "box" with the MobileMe activation or renewal code from a retail store (Apple has removed the MobileMe box from its retail stores, though some dealers may still have older stock available).

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Amazon media locker may hit Tuesday, lack phones and tablets

03/28, 9:25pm

Amazon media locker may eschew mobile

Amazon's rumored online media locker could arrive as soon as Tuesday but with major limitations in place. Sources said Monday night that, to avoid requiring secondary license, would have to drop certain conditions. It might have to forego support for phones and tablets, the WSJ was told as an example.

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Siri voice search tech may play big role in iOS 5

03/28, 6:05pm

Siri voice search said likely for iOS 5

Apple's plans for iOS 5 may lean heavily on its buyout of Siri if a rumor on Monday proves true. The acquisition's voice-guided, multi-step searching is believed to be "deeply integrated" into the OS and would be shown off at WWDC in June. A possibility exists that it would be exposed to third-party apps through an API, TechCrunch said.

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Rumor: MobileMe media locker $20 a year, Warner onboard

03/28, 7:15am

MobileMe media locker may cost 20 a month

An industry publication claimed in a previously unmentioned rumor this past week that Apple had been making progress on its rumored MobileMe media locker. The service purportedly wouldn't be free but would drop to $20 per year. The Music Void's "informed sources" said Apple had already landed a deal with Warner to let users store music from the label online, and both EMI and Universal were likely to cede relatively quickly.

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iOS 5 said a 'major revamp,' moved to fall

03/27, 12:45am

iOS 5 rumor claims fall release

A rumor floated late Saturday has iOS 5 launching later than widely thought but with much in store. The new mobile OS has supposedly been moved to the fall and might be unveiled at WWDC instead of at a special spring event. In return, TechCrunch said, it would be a "major revamp" rather than the iterative upgrades seen so far.

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Rumor backs MobileMe revamp in April, current version split

03/18, 12:25pm

MobileMe said getting April remix, separate split

Rumors surrounding MobileMe getting an overhaul in April were given minor support Friday through a fresh claim. A staffer at a "major educational institution" has warned that the present-day MobileMe is no longer available and that Apple is officially telling newcomers to sign up for 60-day trials as a stopgap before the new version. In an unexpected turn, the iLounge tip also said that the "existing version" would be supported for a year, implying that some services would either change or go away.

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Rumor: iPhone NFC uses Mac App Store, MobileMe for Mac sync

03/18, 7:40am

iPhone with NFC may help sync apps, saved files

A rumor on Friday may have shed light on a possible NFC iPhone Mac syncing feature. The reportedly close source had the feature dependent on a combination of Mac OS X Lion, the Mac App Store, and MobileMe. On talking to the host Mac, the iPhone would identify which apps its user owned from the Mac App Store and download them; apps would auto-save to MobileMe and would let users pick up from where they left off when they got back home, Cult of Mac said.

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Napster pioneer may buy Warner label to push digital music

03/12, 11:40am

Napster founder Parker may buy Warner Music

Napster founder and early Facebook shepherd Sean Parker is helping to make a bid that may see him having some control over one of the very music labels that tried to shut him down, insiders said late Friday. He was reportedly teaming up with investors Ron Burkle and Doug Teitelbaum to buy Warner Music Group. While his own personal worth wouldn't be at stake, AllThingsD understood his interest was in a letter attached to the start of the bidding process.

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Apple rumored slating iOS 5, MobileMe event for early April

03/08, 4:40pm

Apple may have iOS 5, MobileMe unveils in April

A rumor Tuesday had Apple following up the iPad 2 launch with an iOS-focused event. The gathering, which would happen at the Town Hall in Apple's Cupertino campus, would purportedly show off iOS 5 and the promised fruits of the MobileMe overhaul. Macerkopf in making the claim was told by its source that it would happen in the 14th or 15th week of 2011, putting it in the first half of April.

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BlackBerry Protect beta catches up to Android, MobileMe

03/05, 12:55pm

BlackBerry Protect beta goes live

Fulfilling recent BlackBerry Protect in a bid to compete with Apple and Google on smartphone cloud services. The long-in-testing feature gives individual users the option of remotely locating, messaging and (if necessary) wiping to help find or secure a lost or stolen phone. Owners also get a full backup service that safeguards not just calendars and contacts but browser bookmarks, memos, tasks and the saved text messaging history.

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Apple talking to get repeat iTunes music downloads

03/04, 7:40am

Apple deal would allow more than one iTunes clip

A trio of sources claimed late Thursday that Apple was pressing labels for a long-requested deal to allow customers as many downloads as they like of an iTunes song they've purchased. Discussions with major labels and independents would give listeners the same rights they have as at some stores, where buying a track once gives users permission to download it again on any device they own, including iOS devices. Bloomberg was told it could be ready by the middle of the year, or possibly in time for the iPhone 5 launch.

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iOS 5, upgraded MobileMe go missing from iPad 2 event

03/02, 4:15pm

Event proves relatively bare-bones

Several major predictions failed to come true during today's iPad 2 event. Perhaps the most significant of these was an upgraded MobileMe; the service was expected to become free, and gain some sort of media locker allowing remote access of iTunes content. Strong evidence came from Apple itself, as the company discontinued boxed copies of MobileMe and indeed removed any way of paying. Apple has even admitted that its North Carolina data center is being constructed for iTunes and MobileMe content.

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