Apple’s iCloud may have only just launched but according to rumors reported by the LA Times and Wall Street Journal, it’s already negotiating with Hollywood to add movies to the service (funny how things have changed in five years.) The timing is particularly curious because Apple, along with Disney, is one of the notable holdouts from the movie studio-backed Ultraviolet scheme with similar buy once / stream anywhere aspirations that just hit the streets this week. However, according to “people familiar with the matter” it could allow Ultraviolet access on iThings via app, while also bringing its usual media lock-in magic by also throwing in streaming copies of any flicks purchased on iTunes, but only on its own hardware. Recently activated streaming of purchased TV shows to the Apple TV shows the cloud’s potential, but we’ll have to wait for deals to be signed before that North Carolina datacenter puts Hollywood’s best on its to-do list.

Apple reportedly trying to add movie streaming to its iCloud originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 05:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading San Diego Supercomputer Center launches world’s largest academic cloud storage system

San Diego Supercomputer Center launches world’s largest academic cloud storage system originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC has now launched itself into the clouds, confirming that its latest Android phones will get an extra 3GB of storage with Dropbox. According to Pocket-Lint, the extra space will extend to all HTC devices running Sense 3.5, which at the moment means it’s limited to the forthcoming HTC Rhyme. We probably won’t see the Dropbox deal extend to HTC’s Windows Phones though — Microsoft reckons it has the whole file-syncing thing covered.

HTC strikes Dropbox deal, will offer 5GB free on Sense 3.5 phones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alibaba to launch English version of Aliyun OS this month, tablet by November originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you thought you could evade US intelligence by moving to Europe and storing your dirty little secrets in Microsoft’s cloud service, guess again. During this week’s launch of Office 365, Gordon Frazer, managing director of Microsoft UK, admitted for the first time that cloud data stored at European datacenters could still be handed over to American officials, as outlined by US law. When asked whether Microsoft could guarantee that its EU-stored data would never leave the continent (even if requested under the Patriot Act), Frazer replied: “Microsoft cannot provide those guarantees. Neither can any other company.” Because the company’s headquarters are in the US, it’s obligated to adhere to American laws, meaning that any of the data stored on its servers is fair game for authorities to seize and inspect. Frazer insisted that targeted users “would be informed whenever possible,” but claimed that neither Microsoft nor any other US company can guarantee advanced notification. Bottom line: you’re better off hiding those nefarious files the old fashioned way — in an offshore safe deposit box.

Microsoft: European cloud data may not be immune to the Patriot Act originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Cloud Engines updates Pogoplug’s software-only version with OneView, enhanced iOS support

Cloud Engines updates Pogoplug’s software-only version with OneView, enhanced iOS support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s iOS is great at displaying content already on a device, but transferring documents from your computer to your iPhone or iPad has traditionally been a tedious, inefficient process. SugarSync’s new mobile device management sets out to help change that, allowing you to send files directly to your smartphone or tablet using a simple web interface. After selecting a connected device from the sidebar, you can click to upload content, booting it directly to your handheld. A push notification will appear, prompting you to download any or all of the files you uploaded, which will also remain in the cloud — so you’ll be able to access files synched with the SugarSync app from the Web, even when your device is offline. The feature is rolling out for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch this week, and will be available for Android and BlackBerry soon. It looks like the concept of emailing documents to yourself just to access them on the go is about to follow iTunes sync and tethered updates to a permanent group home in the sky.

Continue reading SugarSync adds mobile device management, lets you push digital delights directly to iOS (video)

SugarSync adds mobile device management, lets you push digital delights directly to iOS (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cross-platform gaming is a wonderful idea, but Sony’s showing off something even more impressive at E3 this year — a game that you can starting playing on either PS3 or the PlayStation Vita handheld and immediately transfer to another console. Ruin leverages cloud storage to save your entire hack-and-slash RPG game, right down to the positions and actions of every nearby enemy and the structures you’ve destroyed. Then, a second or eight after you hit load on another machine, you’re right back in the very same fight. Resuming on console or handheld and picking up exactly where you left off — yep, it’s a bona fide continuous client, and we had to give it a try. So, off to Sony’s E3 2011 booth we went, to seek out developer Idol Minds.

With both Vita and PS3 connected to a local router, it was both as simple and as mind-blowing as you’d expect — simply save on one (no matter what you’re doing), load on the other, and everything (save certain scripted animations) loads exceptionally quickly. In fact, Idol Minds VP Jeff Litchford said that while show floor conditions necessitated the local router, Ruin‘s cloud resume functionality would even work over 3G, as the save files are actually fairly small, on the order of 250KB. He couldn’t tell us whether you’ll have to purchase two copies of the game to make the magic happen (we’re hoping not), but he did have some good news on the cloud storage front: it won’t cost a thing to save your game data, not even a subscription to PlayStation Plus.

Sean Buckley contributed to this report.

PlayStation Vita title ‘Ruin’ connects to PS3 for continuous client gameplay, we give it a swing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already knew Windows Phone Mango would include SkyDrive functionality, but Microsoft has now released a few more details on some of the cloud storage features we can expect to see when the update rolls out, later this year. With the update, SkyDrive users will be able to share their stored photos via text message, e-mail or IM, and to upload their videos to the cloud with the touch of a button. They’ll also be able to browse, share and edit uploaded MS Office documents directly from their handhelds, while searching through their entire SkyDrive via the Office Hub. Storage limits remain capped at 25GB, though Microsoft says we should expect to see more cloud-based features roll out in the near future (including a revamped, HTML5-based SkyDrive web interface), so more changes may very well be on the horizon. Soar past the break for some demo videos from Redmond, along with a hands-on clip from WinRumors.

Continue reading Microsoft details SkyDrive integration with Windows Phone Mango (video)

Microsoft details SkyDrive integration with Windows Phone Mango (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Continue reading Editorial: Engadget on iCloud and iTunes Match

Editorial: Engadget on iCloud and iTunes Match originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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