The new iPhone OS 3.0 adds over 100 new features, including—at friggin' last—cut and paste.
• Copy & Paste text. When you double-tap over text, you will get a "cut, copy, and paste" bubble dialog. Double-tap again and a "paste" bubble will appear if there's anything in the clipboard.
This works across applications. You can expand your selection points using your thumb and, if you accidentally paste something you don't wanted to paste, just shake your iPhone to undo it.
• Copy & Paste photos. You can also copy and paste photos. Now you will be able to select multiple photos by tapping the action button, copy, and paste them in an email, ready to send.
• New Spotlight. iPhone OS 3.0 will allow you to search across the entire information contained in your device, no matter where, as soon as the application supports it.
• Search in Mail, Calendar, and iPod. These applications have specific search interfaces. The search in Mail doesn't support the message content yet, but it supports searching in IMAP servers.
• 3G Tethering. This feature will allow you to connect your iPhone 3G to a laptop, using it as a modem to access the Internet from it.
• Landscape keyboard. Apple has added the landscape keyboard mode to other applications, like Mail and Notes.
• Multimedia messaging. Another big one to communicate with people without mail-enabled telephones: The new MMS function will allow you to include everything, from images to sound to vcards (no word on video, however.)
• Support for new calendar types. In iPhone OS 3.0 you will be able to subscribe to calendars in the web
• Improved stocks application. The stocks application now allows you to read the about latest market scandals, major NASDAQ crash, and executives getting bonus packages from government aid while their companies sink.
• Stereo Bluetooth audio. You will be able to pair your iPhone 3.0 with a stereo bluetooth device, such as headphones or speakers.
• Note synching with iTunes.
• Safari will remember login credentials.
• Shake to shuffle music. If you are in your iPod application, you just need to shake it to start the shuffling mode. Hopefully this will be optional for sports people out there.
• Wi-Fi auto-login. In case you have a subscription to a paid hotspot, your iPhone or iPod touch will autolog into it.
• Anti-phising. Mobile Safari now can warn you against malicious sites trying to scam you.
• Extended parental controls. They can now be applied to movies, TV shows, and applications (porn apps, here we come).
NEW APPLICATIONS
• Voice memo application. Obviously allows you to record voice or any other sound.
• Send and receive files. An application that will allow you to exchange files between iPhones or iPods touch.
NEW THIRD PARTY APPLICATIONS FEATURES IN IPHONE OS 3.0
The new iPhone OS 3.0 adds 1,000 new APIs to extend the capabilities of new applications.
• Peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connectivity. A new API will allow for two iPhones to connect directly—peer-to-peer—via Wi-Fi, without needing any Wi-Fi network.
They will be able to discover each other using Bluetooth, and then start a Wi-Fi connection transparently (we saw this technology at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, so you can check the video about how it works here.)
This opens a lot of possibilities. I doubt they will allow you to pass music, but you would probably be able to pass any other information, as well as directly communicating between applications in the two devices. One example: A pets game that allows two dogs to play with each other.
This feature could be combined with push notification, so your iPhone may receive a note from another iPhone, inviting you to play a game one-on-one.
• Use your iPhone/touch to control peripherals. A new API will let you use your iPhone or iPod touch as a control to your accessories. In this example, the iPhone is being used to equalize the sound in a loudspeaker.
However, the applications are endless. Johnson and Johnson is releasing LifeScan, an app that connects to a glucose monitoring device. The application can even alert other people automatically, in case something is wrong.
• Maps inside other applications. New applications will be able to use Maps directly, which is now an API.
• Turn-by-turn directions. Developers will also be able to create turn-by-turn applications using the GPS information from the iPhone and combining it with their own maps, without depending on 3G connectivity or Google.
• Push notification finally coming. Hopefully this time it will be true. Push notification means that your iPhone OS 3.0 applications will finally be able to receive messages from the intarwebs automagically, so you can have an Instant Message application and have your iPhone vibrate or make a sound when a new message comes in, even if the application is not running.
• Voice communication in applications. iPhone 3.0 applications will also be able to access a Voice over IP service. This means that you will be able to chat with other users while playing against them in a game, for example. This won't use the telephone, but the internet over a Wi-Fi connection.
• Rumbling. Games—or any other application—will also be able to rumble, like your console joystick.
• Audio recording. Audio recording will also be possible from third-party applications.
• Access your music from applications. Future applications will also be able to access the iPhone/iPod music library. This means that applications will be able to play your own music while they run.
NEW FEATURES IN THE APP STORE
The new OS will also offer an enhanced App Store, opening new possibilities for developers and consumers.
• Subcriptions to apps.
• Purchase additional content for apps, like new cities for a city guide application.
• Purchase additional levels for games.
Basically, this will allow developers to sell more things on top of their apps, and to consumers to expand their experience with those apps.
• This will work straight from the applications, so you can purchase new things through the software itself, even while it still goes through the App Store internally.
PRICE
iPhone OS 3.0 will be a free upgrade to all iPhone users, including the first generation (not all features will be supported in the first generation, like Stereo Bluetooth support). iPod touch users will be able to but it for $9.95.
If you dare, you can sign up for the beta here.
To recap the big features in 3.0: In-App purchase to enable more app functionality, peer to peer connectivity, accessory connectivity, Google map controls, push notifications, cut and paste, landscape mode, Messages (MMS), voice memos, new Calendar support, enhancements to the Stock App and search (Spotlight). Plus, Bluetooth, if you’re really looking forward to that one.
Other good features: Notes Sync, audio/video tags, live streaming, shake to shuffle, Wi-Fi auto login, Stereo Bluetooth, LDAP, iTunes account creation, YouTube ratings, Anti-Philshing, Call Log, Parental Controls, Media Scrubber, OTA profiles, VPN on demand, Languages, YouTube subscriptions, YouTube accounts and Encrypted profiles. Also, auto-fills. The biggest addition here is probably Stereo Bluetooth A2DP support.
