In 2011, Apple introduced iOS 5 - the latest major software update for iOS devices. A key feature of the update was a notification banner, similar to Android's in style and functionality which replaced the pop-up notifications. That notification banner looks to be expanding outside of iOS devices, to the iCloud.

MacRumors reported on the notification banner, which looks similar to the notification banner in iOS 5. At the moment it looks like a placeholder, with "Default Title for English" the title and a message saying "English - this is a test message description." While there's no official confirmation, it suggests Apple is looking to bring the functionality to iCloud.

The notification banner appears when logging into iCloud.com, according to MacRumors. Logging into an account as of writing doesn't seem to display the banner.

The OS X Mountain Lion preview also shows off a similar notification banner, which could be related to iCloud. In OS X Lion, Apple aimed to bring the Mac OS and iOS together. Syncing notifications across devices and iCloud could be the next step.

The notification banner in iOS works by notifying users of an e-mail, text message or a notification relating to any supported app. Users can slide down from the status bar to reveal the windows pane, and delete notifications or open the related app. Notifications for apps can be configured by going to Settings, Notifications.

iCloud allows users to sync contacts, e-mail, calendars and notes - all except notes can be accessed on iCloud.com - and users can use the Find my iPhone app on the Web site to locate a device with options to wipe or reset. The service also shows the location of the device, or if it's offline.

More competition to iCloud has arrived since it launched as a replacement to MobileMe, with Google Drive and Microsoft's SkyDrive storage services offering integration into the platforms. iCloud currently doesn't offer the ability to create folders and upload files, instead allowing users to sync and set up devices without needing to connect to a computer. Whether Apple will increase the functionality of the service is unknown, but any announcement would be expected at WWDC where Apple could reveal the iPhone 5.

(reported by Jonathan Charles, edited by Dave Clark)