Neil Hughes
Apple's continued interest in expanding its cloud-based sync capabilities were demonstrate with a new patent application revealed this week, entitled "Configurable Offline Data Store." The invention, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on June 14, 2010, would synchronize data for offline use when an Internet connection is not available.
It describes a system that would allow users to access content from a remote computer or server, but also save that information locally for use when an Internet connection is not available. The application also notes that users may want to disable their Internet because constant syncing and updating may result in poor performance.
It describes individual applications that would be able to access this cloud-stored data, dubbed "savvy applications." These are distinguished from "non-savvy applications," which would not have access to the remote data.
The smart syncing system would predetermine which data might be "reasonably requested" when the two machines are reconnected, having it queued an ready to go immediately. The system would also allow for other "requested records," which would occur when changes are made to lesser-used files.
Current mobile devices from Apple like the iPhone have a number of options for users to sync basic data, such as iPhone contacts, with Internet-based services. But the company is also said to be interested in offering a cloud-based streaming service for purchased iTunes content, like music and movies.
But Apple's latest patent application would allow such data to be stored locally, and synced from anywhere with an Internet connection, rather than on a local network or via a USB cable.
Such a feature could also be used with Apple's App Store, where software downloads greater than 20MB in size are not allowed over cellular data networks. When on a 3G network, the client-side machine — an iPhone or iPad — could save an intended download for later, when it can be obtained over a Wi-Fi network.
For more on Apple's ambitions in the cloud, see other related patent applications published this year:
Apple aiming to improve syncing, sorting of cloud-based content
Apple investigating cloud-based media syncing, tagging on the go
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Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
36 Comments
If Apple is stumped as to what new features OSXI should have, this is it.
1) Incremental File System (ZFS, or another alternative)
2) OS Wide Online Data Sync
3) Offline Storage for when the internet is not available
Future mobile devices from Apple could sync large amounts of data over the Internet, allowing access to information when an Internet connection is no longer available ...
Confused
If the net isn't available how do I sync over the net?
I really don’t like the way idevices are sync with itunes through a PC. They need to make the idevice independent from a PC itunes so we don’t have problems like wiping a device off because you sync it on a friend Pc. People could also have idevices without having a Pc at all.
The syncing from a particular PC with a particular itune account add lots of overhead that complicated things. Let us sync straight from the net when on wifi and free us from being link to a PC.
I mean full sync here, with software patch. Device backup could be done over the net (like let us have a few gigs with our itune accounts so we can make device backups on the net) If we could have our content data (songs, movies, ...) on the net, that would indeed complety free us from local PC and at the same time free us of files management. I hope there new data center in NC will help change there model.
What I like about "cloud" data is if they sell 10000 times the same song, they dont need to have that many copies of it on there data center they could have just one file and allow just the people who own it for syncing.
I don't see why this isn't already happening?
All they have to do is add programming into iTunes to create a list of all your content, store that file in the "Cloud" and offer playback of your content via 3G or WiFi via the internet. Seems like a simple way to listen to your content, for free over the cloud...
Memo to Apple: Just buy Dropbox, and be done with it.