Menu
Bayou Technologies | Lake Charles, Louisiana | Technology | Cybersecurity | Communication | Marketing
Computer IT Services & Marketing
  • Technology
    • Managed Services
    • Computer Repair
    • Consulting
  • Cybersecurity
    • BDR
    • Network Security
    • Computer Security
    • Data Recovery
  • Communication
    • Cabling
    • Wireless Networking
    • Phones
  • Marketing
    • Website Development
    • Search Engine Optimization
    • Social Media & Online Presence
    • Location Scan
    • Website & Email Management
    • Online Advertising
    • Multimedia Design
    • Newsletter
  • CALL: 337-214-1172

HOME  |  BLOG  |  REMOTE SUPPORT

Home
Support
Blog
Contact
Close Menu
iCloud
November 22 2011

Living in the Cloud

wukovits Apps, Backup, Internet, Operating Systems, Productivity, Smartphones Apple, iCloud, iOS 5, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, iTunes Match, Lion, MobileMe, OS X 10.7, PhotoStream

For many people, when the word cloud is uttered, the thought of soft, pillowy things in the sky comes to mind.  With tech folks, for the last few years, the cloud means something entirely different.  The concept of “the cloud” has been around for a while, as schematics for computer architectures often depicted a cloud as a symbol for Internet connectivity.  This is a very accurate representation for most people to grasp the concept of the cloud.  Simply put, the cloud is the Internet, so when you hear the term “in the cloud”, it means on the Internet.  With the release of iOS 5, Apple has made iCloud an integral part of the operating system, bringing millions of users into the cloud.

iCloudBefore, Apple had MobileMe, a form of cloud storage in that MobileMe subscribers could utilize email, calendar, contacts, and online storage for $99 per year.  Being a Mac user with multiple machines and an iPhone user to boot, MobileMe worked well for me, as I could synchronize my data between all my machines and my iPhone.  When I heard that iCooud would provide much of the same functionality at a better price point, free, I was definitely interested.  When I updated my first iOS device to iOS 5, I started the signup for iCloud using my existing MobileMe account.  iCloud can be used with any email address for signup, and the features it provides are pretty useful.

The first thing that really makes iCloud useful is the wireless capability.  Now, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch don’t need to be connected to your computer with a cable to sync with iTunes, get updates to iOS, and more.  Not only that, but you can now backup your iOS device to iCloud, so the horror of losing your phone and all your data if you hadn’t plugged in your phone for a while is gone.

When taking photos with your devices, it used to be a process to download them or share them with your other devices or computer.  iCloud now features PhotoStream, a new way for your devices to share photos.  Any pictures you take on your iPhone or other device are stored in the cloud and are quickly available on your other devices through PhotoStream.  Provided that your Mac is running OS X 10.7, otherwise known as Lion, you can get your photos to it just as easily using Photostream.  I should mention that Mac users will need to upgrade to Lion to take advantage of the iCloud features, which is a requisite step when upgrading from MobileMe.

iCloud also allows provides you with 5GB of online storage, which you’ll be using in conjunction with all the photos in PhotoStream, email, and other features.  For free, 5GB isn’t bad, but the option to get more storage is available for a nominal fee.  10GB will cost $20 per year; 20GB will cost $40 per year; and 50GB will cost $100 per year.  Overall, that pricing seems pretty fair, but I’ll wait until I’m running out of room before I bite.

Another thing that iCloud provides is easier app management.  One of the last updates to iOS 4 allowed users to see purchased apps in the App Store and install them on other devices, but with iCloud, you can set it where any app purchase installs to all your devices.  Some people might get good use from this, but I share my iTunes account with my family, and I don’t necessarily want my kids’ purchases on their phones to install on mine.

One last component of iCloud that I’ll mention is iTunes Match.  For $24.99 a year, Apple will store your music with iCloud.  In addition to storing all your iTunes purchases, Apple claims to allow you to store music you’ve ripped from CD’s and other sources as well, but I found that a limitation kept me from testing this feature.  For iTunes Match, you need less than 25,000 songs in your library that have been acquired from other sources.  Since I converted my entire CD collection to iTunes, this pushes me way over this cap, so I can’t really say more about this part of iCloud.

Even without using iTunes Match, iCloud includes a lot of features that make it a terrific service for iOS users and a welcome addition to the Apple family of products.

iOS 5 Arrives With Fabulous New Features TotalFinder Adds Needed Functionality for Mac Users

Related Posts

Google Fixed The White Screen Issue On Chrome

Blog, Chrome, Google, Productivity, Recent News, Technology News

Google Fixed The White Screen Issue On Chrome

G-Suite Users Can View Employee Productivity With Work Insights

Blog, Business & Finance, Gmail, Google, Google Apps, Productivity, Technology News

G-Suite Users Can View Employee Productivity With Work Insights

More iOS 10 New Features

Apple, Apps, Cell Phones, Internet, Operating Systems, Photography, Smart Phones, Smartphones, Tablet Computers

More New Features in iOS 10

Recent Posts

  • Big Changes Coming To Microsoft Outlook In Coming Years
  • Hacker Attacks On Healthcare Industry Are On The Rise
  • Adobe Flash Has Reached End of Life Status

Archives

Categories

Get a Domain Registered


$.99* .COM Domain! Get going with GoDaddy!

Back To Top
Bayou Technologies | Lake Charles, Louisiana | Technology | Cybersecurity | Communication | Marketing
  • Home
  • Technology
  • Cybersecurity
  • Communication
  • Marketing
  • Newsletter
  • Blog
  • Support
  • Contact

BBB Logo

Bayou Technologies, LLC
✖
Bayou Technologies is a BBB Accredited Busines
A+
On a scale of A+ to F

Reviewed, Evaluated and Accredited

Meets All 26 Standards of Accreditation

BBB Accredited since 1/1/2012

Click here for BBB Business Report on Bayou Technologies, LLC

BBB Accredited:

BBB Rating as of:

Verify Bayou Technologies, LLC
Bayou Technologies, LLC © 2019
Website Development and Marketing in Lake Charles, Louisiana
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.