Steve Jobs Unveils iCloud, New iOS

Steve Jobs took a break from his medical leave to show off some major new Apple software today, including its hotly anticipated new cloud computing service. The service, predictably dubbed “iCloud,” lets users keep all manner of data online, including books, apps, and music, syncing it all across multiple devices instantly. “We are going to demote the PC to just be a device,” Jobs said, according to the New York Times. “We are going to move… the center of your digital life into the cloud.”

He then quipped: “Why should I believe them? They are the ones who brought me MobileMe. It wasn’t our finest hour.” ICloud will replace that ill-fated offering, but whereas MobileMe costs $99, iCloud will be free, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Jobs also unveiled new versions of iOS and Mac OS. The new Mac OS, dubbed “Lion,” will make Macs more like iPads, with many applications running full-screen instead of in windows. Meanwhile, iOS 5 will include 200 new features, including a function that will let users swiftly jump between apps. (More Steve Jobs stories.)