Apple has just updated the .Mac status page with the date/time of the .Mac to MobileMe switch. So, for those of you wondering when Apple might start the switch will not have to wonder any longer. July 9th from 6 p.m. until 12 a.m. PT is the scheduled date and time.

Apple says that during the switch, users will be "unable to access www.mac.com or any .Mac services ... with the exception of .Mac Mail accessed via a desktop application, iPhone, or iPod touch."

According to Apple, "MobileMe will be available as soon as possible during this maintenance window." Be sure to stay tuned to TUAW for the latest on the .Mac to MobileMe switch.


Thanks, Andy and Barry!

With only a week before July, we're eager to get our hands on the new goodies from Apple. With so much to look forward to and try out, we're wondering which of the pending updates you're most interested in.

Is it Mobile Me's offer of "Exchange for the rest of us?" Perhaps it's iPhone software 2.0, or even the snazzy 3G iPhone you're waiting for.

Here's your chance to let us now. Add your answer to our highly unscientific poll, and we'll post the results tomorrow. Oh, it's like Christmas! In July. Or something.

Today Apple demoed the much anticipated MobileMe application that we were tipped to last month. Currently, we were correct in what we thought would be the features list:

• Web version of mail, calendars, and contacts (look similar to desktop apps)
• Old .Mac users will be transitioned over to MobileMe when it launches
• Launch in early July
• Same $99 /year price that we've all come to expect
  
• Sync between iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, and PCs

As soon as we have more information, we will post about it. Be sure to stay tuned to TUAW as we have continuing coverage of WWDC.

What's next for .Mac, Apple's much-maligned online service offering for OS X users? TUAW has learned that .Mac will no longer be sold by Apple after WWDC, as new users will migrate to the new MobileMe service (not too shocking, given the swirling rumors as of late). Existing users will have their @mac.com e-mail addresses forwarded to their @me.com address in perpetuity, which should provide some relief for nervous .Mac users who depend on that email.

MobileMe is slated to include a host of new features, which we alluded to early in May; in addition, there will be new web interfaces for all aspects of MobileMe -- calendars will look just like iCal, Contacts will look just like they do in Address Book, etc. This is similar to the way .Mac Webmail works today, though we've heard that the new interfaces will be much snazzier (yes, that's a technical term). Apple should also be updating the .Mac dependent applications (iChat, iWeb, iPhoto etc.) to work with the new service. The new service will be backwards compatible with .Mac protocols for the time being -- so developers will not have to rush out updates as soon as they hear the official word.

MobileMe is scheduled to be available sometime in late June/early July. We have also heard reports that the latest build of the iPhone beta firmware (2.0) has already undergone revisions to handle the new MobileMe service. Some of the features of the service on iPhone will include: over-the-air syncing of contacts, calendars, and photos. Interestingly, there is also a Windows version of MobileMe planned.

Though we're confident in the source of this information, this is still a rumor until Apple reveals all. We should hear more information about MobileMe at the World Wide Developer's Conference starting on Monday (June 9th).

TUAW is hearing that Apple recently acquired the domain name "mobileme.com." This domain name, would of course agree with the recent rumors of the .Mac re-branding to gain the "Mobile Me" name. However, the domain name is currently in the hands of Apple's registrar, Mark Monitor.

When you query the domain with a whois search, the following information is revealed about the domain name:

Domain Name: MOBILEME.COM
Registrar: MARKMONITOR INC.
Whois Server: whois.markmonitor.com
Referral URL: http://www.markmonitor.com
Name Server: NS1.MARKMONITOR.COM
Name Server: NS2.MARKMONITOR.COM
Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Status: clientUpdateProhibited
Updated Date: 07-aug-2007
Creation Date: 23-aug-2002
Expiration Date: 23-aug-2009

This rumor comes after Apple recently bought the me.com domain name.

As Mat noted last night, it's looking like a name change is in store for the .Mac service. CodingRobots.com and Deep Apple (via Daring Fireball) have found some additional interesting strings in the newest release of the iPhone SDK, building on strings found in other parts of the Mac OS X update (iCal, Mail and more) released Tuesday.

Apparently, Mobile Me looks like it wil be the name of the new service: CodingRobots has a screenshot of the "MobileMe" string inside the SDK 2.0 release. Add in the 2006 AppleInsider report, noted by DF, that Apple filed a trademark application for the name "Mobile Me" in early 2006, and all signs point to the new branding for .Mac. What Mobile Me could offer is known only by Apple at this point, though Gruber speculates that Mobile Me might extend the over-the-air sync capabilities of iPhone 2.0 (as announced, limited to Microsoft Exchange/ActiveSync users in the enterprise) to the rest of us.

Take this with several grains of salt, but an anonymous tipster has sent the above photo to us of what appears to be an Apple branded SIM card (or an iTunes gift card modified to look like a SIM card). Our tipster says that Apple is about 85% ready to roll out a cell service using the moniker Mobile Me, which was recently trademarked. Apple will be using Cingular's network and Motorola's hardware.

We are told that the service is on track to launch sometime in February (or so we are told).

Update: I should point out that our source isn't claiming that the phone pictured is the fabled iPhone (it is a Samsung SGH x497). He claims that the SIM card is Apple's.

Update II: Our friends at Engadget also got the same tip that we did, so check out their take on it.

Another picture after the jump.

According to Apple Insider, Apple has filed a request with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the phrase "Mobile Me." The request is divided into four main sections. The first concerns, "...Computer services; computer data recovery; data analysis being computer services; computer programming; updating of computer software; maintenance of computer software, computer and communications networks, and computer systems..."

Next, the request discusses "...providing digital music from local or global communications networks, including the internet, intranets, extranets, television, mobile communication, cellular and satellite networks; operating chat rooms..." The same phrase is repeated to include audio books, electronics games, information regarding music and  "...seminars and training courses relating to science, engineering, computer systems and business."

The remaining sections discuss portable devices, and are by far the most interesting: "...Portable digital electronic devices and software related thereto; handheld digital electronic devices and software related thereto; digital audio players, including digital music players, and software related thereto..."

It goes on from there. Of course, it could just be an example of Apple wanting to protect ideas that may or may not see the light of day in the future.