Little is known and anticipation is high before Monday's keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference from Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs, prompting conference attendees to wait in line overnight for the anticipated event.
Apple's forthcoming cloud-based service could replace iTunes' syncing functionality, according to an unverified report.
The anticipated ability of Apple's iCloud network to take some processing and traffic burdens from wireless carriers' networks has been predicted by one analyst to cause "collateral damage" for rival handset maker Research in Motion.
In order to get the major record labels onboard with its forthcoming iCloud service, Apple could fork over as much as $150 million in "advanced payments."
Music industry insiders allege that Apple's forthcoming iCloud service will have an initial free period for iTunes Music Store customers, but the company plans to eventually charge a $25 a year subscription fee.
Apple has signed a licensing deal with Universal Music Group, incorporating all four of the major record companies into its iTunes iCloud music plans.
Apple is working to prepare San Francisco's Moscone Center West for the company's 2011 Worldwide Developer Conference to be held next week.
Apple has filed for the "iCloud" trademark with the European Trademark Office with a wide range of classes, including "delivering digital music by telecommunications."
Apple next week is likely to announce that all Mac owners who run the latest version of the OS X operating system, Lion, will also receive at least some of the services from iCloud for free, sources have told AppleInsider.
After Apple tipped its hand on Tuesday and revealed it will unveil its new iCloud service next week, Wall Street analysts believe the company has set the stage for a strong software-focused Worldwide Developers Conference keynote.
In addition to agreements with music labels, Apple is also said to be pursuing licensing deals with movie and TV studios that would allow users to remotely store and stream copyrighted video content via the forthcoming iCloud service.
Apple announced on Tuesday that in less than a week, Chief Executive Steve Jobs will return to the stage, along with a team of company executives, to present Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and iOS 5 — and to introduce its new iCloud service.
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AppleInsider Staff
Josh Ong
Neil Hughes
Sam Oliver
Daniel Eran Dilger
