Rumor: Apple buys iCloud domain

By Trevor Mogg April 27, 2011

According to blogger Om Malik of GigaOM, Apple may have purchased the domain name iCloud.com for the sum of $4.5 million. Malik’s source, however, is unnamed, and in the blog post is referred to as “a tipster of mine” and someone who is “familiar with the company” – that company being the previous owner of the domain name, Xcerion.

Xcerion has just changed the name of its cloud-based service from iCloud to CloudMe. The domain name for that website was acquired on April 5 of this year, says GigaOM. A search of the Whois database still shows the iCloud domain name as registered to Xcerion, though this could change shortly.

It is widely thought that Apple is close to announcing some form of cloud-based service. Only last week it was reported that the Cupertino company had reached an agreement with Warner Music, and possibly other record labels, to get iTunes in the cloud. Earlier in the month there were similar rumblings about a cloud-based TV service in the offing from Apple. And if all that isn’t enough to have the more skeptical among you thinking, “Well, maybe it is going to look into this whole cloud business after all,” Apple is thought to have recently hired Kevin Timmons, the man who helped build the infrastructure for Microsoft’s global cloud computing network.

So let’s say it’s safe to assume Apple is going to be a player in the cloud. In that case, it’ll be wanting a domain name. Putting an “i” in front of the very service they’re offering would be just what you’d expect the company to do. Or is that too obvious?

The growing speculation could all be pointing toward a big announcement from Apple at the WWDC kicking off on June 6 in San Francisco.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Apple

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Computing

Apple may soon eliminate the notch from your Mac and iPhone

An Apple MacBook laptop with the macOS Ventura background wallpaper and the notch seen at the top of the display.

So many Apple devices have the divisive notch cutout these days that the feature has almost become its own brand, yet it continues to stir disapproving glances and attempts to hide it wherever it's seen. Apple could now be on the brink of eliminating it for good.

That’s because the company recently filed a patent in Europe outlining how future Apple devices, from Macs to iPhones, could do away with the notch once and for all, giving you a borderless experience that’s unbroken around the screen. It’s a grand idea, and Apple thinks it knows how to make it work.

Computing

Apple will now let you repair more Macs and iPhones yourself

A person repairing a MacBook using Apple's self-service repair kit.

Apple has been running a self-service repair program that lets you fix up your devices yourself since April 2022, but it’s always been a little bit hobbled. Now, though, Apple has expanded the program to include some of the latest devices available in what could be a boost to the right-to-repair movement.

Starting today, the program will include the M2 13-inch MacBook Air and the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, as well as the entire iPhone 14 lineup. That means if you want to repair one of these products, Apple will provide you with official parts, tools and instructions to help you do it. Previously, you couldn’t do this yourself with Apple-approved parts, despite the devices being available for many months.

Mobile

The Apple Vision Pro has given VR its iPhone moment

A person is watching a movie using the Apple Vision Pro.

"One more thing" means you're about to be treated to something groundbreaking -- and that's exactly what happened when Apple CEO Tim Cook uttered those fateful three words at the end of the recent Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 keynote. The Apple Vision Pro is not just another VR headset; no, it's an incredible piece of technology that pushes the boundaries of what we can expect from both virtual reality and augmented reality. The display tech, sensor quality, and polish are like nothing we've ever seen before in a headset — and they signal a big jump forward in VR and AR tech.

The only quibble is the price: $3,500. That's a whole lot of cash, and due to that, I'm not confident the Vision Pro will appear in every other house in the next few years.