mblapps

Here’s a plain text, quick run-down of what’s coming from Cupertino. Share in comments your favorite new features.

• The new add-ons are available to developers today. The system upgrade is coming to consumers this summer.
• The upgrade is free to iPhone users, but stereo bluetooth and MMS won’t work on the first iPhone, only the 3G. The software upgrade will be a $9.95 update for iPod Touch users.

Better YouTube app

Live streaming available.

YouTube ratings, subscriptions, accounts and encrypted profiles.

Calendar subscriptions

Users can now subscribe to Google or Yahoo calendars in your iPhone app.

Universal search

In the new home screen, flick to the left from your standard home to access Spotlight.

Spotlight searches across most major Apple apps, including: calendar, contacts (previous feature), iPod, mail.

Voice memos

Record voice memos using the built in microphone or an external microphone.

Trim it using the phone, then send it via e-mail or MMS.

Notes

Landscape mode of the keyboard now available.

Ability to sync notes with your computer.

Connect accesories and use them in connection with apps

Connect accesories (via USB or Bluetooth) that communicate with your iPhone.

Examples provided by Apple: blood pressure monitor, FM transmitter or an equalizer app that controls the equalizer on a speaker.

Better messaging: MMS, forwarding, mail

Send and receive photos via text message. Also can send contacts (VCard), audio files or your location.

Forward and delete messages – individual or multiple messages.

Landscape keyboard available.

Send more than one photo at a time tapping the action button, selecting a bunch of photos, copying, and then pasting it into the Mail app.

Improved Stocks app

Support for news stories in the bottom, details such as highs and lows and PEs, landscape view.

Cut, copy & paste

Put your thumb and drag to where you want to select text, double tap on the bit of text and a “CUT, COPY, PASTE” bubble appears. Double tap to bring up a paste bubble later to paste the text.

Copy/paste works between apps.

Works so you can copy and paste web content.

If you don’t mean to paste something, shake your phone in order to Undo the paste.

Push notifications & other in-app options

Get text or audio notifications from an app while the app is not running. Also available, badge notifications (like that number on your Mail icon that shows how many unread e-mails you have).

In-game voice chat.

iPod library access while in an app (play your iTunes music while playing, say, Oregon Trail).

Streaming audio and video.

Battery API access (check battery life while in an app).

Proximity sensor now an available feature for developers.

Data detectors, text selection, sake API, GPS lingo and UI alert view all now available in apps.

Turn-by-turn directions (that should make you all happy)

Developers can use Google Maps inside their applications.

GPS is enhanced allowing for turn-by-turn directions. Developers can build their own using their own apps, but they cannot use Google’s maps for this purpose.

Many developers have asked Apple to use Google Maps inside of their application. And it’s here. The Maps app can now be used as a public API and be embedded directly into any app.

Connect with nearby iPhones

Using Bluetooth and Bonjour, find and interact with nearby friends’ iPhones.

Developers can sell apps within apps

This is only for paid apps, free apps are not effected.

Developer can sell apps within apps, and set the price for each.

Developers can also set monthly fees for apps.

New apps demoed during the presentation:

• TouchPet: By ngmoco. A virtual pet that you can play with, buy stuff for and you can get push notifications to play with a friend’s virtual dog.
• Live Fire: a multiplayer, first-person shooter game. You can send notifications to invite friends to the game, play with your friends and buy new weapons (like a rocket launcher) with real money.
• ESPN: includes text alerts via the push notification service that play the ESPN tone, video scaled based on your level of internet connection,
• LifeScan: a management system for people with diabetes built by Johnson & Johnson.
• Oracle: a business application for managing information between the app and the company’s server.
• Leaf Trombone (World Stage): By smule, the makers of Ocarina. Lets you play a trombone, sliding it, changing the range and playing by blowing into the microphone.
• Sims 3: By EA. Has in-app commerce, letting you buy items for $0.99 for your Sims through the App store while in the game.

Flash?

Nope, well, not today, Apple says.

Any news on hardware (a new iPhone)? Any news on netbooks?

Nope to the first, “nothing to announce today” on the second, Apple says.

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