Apple May Launch Home Server At MacWorld

The device is reportedly an expansion of Apple's Time Capsule platform, according to Web site 9to5Mac. Back in August, the site first reported that Apple was planning to expand its Time Capsule platform to work with iTunes and file sharing capabilities. At that time, the Web site said Apple was contemplating if it would put some or all some of the device's new services in the cloud.

Time Capsule is a device that works wirelessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard and provides automatic backup, and includes a wireless 500GB or 1TB hard drive designed to work with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard.

The new device is said to be able to tie in MobileMe with an Apple built-in Dynamic DNS system, according to the Web site and feature a built-in AFP file sharing for Time Machine backups and centralized file stores.

Additionally, the device will reportedly provide an iTunes shared library database for music and video. In addition, the Photo database will be able to tie in with MobileMe Access over the Web to all of a user's media. Users can also share media with iPod Touch and iPhones both over the Internet and while at home, and with AppleTV as well, the site said.

The rumors come on the heels of Hewlett-Packard's recent unveiling of its MediaSmart servers that are Mac-compatible. The new HP servers, the EX485 and the EX487, automatically backs up files daily, using Apple's Time Machine application for Macs and Microsoft Home Server's Backup program for PCs. The servers allow users to interact with the MediaSmart server using Control Centers for both PCs and Macs.