It's hard to go through all of the new features of course (especially since MMS, tethering and turn-by-turn directions are not quite there yet), but what do you think about the update overall?

Just to let you guys know, the MD5 hashes for the newly updated firmwares are identical to those of the golden master builds distributed last week. Therefore, people with the GM build won't need to upgrade [in fact, iTunes won't let you because you are up to date] as they already have this file.

Note: If you have installed the Golden Master, you don't need to install this update because it's exactly the same file, byte by byte. That's why iTunes is saying your iPhone is up to date.

When you are done, tell us your impressions. Do you find it faster when opening and closing applications? Does the typing feel more fluid? Do any of your applications need updates to work right? Please write your answers in the comments.

P.S. Hmmmm... COPY AND PASTE IS HERE AT LAST!

[Thanks traviscat for the heads up and crazylikeastraw for the MD5 hash comparison]

Update: Might want to hold off on the update for a little while, at least until the authentication server mess is fixed.

The confusion can be traced to Apple's Singapore site, which clearly sets the release for tomorrow. Thing is, Singapore is 13 hours ahead EST, and a full 16 hours ahead of PST. In other words, if firmware 3.0 shows up at noon in NY, it'll be showing up tomorrow in Singapore, Japan, Australia, etc.

So, since Apple's American site still shows the expected June 17th release date, that means we probably won't see firmware propagate through iTunes until noon or after, EST. There is a 3.0 image hosted on Apple's servers, but it's apparently for the 3GS exclusively, which isn't much help to anyone: it won't work on your iPhone 3G, and if you somehow already have your 3GS, then, well, you've also got 3.0.

More on iPhone OS 3.0 here.

UPDATE: Reader Chris has coded together a clever little script that monitors Apple's download servers. If you feel the need to refresh something all day, make it this. [TechCrunch, Register—Thanks, Kirk and Julie!]

This the message that that some prepaid users got:

AT&T Free MSG: A new software upgrade for iPhone will be available on 6/17. This upgrade may affect your data service. Please visit att.com/iphone or call 800-901-9878 for a representative. If you download the software and are not on an approved iPhone data plan, your data service will be interrupted.

Meanwhile, Erica at TUAW has called AT&T and confirmed that they want pay-as-you-go users to move to a full data plan. According to the technician: "Based on your plan [official iPhone GoPhone plan], you will not receive the same quality service on your GoPhone plan, even with the same equipment. This is a technical change on AT&T's end on how we service that data plan."

Update: Apparently, Erica was misinformed, according to our contact at AT&T. This is not a change in policy at all, and the pay-as-you-go data plans were really never approved for iPhone.

• If you are a Pick Your Plan Customer with the required unlimited Data Plan for iPhone, you should not experience any interruption in your data service due to downloading the iPhone OS 3.0 Software Update which will be available on June 17.
• If you are a Pick Your Plan Customer who does not currently have the required unlimited Data Plan for iPhone, you will experience an interruption in your data service. To avoid this interruption, you should call 866-499-7888 to have the required Data Plan for iPhone added to your service.
• Pay As You Go rate plans are not approved for AT&T iPhone customers. Customers currently using an iPhone with a Pay As You Go rate plan should call 800-901-9878 so they can move to an approved rate plan with the required unlimited Data Plan for iPhone.

Still, a new unlock is in order. [TUAW]

It certainly isn't the most creative use of background notifications—the messages only pop up when you're challenged by another player—and I'm already wondering how, when all kinds of apps have this capability, the iPhone's exceedingly simple notification system will scale.

OS 3.0 users can give the free app a try now, but keep in mind that we'll probably see more than a few push-equipped apps rolling out in the next few days, as I'd imagine Apple will want to have a few high-profile 3.0-capable downloads available at launch. Alternatively, if downloading the app, getting a friend to download the app, and having him challenge you to a Lady GaGa tap-off is a little too embarrassing for you, just watch the video below. —Thanks, Tim G! [Video from 9to5Mac]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

• iPhone OS 3.0 Gold Master Final for iPhone 1st Generation: Search for iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw

• iPhone OS 3.0 Gold Master Final for iPhone 3G: Search for iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw

• iPhone OS 3.0 Gold Master Final for iPod Touch: Search for iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw

[Thanks Adam Curry]

Note: The image is called iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw. It should be 230.1MB

Warning: Do this at your own risk

2:29 PM • I'm downloading it as I write these lines. Will tell you how the install goes in a few minutes.

2:43 PM • It's here. Installing right now. Remember to synchronize your iPhone first, just in case something goes wrong. That way you can go back to your last version.

2:46 PM • Press the alt (Mac) or shift (PC) and click on the restore button. Then select the disk image from your torrent download folder.

2:58 PM • Still at it after sync. All seems good. Would it work?

3:00 PM • Optional dork thing: Play the Back to the Future main theme to make it more exciting.

3:05 PM • "Verifying iPhone software now." (After Back to the Future you can play the Death Star Trench Run.)

3:06 PM • Bar is almost at half now in the iPhone. (Stay on target.)

3:07 PM • "Restoring iPhone firmware..." and iPhone bar at half.

3:09 PM • Still restoring iPhone firmware, but iPhone progress bar now at three quarters. (Dork playlist still going on. Now the Contact main theme is playing.)

3:11 PM • It's done. It's restarting right now!

3:12 PM • iPhone is up and it has re-appeared in iTunes. (Celebrating with Kim Deal singing Gigantic)

3:13 PM • iTunes is now restoring all my data. (you did synched before, right?)

3:14 PM • Almost there.

3:15 PM • Success! Data is now restored (that was fast! Usually it takes a long more).

3:15 PM • Another bar has appeared in the iPhone. Must be cleaning up something.

3:16 PM • OK, it's done. It has my setting now but is synchronizing, for some reason.

3:17 PM • Ah, it's now copying my address book, contacts, bookmarks, and applications. Guess the restore process is now different and that's why it is so fast.

3:21 PM • Still updating applications. Now installing "Rolando." Did I ever say how much I love Rolando?

3:22 PM • Now (re)installing SkyBurger while the Stones play Can't You Hear Me Knocking.

3:24 PM • iTunes is now copying songs. Going to cancel the song sync.

3:27 PM • Success! It works great. Just wrote an email in landscape mode.

7a341 is the golden master, the WWDC'09 build that Apple will distribute next week— if nothing extraordinary happens. It works great, so download and enjoy.

Whats new: MMS will be available from 29 carriers at launch, but it won't be coming to AT&T until "later this summer" (WEAK!), tethering is official for 22 carriers (no AT&T at launch naturally), Safari handles JavaScript 3x faster along with HTTP streaming audio & video, auto-fill, and HTML 5 support. There are also 30 languages total available in 3.0—including Hebrew, Arabic, Thai, Greek, and Korean.

There is also a new "Find My iPhone" feature that is available to MobileMe customers. It shows users where their lost iPhone is on a map. You can even send it a remote wipe command to protect your sensitive data in the event that it is stolen.

Naturally, there are also plenty of new apps on the horizon. Head on over to our WWDC 2009 iPhone app roundup to get all the details. [Giz Liveblog]

Now, we're not saying we're surprised, or angry, or anything. It's beta software, and beta software is by definition not ready for everyday use. But in the pursuit of the latest and greatest thing, we all have learned that a little bit of inconsistency or crashiness is often a fair price to pay for being on the cutting edge.

Not so in iPhone 3.0. It's slow as hell, locks up on everything from launching an app to entering a phone number on the numeric keypad, sucks down battery life like an alcoholic who just found his first bottle of MD 20/20 in days, and so on. Add to that a lack of support for MMS as of yet and no apps to take advantage of the background notifications, and you have a fairly useless upgrade, right now. So let's roll it back.

Note: Your iPhone 3.0 OS backups (your phone settings, unsynched photos, text messages, etc) will not be compatible with 2.2.1 once you go back down. So make sure you have a backup from the 2.2.1 days to restore from, or else you'll be starting from scratch.

iPhone EDGE
If you're running OS X 10.5.6, you'll need to do the USB DFU fix outlined in our jailbreaking guide before proceeding.

1. With your phone plugged in, put it into DFU mode by holding both the power and home buttons for 10 seconds, then releasing power and continuing to hold down home until iTunes recognizes a phone in "recovery mode."

2. Download the 2.2.1 firmware .ipsw file from Apple. Hold down option (Mac) or shift (Windows) and click on restore. Choose the stock iPhone 2.2.1 file you just downloaded.

3. Let it do its thing, and you should be in business. Restore your backup should you have one, and proceed to jailbreaking if you want to.

iPhone 3G
On the iPhone 3G, the 3.0 software flashes the baseband (the chip that controls voice and data network traffic), which confuses iTunes when you try to downgrade. So you have to jump through a few more hoops to downgrade your 3G, but it's still easy enough.

1. Follow the first two steps above for iPhone EDGE, only using the iPhone 3G 2.2.1 firmware package of course. Again, OS X 10.5.6 users will have to do the USB driver switcheroo detailed above.

2. When it's done restoring, you'll get an error message that looks like this:

As long as it's a four-digit error number like 10xx, don't worry, that's just iTunes telling you it's confused by the updated baseband on your phone. Everything will work fine, but unfortunately your phone will be stuck in restore mode until you jailbreak it, which is what we're doing next.

3. For Mac (Windows users skip to step 8): Download a utility called iRecovery. This tool forces your phone to reboot out of restore mode, which is necessary for the QuickPwn jailbreak software to recognize it.

4. Go to the terminal and change to the iRecovery directory, wherever it is on your system, and type these two commands:

chmod 755 libusb-0.1.4.dylib
chmod 755 iRecovery

5. Next, copy the "libusb-0.1.4.dylib" file to the /usr/local/lib directory on your machine (you'll have to shift-command-G to go to this folder in Finder).

6. And finally, with your iPhone plugged in, go back to Terminal and type:

./iRecovery -s

You'll get a prompt, where you should then type "fsboot" (no quotes) and hit enter. If nothing happens after 10-15 seconds, type it again and hit enter again. Your phone should boot.

7. Download QuickPwn and jailbreak your phone (see our guide if you need help). Restore your 2.2.1 backup in iTunes, and you should be in business.

8. For Windows: After you restore to 2.2.1, you can skip straight to running QuickPwn to get your phone up and running.

And that's it. Enjoy an iPhone free of horrible slow-downs until summertime. Bigup to the tutorial over at thebigboss.org, which was very helpful in this endeavor.

Since many of iPhone 3.0's features were deliberately blocked by restrictions in the official SDK, for several of these apps, you'll have to jailbreak. But don't you just love that we already have the definitive tutorial on jailbreaking your phone to hold your hand through the process? That said, a lot of these features are available via free and paid apps in the App Store too.

So start with jailbreaking, then get yourself downloading these apps to get that fresh 3.0 experience before the software even drops.

Cut and Paste: Clippy (Cydia, Free while in Beta)
Apple's ridiculously delayed cut and paste solution looks slick. Slicker than Clippy, the best unofficial C+P solution, which still gets the job done though. One limitation is that you can only reliably copy and paste where you have access to the keyboard (so grabbing web snippets other than URLs is tough), but if you're staying in the main text-input apps, it works. Copying text from web pages is technically possible now, but it's extremely buggy and crashes Safari.

GPS Turn-by-Turn: xGPS (Cydia, Free)
iPhone 3.0 is totally fine with turn-by-turn GPS apps, as long as you bring your own maps to the table (Google's can't be used due to licensing issues). xGPS does use Google's Maps, and does turn-by-turn brilliantly with active GPS tracking.

Tethering: iPhoneModem/PDANet (Cydia, Free)
We've got you covered with another detailed tutorial on tethering your iPhone to your Mac (with iPhoneModem) or Windows machine (with PDANet). Keep in mind, the iPhone has always supported tethering—iPhone 3.0 simply brings an official software tool to do it, but it's still up to the network carriers to enable the feature (and set the pricing). Tethering via these jailbreak solutions works in the meantime, but be careful with how much data you use to not raise any eyebrows at the Death Star.

Email Multiple Photos: Emailpix (App Store, $3)
There have been several official apps touting multi-photo emailing, but for the most part they've been sloppily implemented. Emailpix does it fairly smoothly, though, and gives you a choice of resolution to send to save time. Granted, it takes a while, and emails are sent from Emailpix's server, so you may not want to use it for your nude self portraits.

Bluetooth File Transfer: iBluetooth (Cydia, Free 15-day trial)
iBluetooth lets you pair with your computer to send and receive files. It's kind of buggy, but does work (try setting up a PIN code if you can't get your phone to pair initially).

Universal Search: Search (Cydia, Free)
It doesn't search your applications or your iTunes music like the 3.0 version, but Search is great for the most valuable searching situation: email. It also searches contacts, notes, SMS and the web. If you have a ton of apps, consider pairing Search with QuickGold, a Quicksilver-like app launcher that can also search your contacts, SMSs and Safari history in addition to apps.

Accelerometer Controls: mCoolPhone (Cydia, Free Trial/$3)
The "shake to shuffle" feature in OS 3.0 is kind of lame, and while mCoolPhones can't touch your iTunes functionality, it lets you assign shake events to various other phone functions, like answering calls.

Notes Sync: iPhoneNotes (Mac-only desktop App, Jailbreak required. Free)
To pull off native notes sync, make sure you have OpenSSH installed on your jailbroken phone and grab iPhoneNotes, which will import all of your notes and also sync back any text file you have on your computer.

Background Apps/Push Notifications: Backgrounder (Cydia, Free)
iPhone 3.0 will attempt to solve the multitasking problem by providing a long-awaited framework for push notifications, which will allow apps to get your attention when they're not running. But it stops short of true background multitasking, which most Cydia apps are capable of (especially services like SSH). You can use Backgrounder to force official App Store apps to keep running even when you switch away to another app. It's great for keeping IM apps open and signed in while you do other things.

Landscape Keyboard: iRealSMS (Cydia, €10) and EasyWriter (App Store, Free)
Ah, the beloved landscape keyboard. In iPhone 3.0 it's coming system-wide (finally), but you've been able to get one in the most important typing apps (email and SMS) for a while. For email, try the free EasyWriter App Store app, and for SMS, there's iRealSMS, which also adds a number of other features for hardcore texters like quick-replying and advanced sorting.

MMS: SwirlyMMS (Cydia, $8) and Get MMS (App Store, $4)
MMS is a major hole, and its implementation via unofficial apps thus far has been shoddy. The best is SwirlyMMS, but even that doesn't work very well with AT&T's MMS provider, which most people will obviously be using. But if you're not on the Death Star, give Swirly a try.

Get MMS, on the other hand, makes receiving MMS messages via AT&T's annoying web interface a little easier. It takes a screengrab of the login and password AT&T sends, and lets you save the attached video or photo.

Voice Memos: Epiphany (App Store, $2)
There are a million and a half voice recorders in the App Store, but we love Epiphany, which buffers its recordings and only goes back in time to grab the important parts when you tell it to. It can't send the clip via MMS like iPhone 3.0 will be able to, but it will easily sync with your computer via wi-fi.

Adding Features Still Missing From iPhone 3.0:

Video Capture: Cycorder (Cydia, Free)
The biggest thing Apple still has yet to add into iPhone 3.0 is video recording. Thankfully, Cycorder is incredibly capable.

Flash: iMobileCinema (Cydia, Free)
iMobileCinema is a deep, deep beta plugin for Safari that supposedly enables Flash videos for a few sites. Its major compatibility claim though, with Google Video and YouTube, is moot because Apple's YouTube app catches these URLs and plays them fine. A good project to keep an eye on though.

So as you can see, the majority of iPhone 3.0's feature additions are already needs that have been addressed by third-party devs. Of course, most of these apps will not be as elegant as Apple's native solution, but it shows that iPhone 3.0 is largely about catching up.

The jailbreak world is big. If you know of any apps not covered here that address any of these features, please let everyone know in the comments. Additional research for this post by Nick Ellenoff

Warning: ONLY DO THIS IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND CAN ACCEPT THE RISK*

To get this to work with AT&T, follow these instructions:

1. Download this file. The image files contains a modifid ATT_US.ipcc file, which is a bundle that contains different property list XML files. These text files enable or disable functions in the iPhone.

2. Plug your iPhone with iPhone OS 3.0, and wait for it to connect to iTunes.

3. Option + Click on the "Check for updates" in the iPhone screen.

4. Select the ATT_US.ipcc file.

5. The iPhone's version of the file will update.

6. Once it restarts, go to Settings > General > Network and turn on tethering.

7. Enable the USB connection, but say no to the Bluetooth tethering.**

Done. Now connect your iPhone to the computer. The computer will automatically detect a network connection on the USB port. It just works.

Turn off your Wi-Fi or unplug your Ethernet to check how it works.

** Tethering over Bluetooth only works with older hardware, before the current revisions (Bluetooth to 3G tethering won't work in the unibody MacBooks.)

*WARNING: A reader reports that since installing this file this morning, he ran into some problems:

• Camera icon is gone in the messages app (doesn't matter, since there's no MMS capability yet).
• Voicemails are not coming in.
• There's no data on 3G bandwidth consumption in your online AT&T account. BEWARE: SINCE TETHERING IS NOT SUPPORTED BY AT&T, THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY BE CHARGING YOU FOR USING IT

[File from joachimbeam—Thanks J.]

I missed this one—even while I gave up and joined the Twitter cult a couple of days ago, after trying TweetDeck—but apparently Wired thinks it may be legit because Troughton-Smith has other captures and his story seems to be coherent. Unlike his explanation about it:

So if you were looking at how to activate it—like I was—it seems we are all out f luck. [Twitpic via Gadget Lab]

The change, discovered by Macrumors forums user getinline1, preempts a dissonance that I wondered about during the Keynote: How could Apple/AT&T/everyotheriPhonecarrierintheworld justify a 10MB cap on downloads when they're allowing continuous video streams in apps? They couldn't, I guess, and it's great news for podcast listeners, who will no longer be forced to endure the daily info-nugget podcasts that exlusively inhabit the sub-10MB corners of the iTunes store. [Macrumors —Thanks, Jeremy!]

Dr. Debby Herbenick—author and sex expert—liked our iPhone 3.0 guide so much that she wrote a great phone sex guide inspired by it. Which got me thinking: Can the new OS make the iPhone the best sexual toy ever?

Actually, I think it can. Or at least, it has all the elements to turn it into the most sophisticated sexual machine I can imagine.

Let's start with the basics: First, the new iPhone OS 3.0 adds a rumble application programming interface. Basically, this will allow developers to fine tune the vibration of the iPhone itself. A perfect sexual toy application would be able to store vibration patterns to suit the needs and mood of the user.

But more importantly, it will also receive them wirelessly, in real time: One iPhone running my hypothetical Shiny Shiny Sexual Toy™ would be able to control the other using a simple graphical user interface—touch me, baby—over the network.

In this perfect sexual toy application, there will be a list of sexual partners you can play with across the internet. It will also allow to record sessions and also talk using the new Voice Over IP communication at the same time you are playing. Like the games demonstrated yesterday, but for adults.

And that's just the start. Imagine the possibilities of push notifications and peer-to-peer networking: Woman walks into airport lounge with the sexual toy app in "receive mode." Another iPhone sexual toy user is scanning the application and detects her in proximity, so he or she sends a notification, inviting her to play.

They don't have to get directly into the action, of course. Like Dr. Herbenick says, there are preliminaries, like in every sexual activity. This is where text chat, profiles, and avatars get into scene. A conversation will ensue and, if things get exciting, they can start playing using the vibration mode.

Of course, you are probably thinking, it's ok to play with the vibration mode in the iPhone itself if you are in the privacy of your home... but in public?

That's where the new Device Control interface and the Bluetooth connectivity comes in: The sexual toy would be able to turn the iPhone into the toy itself but it would also be capable of controlling compatible devices—small or big vibrators or chinese balls or whatever device you can think about.

Of course, there's the matter of doing this kind of things in public, but hey, I'm European, and you know we are all pervs who love sex in public (and hey, you can always run into the bathroom, as long as you keep yourself within wireless range).

Sure, some will say that Apple will never allow for this because they don't have adult-oriented apps. Maybe that will change with the new parental controls for applications. And yes, toy-aided cybersex is nothing compared to the real thing, but seriously, even while sometimes they are fun, one-night stands are just way too messy for me. Knowing that I'm having casual sex with someone in such close proximity will be a definitive turn on. And who knows, perhaps the start of something else. [Thanks for the inspiration, Debby]

And if any developer wants to do this, I can design the user interface.

Update: Dr. Herbenick send us her notes about the article.

1) Yes - the ability for developers to fine tune the vibration is key
- and even more important, to allow users to do so. Women vary
enormously and while low intensity is key for some, others need full
throttle. (Also, if men are using vibration, some intensities are too
much, too soon, if you know what I mean).

2) Allowing users to record sessions is very cool... of course, I'd
suggest a feature like in gchat that allows users to know if a session
is on or off record, so both people are consenting to a permanent
record. Another option is to allow you to record your own (solitary)
session in the sense that you can "teach" your phone app what you like
(like the Sasi vibrator that "learns" your preferences) so it can give
you similar vibrations the next time.

3) Push and peer-peer are what remind me of the Sex Toy Tales story I
wrote about in the comments.

4) Device Control is key. And great cross-selling if you can develop
an app and high quality sex toys that work with the app (as you know,
there's great variation is the quality of toys on the market).

The WebOS announcement for the Palm Pre started the year off with a bang (IN MY PANTS), while the Android 1.5 and WinMo 6.5 updates managed to raise my right and left eyebrows, respectively, in intrigue. Today's iPhone OS 3.0 reveal? It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach. But seriously, I've said too much. Speak on it. Now.

Q: Where do you stand on tethering?
A: There's two pieces needed to support that: client side and working with carriers. We're absolutely supporting tethering in the client side in iPhone 3.0, but we're working with carriers around the world to see when they can add tethering support on their networks. But we are building that support into iPhone 3.0.

Looks like jailbroken tethering will live on, for now.

[iPhone 3.0 OS Guide: Everything You Need to Know]

• Confirmed is support for sending and receiving photos, contacts (VCards), and audio files. Looks like video is not included.

• You can record voice notes with the iPhone's mic, edit them on the phone, and then send via MMS.

• Bad news for iPhone EDGE owners though: MMS is one of the features Apple is pruning from the 3.0 release for the first-generation iPhones.

This just in: a hands on tour, impressions and gallery of screenshots of the new OS donated by our helpful readers.

NEW IPHONE OS 3.0 FEATURES

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 stored in your clipboard.

This works across applications. You can expand your selection points using your thumbs and, if you accidentally paste something you didn't want 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 some of them, 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 information is supported it. If an application is written to support the new Spotlight, its data will also be available in the search.

In this screenshot you can see Spotlight bringing results from your address book, maps, your iPod, and apps in your springboard.

• Search in Mail, Calendar, and iPod. These Apple applications have specific search interfaces. The search in Mail doesn't support the message content yet, but it supports searching in IMAP servers—that will save a lot of time logging into Gmail.

• 3G Tethering. This feature will allow you to connect your iPhone 3G to a laptop, to use it as a modem to access the internet. Carriers still have to sign-off on it, and probably charge more for it. None have announced it yet.

• Landscape keyboard. Apple has added the landscape keyboard mode to other applications, like Mail, SMS, and Notes.

• Multimedia messaging. A big one to send rich content to 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.) Personally, I find these usesless having email, but some people seem to want it.

• Support for new calendar types. In iPhone OS 3.0 you will be able to subscribe to calendars on the web using two protocols: CalDAV—supported by Google and Yahoo—and subscriptions via the .ics format—which is what Apple uses in iCal.

• Improved stocks application. The stocks application now allows you to read related news, so you can enjoy yourself learning about the latest market scandals, stock crashes, and executives getting bonus packages from government aid while their companies sink into hell. Thank you, Apple.

• Stereo Bluetooth A2DP audio. You will be able to pair your iPhone 3.0 with a stereo Bluetooth A2DP device, like headphones or speakers.

• Note syncing with iTunes.

• Automatic login in Safari. The new version of Safari will remember login credentials, so you won't need to introduce your username and password again while accessing Scoreland your work intranet.

• 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-phishing. Mobile Safari now can warn you against malicious sites trying to scam you.

• Extended parental controls. Adult content filters can now be applied to movies, TV shows, and applications, in addition to web sites and music (porn apps, here we come).




NEW APPLE APPLICATIONS

Apple will include new widgets in the new version of the iPhone operating system:

• Voice memo application. Obviously, allows you to record voice or any other sound, so you don't forget any idea or want to play FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper.

• Send and receive files. A dedicated application 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 Bluetooth connectivity. A new API will allow for two iPhones to connect directly—peer-to-peer—via Bluetooth 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.

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.

• Browse remote content. While the built-in iPod application doesn't allow you to browse songs in other people's iPhones or iPod touch, third-party applications will allow you to do that, according to Apple's Forstall.

• 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.

There other less serious apps, like creating the most perfect sex device ever (NSFW).

• 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 using a standardized API, instead of custom workarounds.

• 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 $US9.95.

If you dare, you can sign up for the beta here.

• Print out the bingo card.

• Follow our the iPhone OS 3.0 keynote liveblog and take note of the timestamp as the event in the bingo card happens.

• You can shout bingo if you fill out one line or, alternatively, one of the four 2 x 2 brick groups.

• When you get a bingo, quickly send us an email including the events and their timestamps from our liveblog to tips@gizmodo.com. Include "iPhone OS 3.0 Liveblog Pizza Bingo" in the subject, so we can spot your entry easily.

The first time we did this, lots of people forgot to put the timestamps from our liveblog. You must put these to participate.

The first person who sends us a bingo wins the prize: One free pizza (if there's pizza internet ordering where you are located, that is). Nothing like an edible prize to warm up my heart and my stomach. [iPhone OS 3.0 keynote liveblog]