Apple starts iCloud porting and Nuance speech

(Update: MobileMepasturage details) A pair of slips late Saturday have shown Apple moving forward in earnest with the strategies for iOS 5 and iCloud. The previously hinted at Nuance speech-to-text has turned up in a purported screen cap with a simple implementation. Much like Android, what 9to5 saw would involve a microphone on the keyboard that starts recording and keeps an overlay on top.

The feature could be universal for any app that accepts text input. It may not be available to the iPad, however, though why isn't certain.

Android has had widespread voice dictation since last year and won't face immediate danger from the feature. Apple may be counting on Nuance's recognition engine, which powers Dragon Dictate, as a differentiator. The engine is known for being accurate compared to most voice detection systems.

The Nuance system may depend on Apple's North Carolina datacenter for much of the processing. It may not arrive with iOS 5 itself, as lack of direct access to the feature even in beta 5 and its late leaks could put in 5.1 or some other later release.

Simultaneously, the company now has a MobileMe to iCloud migration page active. Developers who have early access get a very visual, iOS 5-like walkthrough of the process. The page makes clear exactly what users will keep, what they lose immediately, and what will stay until the final June 30, 2012 MobileMe cutoff.

Initial users are further told what software versions they have to use. When setup properly, each device will get an alert asking them to visit settings to finish the transition.

Update: MobileMe users are now known to be getting a unique renewal option. Apple transitions these customers to the mid-tier iCloud plan, which supplies 20GB of extra space on top of the free 5GB. Active subscribers get the added storage for free until the June 30, 2012 date, by which point they have to change plans or renew for the usual $40 per year. At the price, MobileMe users would pay less than half as much as they do today.

By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, computers, industry, software, Google, Android, mobile phones, Apple, Nuance, iOS 5, iCloud