NEW YORK — Apple chief executive Steve Jobs will take a break from medical leave to deliver the keynote speech at next week’s Apple conference, the company said Tuesday. The keynote will feature a new iCloud service, the company said.
It didn’t explain what the service will do, but Apple has been in talks with all four major recording companies on allowing users to store their songs on Apple- run servers rather than on their home PCs, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The person was not authorized to speak publicly on the deals and spoke recently on the condition of anonymity.
Jobs went on medical leave in January for unspecified reasons, handing over day- to-day control to chief operating officer Tim Cook. Investors were rattled because Jobs is seen as the creative force behind the company, crucial to shaping hit products such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
Even while on leave, Jobs has remained involved in larger decisions at the company and demonstrated the new iPad model at a news conference in March.
Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off Monday in San Francisco.
Jobs’ decision to appear at the conference indicates he believes iCloud will be another breakthrough service for Apple.
ICloud could give users a wide array of music for their iPhones, iPads and Wi-Fi-capable iPods without having to connect them to their home PCs to transfer songs. Google and Amazon have recently launched similar services.
Apple’s statement also said the keynote speech will feature Apple’s new Mac software, Lion, and the next version of Apple’s iPhone and iPad software. The Associated Press; The New York Times file
