iPhone 3.0 announced

Apple has formally unveiled its iPhone 3.0 firmware at this year's WWDC keynote. The software includes 100 new features, including cut, copy and paste functions, as well as the ability to type in landscape mode. MMS messaging has also been integrated, allowing longer text and WAP delivery of content such as images, audio and video. MMS service will be available in 29 countries, with AT&T support coming later this summer.

Using iTunes, the software now supports renting and purchasing movies online. Parental controls have therefore been enhanced, overseeing movies, TV shows and applications.

Another notable feature is the ability to share an Internet connection with a computer using tethering; both Macs and PCs are supported over USB or Bluetooth. Tethering will initially be supported by 22 carriers, including Rogers, T-Mobile, Vodafone, and Chunghwa Telecom, though not AT&T.

iPhone 3.0 further boasts improved JavaScript performance, tripling the speed of v2.0. The speed contributes to enhanced support of HTTP audio and video streaming, with automatic bitrate and data quality adjustments to suit practical connection speeds.

Auto-fill and HTML 5 support is present, along with new languages; these include Greek, Korean, Thai, Arabic and Hebrew. Each is compatible with portrait and landscape keyboard views.

MobileMe is slated to gain a new service related to the firmware, called Find My iPhone. If a person's iPhone is lost, they can use a web browser to locate the phone on a map. Users can additionally send a message, so that whoever finds the device can call a specified number. Should the phone not be found, a remote signal can be sent to erase all data.

The iPhone 3.0 SDK incorporates 1,000 new APIs, showcased at WWDC. Push notification can now be used with apps, as demoed in ESPN SportsCenter, while Google maps can be embedded into any title. Peer-to-peer networking lets users connect to other phones, and a new accessory framework enables developers to create new types of apps, such as the OneTouch glucose monitor. Another notable app demoed is the TomTom GPS service. The SDK is immediately available to all developers.

iPhone 3.0 software will be available worldwide on June 17th, and free for all iPhone customers. iPod touch owners will have to pay $10.

by MacNN Staff