Apple has quietly filed for a patent that could hint at Mac OS X Lion getting a built-in cloud backup feature. The app, labeled Safe Deposit Box in the patent, would at a minimum let users drag and drop files into an optionally encrypted space that would keep them safe without needing a whole-volume protection system like FileVault. Preferences, however, would let users not only keep a local copy but push it out to a "server bank or cloud storage" for off-site backup.
