Apple to offer icloud.com email addresses

Subscribers to Apple's iCloud service will be given @icloud.com email addresses based on their account names when the latest version of the company's mobile operating system, iOS 6, is released later this year.

The addresses will replace the @me.com addresses Apple offered with its MobileMe service.

According to the operating system update log, iCloud users with @me.com addresses will receive an equivalent icloud.com address, while users signing up or enabling mail on their iCloud account will automatically receive an icloud.com address.

The new iOS 6 beta also includes expanded settings for the Maps application.

Officially announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference last month, iOS 6 doesn't have an official release date yet, but is expected some time this Spring.