We recently covered a story where we explained why Apple isn’t afraid of cannibalising its own products and the all-new Photos app is just another example of that. However, this time they have killed two of their powerful applications in favour of simplicity and making Mac apps work better with iOS devices. Earlier today, for the first time Apple made the new Photos app available for download to developers as a part of first beta of OS X 10.10.3.

According to David Pogue, “Photos is fast, slick, and very easy to learn and navigate”. Photos for Mac looks very similar to Photos for iOS. The new app will feature layout just like on an iPhone and iPad. With iCloud for Photos users will be able to store their entire photo library to the cloud and have them available across all Apple devices. Editing features like adjusting light, colour and more work just like on iOS and for the first time your edits will also be synced across iOS devices.

Every year we see Apple reducing the boundaries between OS X and iOS by re-writing existing apps and by enabling new capabilities. With Yosemite Apple introduced Continuity and Handoff that allows the user to switch between devices as if they are same but, just different in form factor.

Photos for OS X Yosemite is expected to be made available for download “this spring”.

With the introduction of iCloud during last year’s WWDC conference, it was clear that Apple was taking a new path with their offering of cloud services. Steve Jobs, who was CEO at the time of the introduction, admitted that the MobileMe services offered up as cloud features were definitely not the best product that Apple had offered its users. Since then, Apple has gradually been winding down operations associated with MobileMe, making the normally $99 a year service into iCloud.

iCloud offers users an initial 5GB of free storage and then begins to charge based on GB of storage. Earlier this year, Apple gave users the option to remove their files and even offered discs of the Snow Leopard software through MobileMe accounts for users to make the transition to iCloud as smoothly as possible. Apple is still allowing users to transfer their files from iDisk and images from Gallery, but is doing so on a final notice, as the website now displays a red sign that reads, “MobileMe is Closed”.

Apple is offering users the option to transfer their iDisk and Gallery files because both of those features as well as iWeb publishing did not and will not carry over to iCloud. Apple’s replacement for Gallery is likely the new PhotoStream feature and iDisk is being replaced by the variety of storage options offered in iCloud.

The Cupertino company has yet to mention a specific date as to when MobileMe would be permanently shut down, but it will likely be shut before the public release of iOS 6.

{via MacRumors}

Google’s Orkut social networking service has finally received an iPhone app. On Wednesday, Google introduced Orkut for iPhone, allowing users of Google’s social networking site, access the service on the go.

The official Orkut app for iOS connects you to your friends and family. Now you can send scraps, see your friends updates, upload photos and browse your friends albums anywhere you go. Never miss a conversation again because you are not in front of your computer: get the free Orkut app and stay connected.

• Update your status
• Check your scraps and messages
• Reply to your friends birthdays
• Check your friends updates
• Browse your friends profiles, scraps and photos
• Take new photos and upload them directly to your Orkut albums
• Share your life anywhere, anytime with the people you care about

Although not as popular as Facebook, Orkut as gained a large amount of users from Brazil and India, with almost 80% of its users residing in those two countries. Orkut is also used in countries where Google+ is not available.

Google+ is currently offered in the United States, and with Facebook leading the way, Orkut is still lagging behind in international markets. Orkut for iPhone is now available in the App Store for Free and utilizes all features of the desktop version, similar to Google+.

{via iMore}

During the interview at D8 Steve Jobs commented on the lost iPhone 4G debacle and said that he is unwilling to “let it slide”. It is still not clear if the prototype device was stolen or lost and the DA is still investigating the case.

Last month we reported on the possibility of Apple introducing iPhone 4G / HD in white and black color and published photos of white color iPhone parts. Today Powerbook Medic published new photos of the white color iPhone 4G casing and said:

The digitizer resembles the 3G and 3Gs with the exception of a camera hole next to the top speaker. The back case doesn’t resemble anything we’ve seen so far. The photos do confirm these will likely be available in white.

It’s still not confirmed if Apple will finally introduce the new iPhone 4G / HD in two colors however, many news sources have reported on evidence of next gen iPhone in white color.

Will Apple unveil iPhone 4G in black and white color options during WWDC 2010? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.