Apple: No more 25GB freebie for ex-MobileMe users

MobileMe users' 25GB of free iCloud storage is about to run out.Apple today began notifying former MobileMe customers that their free 25GB iCloud accounts will be reduced to 5GB as of Sept. 30, MacRumors reports. Customers have to free up space or pay for 20GB of additional storage, which costs $40 a year. Related stories:MobileMe bites the dustHow to keep MobileMe filesMobileMe users get 25GB of storageApple earlier this year shuttered MobileMe in favor of its new iCloud storage. The service allows users to back up and store their documents and media on the cloud. All iCloud users automatically receive 5GB for free, and all music, movies, TV shows, apps and books purchased through iTunes are stored at no cost. To help users transition from MobileMe, Apple offered such customers an additional 20GB of storage for free. The company originally offered the bonus through June 30, but it extended the free MobileMe offer through the end of September, according to MacRumors. For higher levels of storage, an additional 10GB costs $20 a year, while adding 20GB costs $40 and 50GB costs $100 a year, according to Apple. We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story when we hear back.

Apple: New apps 'must be optimized for iOS 7

Apple is taking a sterner approach in trying to move app developers into the world of iOS 7.Related postsThe continuing evolution of iOSThe killer iOS 7 feature the iPad needs: Touch-pad supportRumor has it that Apple's iOS 7 development is delayedThe iPhone 5S rumor roundupSiri behaves slightly better in iOS 6, says analystThe company on Tuesday said that all new apps and app updates submitted after February 1, 2014, "must be optimized for iOS 7" and built with the latest version of Xcode 5, a software application for developers.It's nothing new for Apple to want to push developers toward its most current operating system, and that sentiment could be intensified for iOS 7, it's most drastic overhaul of the mobile OS. But the company has at times been more lenient with developers clinging to older versions, letting individual app makers decide whetherthey wanted to make old versions of the app -- like those compatible with iOS 6 -- available for download. The new app store restriction looks like it's trying to put all developers on the same page.