Apple launches new iCloud

iCloud, a new service from Apple, has launched this week, removing the need for cables and wires from computers to iphones and ipads. Steve Jobs announced the new development on Monday, highlighting the opportunities to connect and integrate existing content across a multitude of platforms. The new service will also automatically update your existing apps and sychronise diaries, emails, photos etc... across every device you use.

It's great news if you are an Apple fan. However, those who enjoy a little digital freedom will be disappointed to learn that the new service is for Apple related products only. Critics complain that this ties consumers ever closer into the Apple fold, yet it is difficult to argue that this is anything other than good commercial sense on the part of technology giant.

For us, the really controversial news is in relation to how this new service works regarding music filesharing. If you are storing music on your hard disc which matches one of up to 18 million songs stored on iTunes, it will be replaced and updated by an official, authorised and fully validated Apple version, irrespective of how, when and if you paid for the original file. Subscription to this service is just $25 a year, and could seriously undermine the competition from Amazon Cloud Player and Google Music, not to mention all the illegal sites offering free downloads. While the issue of illegal downloading of music is not a new one, the latest response from the music industry is. All the major record companies have reportedly signed a deal with Apple to ensure that they receive a slice of the $25 fee, perhaps going some way to recover the revenues lost to illegal downloading. Only time will tell how many of us choose to pay the subscription, or make use of the broader iCloud technology. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing the response from the competition, legal and otherwise.

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