APPLE PREVIEWED FORTHCOMING CHANGES to its mobile operating system yesterday and it appears that the Cupertino company has been listening to its developers and users.
Apple has added over 1000 new APIs to the software developer kit (SDK), most of which address shortcomings in previous releases, as well as over 100 new features which will appear at release time.
Here's a brief run-down of the major new additions. You can watch the full 90-minute keynote here, but we wouldn't recommend it (yawn).
Push notification -Applications will soon be able to notify users about additional content and provide sub
scription based content with automatic notification. Apple admitted, "We're late on this one", mainly because the company's server structure had to be "completely rearchitected" to allow the new feature. The absence of background processing was put down to the fact that test on non Apple devices had shown an 80 per cent drain on battery life and that multi tasking would slow down foreground applications to unacceptable levels.
Content like magazine-style subscriptions, additional game levels, e-books and city guides will soon be purchased from within the host application rather than having to download an upgraded app for new add-ons.
Better Bluetooth-Iphones and Ipod Touches will be able talk to eachother without pairing allowing multi player gaming and file sharing simpler. Stereo Bluetooth headsets will soon be available but no mention was made of the possibility of using full-sized keyboards.
Accessories-New APIs will allow third-party peripheral makers to build custom applications which connect through either Bluetooth or the dock connector.
Mapping-Google Maps has now become a public API allowing developers to include GPS functionality. Turn by turn GPS is now possible although licensing for Google Maps is not incuded, meaning developers will have to bring their own map data, opening up the Iphone to the likes of Tom Tom, no doubt.
Public APIs-Current APIs being opened up to public use through the SDK include in-app email, the proximity sensor, Ipod library access, streaming audio and video, and shake.
Cut copy and paste-To cries of "about time too" Apple has added cross-application copy 'n' paste functionality to its key software and opened up the new API to developers. It works by double tapping on the first word you want to copy. You then get movable grab points which you can stretch out to include the text you want to fiddle with. A cut/copy/paste bubble then appears above the selected text. Any editable text from any application, as well as chunks of web pages, can be manipulated.
It will also be possible to select and copy multiple images between applications.
Landscape keyboard-All key apps can now use the bigger landscape keyboard and the API has been opened up to developers.
MMS-Forwarding and deletion of individual SMS messages has been added as well as long as long-awaited support for MMS messages, including pics, contacts, Vcards, audio and location mapping information.
Voice Memos-3.0 will see the introduction of a brand new audio recording app which can use either the built in mic or an external device hooked up to the dock connector. The software will allow basic editing.
Calendar-The calendar App will support Caldav shared content as well as subscriptions.
Stocks-Apple's market-watching app gets a new landscape view and support for news headlines.
Spotlight-Anyone who has ever used grown-up OSX will love spotlight and its ability so search your whole computer almost instantly. The same functionality is now coming to the Iphone, enabling a single search query to look through your contacts, applications, emails, messages, photos, calendars, notes and music library... and instantly access any one of those entires from a single interface.
Safari-Apple's mobile Web Browser finally gets anti-phishing as well as auto fill for forms, parental controls and loads of added language support.
So there you go... no real surprises. In fact we predicted pretty much everything there, but it's still a massive step forward for a mobile operating system that continues to mature and meet the needs of its users.
And there's some good news for owners of older Iphones. Most of the functionality will be backwardly compatible with the Iphone 2G, though MMS messaging and some of the Bluetooth bobbins will be conspicuous by their absence.
The SDK beta for Iphone OSX 3.0 is available immediately and the finished OS will appear "some time in the summer".
Iphone 3G owners will be able to get the new OS free of charge when it hits Itunes, but Touch users will have to cough up $9.95, which seems quite reasonable for all those extra bells and whistles.
And we're sure it won't be long after the new release that Apple is crowing about its billionth App Store download. It's already, after all, well on the way with over 800 million in the bag.
source : www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/442/1051442/iphone-update-previewed
Apple has added over 1000 new APIs to the software developer kit (SDK), most of which address shortcomings in previous releases, as well as over 100 new features which will appear at release time.
Here's a brief run-down of the major new additions. You can watch the full 90-minute keynote here, but we wouldn't recommend it (yawn).
Push notification -Applications will soon be able to notify users about additional content and provide sub
scription based content with automatic notification. Apple admitted, "We're late on this one", mainly because the company's server structure had to be "completely rearchitected" to allow the new feature. The absence of background processing was put down to the fact that test on non Apple devices had shown an 80 per cent drain on battery life and that multi tasking would slow down foreground applications to unacceptable levels.Content like magazine-style subscriptions, additional game levels, e-books and city guides will soon be purchased from within the host application rather than having to download an upgraded app for new add-ons.
Better Bluetooth-Iphones and Ipod Touches will be able talk to eachother without pairing allowing multi player gaming and file sharing simpler. Stereo Bluetooth headsets will soon be available but no mention was made of the possibility of using full-sized keyboards.
Accessories-New APIs will allow third-party peripheral makers to build custom applications which connect through either Bluetooth or the dock connector.
Mapping-Google Maps has now become a public API allowing developers to include GPS functionality. Turn by turn GPS is now possible although licensing for Google Maps is not incuded, meaning developers will have to bring their own map data, opening up the Iphone to the likes of Tom Tom, no doubt.
Public APIs-Current APIs being opened up to public use through the SDK include in-app email, the proximity sensor, Ipod library access, streaming audio and video, and shake.
Cut copy and paste-To cries of "about time too" Apple has added cross-application copy 'n' paste functionality to its key software and opened up the new API to developers. It works by double tapping on the first word you want to copy. You then get movable grab points which you can stretch out to include the text you want to fiddle with. A cut/copy/paste bubble then appears above the selected text. Any editable text from any application, as well as chunks of web pages, can be manipulated.
It will also be possible to select and copy multiple images between applications.
Landscape keyboard-All key apps can now use the bigger landscape keyboard and the API has been opened up to developers.
MMS-Forwarding and deletion of individual SMS messages has been added as well as long as long-awaited support for MMS messages, including pics, contacts, Vcards, audio and location mapping information.
Voice Memos-3.0 will see the introduction of a brand new audio recording app which can use either the built in mic or an external device hooked up to the dock connector. The software will allow basic editing.
Calendar-The calendar App will support Caldav shared content as well as subscriptions.
Stocks-Apple's market-watching app gets a new landscape view and support for news headlines.
Spotlight-Anyone who has ever used grown-up OSX will love spotlight and its ability so search your whole computer almost instantly. The same functionality is now coming to the Iphone, enabling a single search query to look through your contacts, applications, emails, messages, photos, calendars, notes and music library... and instantly access any one of those entires from a single interface.
Safari-Apple's mobile Web Browser finally gets anti-phishing as well as auto fill for forms, parental controls and loads of added language support.
So there you go... no real surprises. In fact we predicted pretty much everything there, but it's still a massive step forward for a mobile operating system that continues to mature and meet the needs of its users.
And there's some good news for owners of older Iphones. Most of the functionality will be backwardly compatible with the Iphone 2G, though MMS messaging and some of the Bluetooth bobbins will be conspicuous by their absence.
The SDK beta for Iphone OSX 3.0 is available immediately and the finished OS will appear "some time in the summer".
Iphone 3G owners will be able to get the new OS free of charge when it hits Itunes, but Touch users will have to cough up $9.95, which seems quite reasonable for all those extra bells and whistles.
And we're sure it won't be long after the new release that Apple is crowing about its billionth App Store download. It's already, after all, well on the way with over 800 million in the bag.
source : www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/442/1051442/iphone-update-previewed
