Apple iCloud Unveiling on Monday, June 6
Apple confirmed today the launch of the long awaited iCloud next Monday. The iCloud will allow users to access and store their media from Apple’s servers via Web connected devices. The iCloud would enable you to save all of your favorite music, movies, pictures, and other media in their cloud instead of on your actual device’s storage. You can then stream it directly from the iCloud onto your device. Now, the notion of relying on a third party versus your own PC for computing tasks has typically been reserved for the sophisticated and tech savvy user. However, Apple vows to change this by presenting the iCloud to the mainstream masses. Apple’s number one priority with this iCloud service is to rent and sell you music, movies, and TV shows. Apple already has three major music labels on board and is in the works with closing a fourth record label. What has not been finalized is the feature film aspect of the iCloud. This proving to be a difficult task as nothing film related has been confirmed yet.
What’s the hold up then? Apple is facing obstacles related to the HBO blackout. The HBO blackout refers to the Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and NBC Universal exclusive distribution agreement with the network. The distribution agreement essentially states that when one of the venues is showing a certain movie, for example, the others can not show that same movie at the same time. This would not be an ideal situation, having bought a movie and not being able to open it because it was playing on Fox. While these challenges are being straightened out Apple could still unveil the iCloud with the other three film studios, Disney, Paramount, and Sony Pictures.
What does seem promising is the Ultra Violet technology potential the iCloud boasts of. UV has been dubbed a set of technology standards for cloud video services. The film industry is interested with hopes UV could one day superceed the DVD. Ultra Violet is speculated to debut this summer.
This article is very well written, it cleared up all of my questions about the iCloud. Good job!