Next generation MobileMe codenamed "Castle"?

Digging through the the Mac OS X Lion beta, Consomac found strings for "Castle", which looks to be the codename or the next generation MobileMe.

Complete your Castle upgradeClick OK to open System Preferences and complete your upgrade from MobilMe to Castle

"Castle" could be the placeholder for iCloud, if Apple chooses to go with that name, but given the "upgrade" language in the string, it looks to be more than just a name change at least. We've already conjectured about what could be included in the next generation MobileMe, and that WWDC 2011 in June could be when the announcement is made.

What remains to be seen is how Apple will tie sync with cloud storage, and what if anything will bridge it's still disparate social services including Ping and Game Center?

[Consomac via TUAW]

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.