How To Migrate From MobileMe to iCloud

With the dawn of iCloud, it also means the sun is setting on MobileMe. Longtime users will affectionately call it their “dot Mac” account. In order to take part in all of the great new features in href="http://www.apple.com/icloud">iCloud, dot Mac owners need to migrate their accounts. While the name has changed, many of the services will carry over the iCloud with your account. Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Bookmarks, Find My iPhone and Back To Mac are all apart of iCloud. Gone but not forgotten are iWeb, Gallery and iDisk. MobileMe users can continue to use those services through June 30th, 2012, even after migrating to iCloud. But let’s not forget the reason for migrating. iCloud offers a whole batch of new services including iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, Automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books, along with Backup and Restore. It’s also worth noting that iCloud is free and includes 5GB of storage. Join us for a complete walkthrough as we help guide you through the migration from MobileMe to iCloud.

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Pump the Brakes/> Before making the jump to iCloud, make sure that all of your computers and devices are running compatible software. That means your Macs need to be updated to Mac OS 10.7.2 aka Lion and your iOS devices are on iOS 5.

Back-up/> Before you start any major transition of services, it’s a great idea to back up all of your data. If you haven’t been backing up your data, then this is a great time to start. Apple’s Time Machine makes it incredibly easy. Simply purchase an external hard drive that is larger than the hard drive in your Mac. Plug it in and you’ll likely be prompted to “use this hard drive as a Time Machine backup”. If you are like me and you’ve got random stuff sitting in iDisk, download it to a local folder on your Mac before starting the process.

Movin’ and Groovin’/> Once you are ready to rock, the process begins by pointing Safari (or your browser of choice) to href="http://www.me.com/move">me.com/move.

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First things first, you’ll need to sign into your account. You should probably set aside 15 to 20 minutes for the entire migration, if things go smoothly, which they did for me during my migration.

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This is the first of a few messages that prepare you for the big move. Don’t worry, it’s not as big as you’d think. Don’t let this array of screenshots fool you.

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Mail and Calendars both have a new home in iCloud. This step advises you that both will be moved. You will no longer be able to share calendars with those who are still on MobileMe. If you have not logged into your MobileMe account, then you might receive a message that your Calendars have not been updated. You can open up a new browser window, login to your MobileMe calendars and you’ll be prompted to update them. This is probably a good idea to keep the transfer from MobileMe to iCloud trouble-free.

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/4.jpg" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24932" title="4" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/4.jpg" alt="Gallery, iDisk, iWeb" width="450" height="332" />

While Gallery, iDisk and iWeb are not part of iCloud, you’ll be able to continue using those services at .me through June 30th, 2012.

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This is a reminder that some MobileMe syncing services will not be available post-iCloud migration. This includes the ability to sync Mac Dashboard Widgets, Dock Items, Keychains, Preferences, Mail Accounts, Rules, Signatures, and Smart Mailboxes.

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As the Master account holder on my MobileMe account, I was concerned that my move to iCloud could cause a disruption in services to my family members. I haven’t called them since moving to iCloud, but I haven’t received any support calls from them. In all seriousness, their accounts will function properly, regardless of whether you migrate. Master account holders can no longer add or remove accounts after the move. Since your family will likely be making the jump to iCloud, this should be a non-issue.

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As noted earlier in the tutorial, you’ll need to make sure that your Mac’s are upgraded to Mac OS 10.7.2 Lion and your iOS devices are on iOS 5. If one of your devices is not updated, it’s certainly not the end of the world. My Mac Book Pro is still on 10.7. Email works perfectly fine and I’m only a minor update away from using iCloud features.

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/8.jpg" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24937" title="8" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/8.jpg" alt="Back up contacts bookmarks" width="450" height="332" />

This step seemed like a no-brainer. Apple wants you to be sure at least one device has up to date contacts and bookmarks.

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/9.jpg" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24938" title="9" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/9.jpg" alt="Back up contacts bookmarks" width="450" height="332" />

If you backed up previously using TimeMachine, this is an added layer of data protection and easy to accomplish.

Back Up Your Contacts Database in Address Book

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/address-book-bu.png" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24939" title="address-book-bu" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/address-book-bu.png" alt="Address Book Archive" width="404" height="191" />

Back Up Your Calendars

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/calendars-bu.png" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24940" title="calendars-bu" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/calendars-bu.png" alt="Calendars backup" width="411" height="224" />

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You can read this and delay the process for 8 or so hours, or check the box and select “Move to iCloud”. Immediately after signing your life away, the migration is underway and the process of moving your MobileMe content to iCloud has begun. The length of this process will be highly dependant upon how much data you have stored.

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/12.jpg" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24942" title="12" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/12.jpg" alt="Moving your MobileMe content" width="450" height="332" />

For some bizarre reason, I was logged out during this migration. I of course panicked, but then came a pop-up window advising me to “complete your move to iCloud”.

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/13.jpg" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24943" title="13" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/13.jpg" alt="Logged out" width="450" height="332" />

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/complete-migration.png" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24945" title="complete-migration" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/complete-migration.png" alt="" width="420" height="158" />

At this point, all the heavy lifting was done. I went around to each of my devices and selected OK. This was great because it was affirmation that each of my devices had made it’s transition to iCloud.

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Having completed the migration, I can say that it was not very difficult at all. With a proper backup strategy in place, moving your data from MobileMe to iCloud can be a relatively stress free transfer. I can now enjoy legacy MobileMe features through June 2012 and some of the great new iCloud features like PhotoStream.

Have you migrated your account? Share your experience in the comments. Need help? Our href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum">iPhone forums are the perfect place to find experts that can help.

Blosics App Review – Infuriating, Simplistic and Compelling Physics Fun

Bracing the App Store earlier this week, is onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/itunes.apple.com/us/app/blosics/id445365724?mt=8');" target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blosics/id445365724?mt=8">Blosics, a port of an online flash game that involves physics and puzzles which amounts to a whole lot of fun. Polished and compelling as it previously was on the computer, Blosics feels natural when played on the iPhone and just as, if not more, fun as the online flash version.

Since a supposed 40 million players enjoyed the flash version, developers, FDG Games, decided to bring the hit game to the App Store. Your goal is to to knock down groups of enemy blocks using strategy and a multitude of different balls to meet the challenge posed on you by each level’s unique structure as well as each block’s unique gravitational pull and weight.

You start off with only one type of ball; the weakest, of course. This ball isn’t able to do much damage, but it does enough to suffice for the first few tutorial levels. After progressing a bit, and earning stars from each of the levels (you can earn three from each), you’ll unlock different types of balls. Depending on how many stars you have, more and more balls with be unlocked with special capabilities. In effect, you can use any of the balls you have unlocked to beat a level.

The catch is that each ball costs a different amount of points to use. To pass a level, you need a specific amount of points, which are attained from destroying blocks or knocking them down. This amount is for a basic, one star. Once you achieve one star for a level, the score objective for the second and third stars are displayed respectively, but of course achieving them is optional. So you’ve got to compare the cost of a ball to the difficulty of the level.

This, stated above, ties into the strategic aspect of the game. href="http://www.iphonealley.com/application_reviews/blosics-app-review-infuriating-simplistic-and-compelling-physics-fun/attachment/blosics-2" rel="attachment wp-att-22446">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blosics-300x200.jpg" alt="" title="blosics" width="300" height="200" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-22446" />Not only must you plan out what ball would be best for each level depending on the circumstances, but many levels will also rely on hitting a certain weak spot to get the best score. This will come with retrying a level many times, and will also require some experimenting with the balls and the different types of blocks and their according strengths.

Thankfully, FDG have incorporated an easy controls scheme to get the best outcome. There’s a certain area of a level, specific to each and every one, from which you can launch balls. You can place your finger anywhere inside the given circle, slide back and let go – the amount you pull back decides the amount of power you fling a ball at, indicated by the accompanying arrow. This circle allows the player to control the angle at which they launch balls.

Blosics clearly has personality. Just by watching a bit of the below gameplay video/trailer, you can see that not only is its artwork extremely simplistic yet polished and bright, but the game also incorporates some humor. The blocks will more than occasionally mutter some rude comment or indicate their grumpiness, which definitely goes along with the upbeat mood of the game. All of the above stands for a total of four worlds, each outfitted with a different theme, 30 levels (120 in total; more on the way), and realistic physics according to the environment. Example: in the underwater world, everything moves a bit more sluggishly.

The only gripe, if considered one at all, is that some of the levels weren’t in the right place. To make a short story longer, you’ll find a level in the third world easier than one in the first. The difficulty curve is a bit wacky, but that’s not too difficult to live with.

FDG has included a ton of content to go along with the many levels. Even though seasoned physics gamers may find some levels to be on the easier side, the amount of additional content included in each level to hinder the difficulty, is enough to keep one occupied for hours on end. This said, I’m totally in favor of anyone peaked by the premise to go ahead and take the plunge for $0.99. Physics games are abundant in the App Store, and playing most, I can safely say Blosics is one of the better.

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iPhoneAlley rates Blosics 4/5 stars. It’s down our alley!/> onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/itunes.apple.com/us/app/blosics/id445365724?mt=8');" target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blosics/id445365724?mt=8">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/view-in-itunes.png" alt="" title="view in itunes" width="106" height="23" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22444" />

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iDoodle: Drained

Twice as fast as iPhone 4

New side-scrolling game, Ghostie for iPhone, now available

Ghostie is a new side-scrolling iPhone game that has got me hooked. In this game, you must help the little square shaped ghost, Ghostie, get past various obstacles and pits to complete each level. The screen is constantly scrolling and you have only one control – jump.

I am experiencing both an intense amount of fun and frustration with Ghostie! The concept is so simple, but the gameplay is actually rather challenging. It is possible that I suck more than the average person, but the first level took me 25 attempts to pass.

The first level is free to play, so go pick this one up and see if you can do better than me. I was convinced I had a better grasp on the game, unlocked the next levels, and took 37 attempts to beat the second level. Man, that’s embarrassing.

Resting in peace is hard work! For Ghostie, it’s one thing after another – literally – as he dodges obstacles, leaps over pitfalls and avoids other spooky surprises on his path. Customize your Ghostie and help him safely cross to the other side of each hauntingly addictive level. And frequent updates will provide new challenges, obstacles and surprises sure to keep your spirits up! It’s the most fun you can have without a pulse.

Ghostie is available on the iPhone for free.

[App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

C-Spire getting iPhone 4S on Nov. 11, unlimited “non-streaming” data

Regional US carrier, C-Spire is officially getting the iPhone 4S on Nov. 11.

As a carrier dedicated to delivering the best personalized wireless experience, we’re proud to offer the amazing new iPhone 4S to our customers,” said Hu Meena, president and chief executive officer for C Spire. “iPhone 4S offers an abundance of new features, and with our Choice Infinite data plans customers can enjoy all of them on our network without having to think about their next bill.

So yes to “unlimited data” but with a caveat: The lower end “unlimited plans” do not include streaming data. So if you don’t pony up for a higher-end plan, no Pandora for you.

Otherwise, what do you think? Planning to get your first iPhone on C-Spire? Planning to switch?

Check out our iPhone 4S buyers guide and jump into our iPhone 4S forum for extra help!

Source: Business Wire

Daily Deal: Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 for only 6.95

For today only, the TiPb Store has the Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 on sale for only $6.95!. Get them before they’re gone!

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Apple’s GarageBand Now Making Music on iPhone and iPod touch

Apple’s GarageBand application, previously available for the iPad, is now compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. The update brings universal compatibility, offering music making capabilities to the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, 3rd generation iPod touch, 4th generation iPod touch and of course both iPads.

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Source: href="http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/11/01/apple-releases-garageband-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/">The Loop

Native Gmail iPhone App Coming, One Less Reason To Go Android

According to MG Siegler, sources indicate that Apple is on the verge of approving a native Gmail app. The current mobile version of Gmail works perfectly fine, but the app will usher in support for notifications. If you are a heavy Gmail user, then there are some advantages to using Android, with their stellar Gmail supported email client. This move makes perfect sense for Apple. While there are certainly reasons why some users might prefer Android, a native Gmail client can be removed from that list.

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If this report rings true, the native Gmail iPhone app will offer support for Priority Inbox, one-click starring of messages and possibly other new features. This will all come at the price of free.

Source: href="http://parislemon.com/post/12181169812/incoming-a-native-gmail-iphone-app-finally">Parislemon

ZENandTECH 21: Review II

Georgia and Rene circle back around and review taking care of yourself, working on passive relaxation, setting goals, dealing with negative thinking with positive counter-statements, the importance of play, helping others deal with death, and getting better at communications. This is ZENandTECH!

You can reach all of us @ZENandTECH, via email at podcast@zenandtech.tv, or leave a comment below!

Thanks everyone, you’re the best community on the web and we love having you with us!

While Georgia is a therapist, she’s not YOUR therapist. Everything said or implied on this show is for informational and entertainment purposes only. And shouldn’t be taken in any way as a replacement for proper, professional care.

Music is Peace on Earth by wellman.

Apple’s GarageBand comes to iPhone

Launched alongside iPad 2, Apple’s multitouch version of GarageBand has just been updated as a universal app — that’s right, it now supports iPhone and iPod touch as well. GarageBand for iOS is a re-imagining of Apple’s traditional iLife music recording, mixing, and rendering app for their modern mobile platforms.

Apple’s SVP of Marketing, Phil Schiller:

GarageBand on iPad has been a big hit and we think customers will love using it on their iPhone or iPod touch,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The innovative Multi-Touch interface combined with Smart Instruments makes it easy to create great sounding music, even if you’ve never studied music or played an instrument before.

Here’s the full update list:

Get it, plug it in, and tell us how well it works for you on the smaller screen.

Source: App Store Link

Daily Deal: Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4

For today only, the TiPb Store has the Mobi Products Hard Shell Case for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 on sale for only $29.95!. That’s an external lithium-ion battery with 1700mAh delivers hours of additional talk and playtime on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or any USB device. Get them before they’re gone!

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Apple misses iTunes Match launch deadline

Apple initially stated they would officially launch their iTunes Match service by the end of October. We previously heard they would be launching the service this past Saturday. Seeing as the developer beta expires today we are wondering whether or not we will see an official launch or developers will get another seed. As of this morning there was nothing new in the developer portal and nothing official has been announced or shown up as an update.

Perhaps last minute bugs or issues are causing a delay in the launch of the service. How many of you are anxiously waiting to sign up for iTunes Match? Or are you planning on using the service at all?

Apple Releasing iPhone 4S in Fifteen Additional Countries Starting November 11th

Apple today announced that the iPhone 4S would be available in Hong Kong, South Korea and thirteen additional countries including Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania and South Korea. By the end of the year, Apple plans to have the iPhone 4S available in over 70 countries.

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Pre-orders will begin on Friday, November 4th, save for Albania, El Salvador, Malta, Montenegro and Panama who are not accepting pre-orders.

Hulu Plus app ready and waiting for Apple TV, competitive worries causing its delay?

Apple already has a Hulu Plus app up and running on Apple TV but may be delaying its launch due to concerns it will compete with iTunes TV Show sales, according to 9to5Mac. Their sources claim the Hulu Plus for Apple TV is now feature complete and ready for release, and has supposedly been ready for release for over a month. The reason for the hold is thought to be political and not related to any technical issues.

While Apple TV 2 has had Netflix since launch, their content is mainly older, catalog shows, not the new releases that are more profitable for iTunes.

Hulu Plus is already available on iOS, and in HD on a few other set top boxes such as the Roku and the Western Digital TV Live. It would make so much sense to have it available on the Apple TV too.

Source: 9to5Mac

Poll: Are you using Newsstand?

Newsstand isn’t iBooks for magazines or newspapers, but it is a centralized place to put all the magazine and newspaper apps for your iPhone and iPad, and a quick way to get to the Newsstand optimized section of the App Store. A few publishers have said that alone has substantially increased their revenue, but what has it done for us users?

It lets us more nicely organize those newspaper and magazine apps, and we get to see front page or cover art rather than the app icon, but the apps themselves are still a crapshoot when it comes to quality and design. iBooks are pretty unified — I buy a book and I know how to navigate through it and easily read it, and I know if I put it down on my iPad when I leave home, I can open it up and keep going from the same place when I open it again on my iPhone at work. If I want to read my Trashy Gossip Mag, no such luck.

With Newsstand we sometimes get straight exports from the magazine or newspaper themselves, almost like PDF printouts, ads and all, with little in the way of iOS specific features and nothing that takes advantage of the technology literally at our fingertips. Other times we get more immersive experiences with sound, movies, and easy sharing if we so choose.

And the subscription options are all over the place, but mostly they still don’t match up with traditional options. Why can’t we, universally, buy an issue for the same or cheaper cover price, or subscribe for the same or cheaper yearly option? If I can get one issue of Trashy Gossip Mag for $5 and 12 for $20, shouldn’t we have the same option on iPad?

Should Apple create a proper iNews apps like iBooks with standardized pricing and presentation? Should they go back to just apps, on their own? Or is Newsstand the answer?

Vote in the poll up top and let me know where you stand on everything from pricing to ads to the quality of the content itself in comments!

iPhone 4S coming to Hong Kong, South Korea and 13 more countries on November 11

Apple has announced that the iPhone 4S will be hitting Hong Kong, South Korea and 13 other countries on Friday November 11.

Beginning Friday, November 11, iPhone 4S will be available in Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania and South Korea. iPhone 4S is available today in 29 countries around the world and will be available in more than 70 countries by the end of the year.

If you are in one of these countries, you will have the opportunity to pre-order your iPhone 4S on Friday November 4; with the exception of Albania, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro and Panama.

Trying to decide which on to get? Check out our iPhone 4S buyers guide and jump into our iPhone 4S forum for extra help!

Source: Apple PR

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Tuesday, November 1

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

iLaugh: The seriousness of life needs to be broken up often by the ultimate health benefits found in iLaugh. The application iLaugh is the app needed when life gets you down. The app iLaugh is healthy, pleasurable, and available when a timely and positive new mind frame is needed. So when the chips are down, just say “iLaugh”! [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

Spotter 3D – Kids Army: Welcome to 3D world of the “Spot the Difference” game! Your mission is to find the differences between two amazing military scenes. Six differences are hidden carefully – so you should explore everything to find them all! Magic binocular may help you in a difficult moment. [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

Last Night…? The app works in the background and records your location and speed at regular intervals. You can then access your location, get precise details on each recorded location event, display where you were on a map, or even have a look at the route you followed that day directly in the app! [$1.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

Ultimate Shuffleboard: Brings the classic tabletop experience to your iPhone. Start your game by connecting 2+ iPhones over WiFi or Bluetooth. Then unleash your wicked shuffleboard skills! [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

TriviaTogether: Play trivia against your friends! Every game consists of 10 questions answered in turns. You and your opponent have 30 seconds to answer each question. But be quick! [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

Hulu Plus app ready and waiting for Apple TV, political reasons causing its delay?

Apple already has a Hulu Plus app up and running on Apple TV’s according to 9to5Mac. The app is now feature complete and ready for release. The app has supposedly been ready for release for over a month, but has been put on hold.

The reason for the hold is thought to be political and not related to any technical issues. It may be that Apple could see a Hulu Plus app eating away at its lucrative iTunes TV episode sales. Users already have access to a Netflix app but that offers older TV programs rather than current season shows and this could well be the reason.

Hulu Plus is already available in HD on a few other set top boxes such as the Roku and the Western Digital TV Live. It would make so much sense to have it available on the Apple TV too.  Let’s hope these political problems can be overcome.

Source: 9to5Mac