iPhone 3.0 Beta OS Walkthrough Video

You saw our detailed iPhone OS 3.0 guide and screenshot walkthrough gallery, but there are the features of iPhone 3.0 that are best seen on video.

The biggest point to get out of this video is that the copy part of copy and paste works fine, but the paste part is tricky. It’s not incredibly clear (right now, in the beta) where you should double tap to enable it. It seems like you need to be doing this inside existing text. The phone refused to paste into a blank spot below actual text. You’ll see what I mean when you watch the video.

Other than that, the beta is pretty sluggish overall. That comes off most inside the iPod app, but it shows up as random stalls and hangs in apps all over the place.

Oh and if you like the music, buy the CD!. They’re The Lonely Island, the guys behind the SNL digital shorts and the movie Hot Rod.

Giz Explains: What Makes The Five Smartphone Platforms Different

Smartphones have all advanced over the past few years, and mostly do the same things. But if you look at the details, you’ll find that—depending on your needs—one may be way better than another.

Most smartphone platforms support touchscreens and/or keyboards, and let you browse the internet, run apps, view photos and play games/music/movies. And while they may act the same on a fundamental level, not all smartphones are created equal. Here’s where they match up, and where they don’t:


Note: We have updated certain notes in the chart to reflect the lively discussion going on in comments, and we want that to continue. That said, we plan to leave Symbian both out of this discussion and any future discussions of the hottest smartphones of the day because it has little or no presence in the US, where we are based, despite its popularity in other countries. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you.

iPhone
Apple is so fixated on maintaining a high level of user satisfaction and reduced frustration on the iPhone, they will bluntly admit to leaving out key smartphone features—particularly features that are either hard to implement in the UI, or require too much battery juice. The result is a pretty slick interface (with occasional glitches, yes, but fewer than others) that nevertheless leaves you wanting more. iPhone OS 3.0 (covered in full detail here) addressed most of the user gripes—such as lack of push notifications, copy and paste and search, but we’re still left without video recording, Flash browser support and true background-app multitasking.

Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is brilliant for the business crowd because of its ability to support secure emails, work with corporate computer infrastructures and run proprietary business apps created entirely within Microsoft’s device ecosystem. You can pretty much run and do anything you want on a Windows Mobile phone, which is great. But because the phones are made by many different competing companies—with no consistent quality assurance—UI and user experience don’t compare to the other platforms, so the OS is not as good for people who want a fun smartphone for their own personal use.

One major gripe especially revolves around the screen and its systemic lack of both finger-friendly capacitive-touchscreen support and multitouch interaction. WinMo feels really clunky when you use a finger, and you otherwise have to use an annoying (and easily lost) stylus.

The official reasoning for no capacitive touchscreen support is puzzling. Here’s what Prithvi Raj, Windows Mobile product manager of consumer experiences told us:

At this time, we are focusing on resistive touch because we wanted to ensure the highest quality across the entire experience on the phone, including in different applications such as Excel or Word. However, we have enhanced our software to help resistive screens act like capacitive in certain areas like the “gesture support” and “physics engine” that you see across the new UI of Windows Mobile 6.5 powered Windows phones.

Hrm. Well at least they’re acknowledging the need for better gesture support, and the need to mimic the capability of capacitive touch. We’d rather they just skipped all that work and upgraded, though.

Android
Android is the code monkey’s dream. Because the OS is fully open source, you can do anything you’d like to the phone. This means pretty much any feature you’d like on a cellphone is possible on Android—even the officially unsupported multitouch interaction—provided someone can write an app or extension for it. The downside? Even the official Google/HTC/T-Mobile release of the G1 had a UI design that felt incoherent, like you’re using four different OSes instead of one. Also, despite all this free love, there’s only one currently available phone, and it’s ugly as all sin. Note: For more information, you should read this detailed Android vs. iPhone piece by Gina at Lifehacker.

BlackBerry
Like Windows Mobile, RIM’s BlackBerry is also a business-oriented phone, but with a much more coherent consumer initiative under way. Relatively intuitive and well-structured to use, it feeds off of an email server that is second to none in getting messages to you as they’re sent. And since the phone only runs on BlackBerry hardware, you can mostly be assured the OS will run smoothly (mostly). But despite their best efforts to liven things up with the admirable 4.6 OS and the not-so-admirable BlackBerry Storm touchscreen edition, this remains a fairly utilitarian phone that serves one main purpose: superior messaging. Note: Blackberry was deemed to not have Universal Search because it doesn’t search files or Applications.

WebOS and the Palm Pre
Palm’s Pre with its all-new WebOS has the potential to be the closest competitor to the iPhone, merging the zen simplicity and beauty of the iPhone OS with some of the background processing power of an Android or WinMo phone. You can run as many apps as you like concurrently, and manage them using a system that lets you quickly flick through apps like it was a photo system, great for staying on top of many things at once. But it also integrates the internet into so many facets of its UI (search, contacts, UI, etc.), that you might not even realize you’re using the internet sometimes. If the iPhone is for the common man, WinMo for the executive, Android for the programmer and BlackBerry for the information junkie, WebOS could very much be for the savvy kids trying to stay on top of social media and Web 2.0. Let’s see what happens when the thing actually ships.

Anything you’d like to add about the differences between the smartphone OSes? This is obviously an overview meant to highlight the most crucial differentiators, but if you’ve got something you want to share that’s a little more nitty gritty, please pop it into comments pronto.

Still something you still wanna know? Send any questions about smartphones, dumbphones or megaphones to tips@gizmodo.com, with “Giz Explains” in the subject line.

42 Even More Ludicrous Control Schemes Apple Might Just Try

The new cable-only controls on the iPod Shuffle are downright ludicrous in my opinion, but that scheme pales in comparison to some of these absolutely insane control ideas.

First Place — Chris Thomas
Second Place — Carlos Garrido
Third Place — Steve Heinrich

The Genius Behind Scanwiches.com’s Juicy Sandwich Porn

If you read websites about food, NYC or general wackiness, there’s a good chance you’ve recently run into Scanwiches—a Tumblr with nothing but flatbed scans of bisected deliciousness. Here’s the story behind the site.

I love Scanwiches. It’s a fantastic concept, aesthetically beautiful, and its creator and I both share similar tastes, like the ridiculously good Vietnamese meatball sandwich at Banh Mi So No. 1 that’s just a few blocks away from Gizmodo HQ. It’s not every day you see your favorite sandwich baring all on the web as you eat it.

The site is the brainchild of Jon Chonko, an NYC designer at thehappycorp global. Once I got in touch with him via Tumblr, I had to know more about the how, what and why of this excellent work.

Q: When did the idea for Scanwiches strike, and what was your inspiration?

A: I think the word popped into my head first and then I had to see how it would actually look. I’ve always loved scanning things. It’s a very specific way of capturing an image. Everything—exposure, depth of field—is totally pre-set on a scanner so you try and explore the stuff you do have control with.

Once the project started getting popular people began sending me things, especially foods, that people have scanned. There’s a guy who does fast food, another person who did a project scanning green market produce, and several artists who do scanned flowers. It’s a weird little genre I didn’t now existed and was pleased to find I was a part of.

Q: What kind of scanner do you use?

A: I use my girlfriend’s old scanner. It has a broken lid and she didn’t want it. It’s an HP scanjet 4570c and it was made in 2002. The thing is on its last legs. It sounds like a subway train hitting the brakes every time it starts a scan. I think it has a max optical resolution of 400 dpi but it’s been a while since I read the manual.

Q: What is your process for scanning them? Do you just clean the glass really well after each one or put down some kind of transparent film for easy cleanup? Do much cleaning up in Photoshop or anything?


A: I clean the glass at the end of each set with Windex and a paper towel but between sandwiches it just gets wiped down. We started with a plastic film when we first scanned but we found that it fogged up when we did hot sandwiches. Straight onto the glass gets the best quality. This is a full time sandwich scanning machine—we have another really nice photo scanner for office use.



I take the image into Photoshop and do some white balance and color-correction but nothing dramatic. The sandwiches have to look appealing and realistic. I want people who see a sandwich on the site to recognize it if they’ve ordered it. It’s about education first and delight second.

Q: What’s the sloppiest sandwich you’ve scanned?

A: Eggplant Parmesan from Parisi Bakery. I had to wipe the thing down with a wet cloth afterwards.

If you have yet to do so, go check out Scanwiches this instant. Then, do the right thing: get yourself a sandwich. It’s lunchtime!

iPhone OS 3.0 Will Turn Your Phone Into a Revolutionary Sex Toy

The latest features in the new iPhone OS make it a better phone, GPS, gaming and computing platform. But they also have the potential to turn it into the most perfect sex toy yet. [Updated]

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).

iPhone 3.0 Beta OS Impressions And Walkthrough Gallery

iPhone 3.0 is NICE. We’ve got a huge gallery below, as well as impressions of how it runs. Spoiler: it runs well, even if it’s a beta development build.

Some notes:

• Note syncing is pretty great, even if it is almost two years late
• You can sync notes through MobileMe as well as through iTunes
• Your call list now shows the location the call came from (was hidden inside each call screen before)
• Spotlight is great and speedy unless you have nine pages of apps, then it’s SLOW
• MMS is currently broken (Could be because of AT&T plan, not because of the software – Thanks commenter!)
• There’s a new MobileMe locator option to locate your phone from MobileMe. This is possibly so you can see where you left your phone, or maybe even where the thief who stole your phone is? Not sure.

• SMS has subjects now
• The call log is improved
• The new lock screen shows artist/track/album info. Sweet.
• Widescreen SMS works pretty well.
• Overall 3.0 is slightly more sluggish (because it’s beta) than 2.2.1.

• You can search from almost any screen inside the iPod app
• Tapping the home button once from the home screen brings up the search screen
• When minimizing apps and going back to the home screen, the animation kinda fades out now instead of just disappearing into a speck
• Searching is fast, but it’s not instantaneous
• You CANNOT select and copy text from Word documents

More notes to come – Thanks to everyone who helped out!

Spotting Online Deals Together

wujwuj%201.jpg

Iconoculture: Online retailer service WujWuj is giving consumers an incentive to invite friends to buy online. The service facilitates group buys to drop the price of a product as more shoppers sign on to purchase it.

WujWuj’s retail partners embed special widgets on their websites, each one showing a pic of a sale item and the price points per committed buyer. Shoppers can let friends in on the deal by adding the widgets to their social network pages and websites.

When the group buy time is up, all on-board buyers get the lowest noted price. Customers make the payment through the retailer’s website.

Connected e-shoppers are keen to share finds and deals with friends, but they don’t want to bother their buddies. Deal-touting widgets that embed on social network pages and personal websites take the soft sell approach that’s less invasive.

WujWuj helps groups of shoppers score online deals [Iconoculture]

How iPhone 3.0 Will Feel Different

The third iteration of iPhone software doesn’t just add features (more here) like copy and paste. There’s a lot new going on in terms of usability and interface that every non-power user will appreciate.

Search Everything With Spotlight
Instead of digging through 10 screens for your apps, search them out just like in OS X through Spotlight.

Upgrade Applications Within Applications
Now, apps can solicit your business through in-app prompts. A game developer could offer to sell you more levels and a magazine could add issues to your subscription. The implementation could be annoying, like shareware and absurd microtransactions, or useful, seeing as you can buy desired upgrades within the application, bypassing the App Store when it’s unnecessary.

Use Custom Accessory Controls
New custom applications can be designed to work with specific accessories. Your iPhone can become the control panel for any participating manufacturer’s device.

Navigate Google Maps In Any Participating App, Along With Turn By Turn Directions
Do you like Yelp but you hate leaving Yelp to go to the proper Google Maps? Now that developers can embed Google Maps directly into their applications, complete with pinch zoom functionality, hopefully these days of inconvenience will be over—especially when coupled with new turn by turn directions support.

Cutting, Copying and Pasting Now Possible
Sounds simple enough. Double tap text to bring up cut/copy/paste options and drag left or right to expand your selection. Double tap again to paste, or shake the phone to undo. Since CC&P is part of the core software, it should work in all apps that want to use it.

Email Multiple Pictures At Once
Thanks to CC&P, users can copy multiple pictures and then paste them in an email to send all together. We don’t have a nifty photo of this just yet.

Write Emails/SMS in Landscape Mode
Before, you had to use a third party application to write emails in landscape mode. Now, the wide keyboard comes to all core iPhone applications.

Send Photos and Audio Over MMS
The iPhone gets photo and voice recording support for multimedia messaging. Plus, you can forward messages and stuff, too.

Stream Music In Stereo Over Bluetooth
This small distinction snuck in amongst the bigger announcements, but the new software will allow Bluetooth audio to stream in non-gimped, A2DP stereo audio. This should be great for peripherals/accessories.

No, Apple did not reskin the iPhone UI, but they did make a few handfuls of little tweaks, many of which we’ll end up using on a daily basis.

iPhone 3.0 OS Guide: Everything You Need to Know

iPhone 3.0 OS, the next generation operating system for the iPhone, iPod touch, and whatever Apple device comes next. New features, new apps, here you will find all the information you need.

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.

iPhone OS 3.0 Liveblog Archive

We’re here! Apple’s about to unveil the iPhone 3.0 OS, and Brian Lam and I are going to be covering it live. LIVE. And don’t forget to play pizza bingo while you follow the keynote.



Archive Below:

7:06 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
One of the benefits of having these keynotes in Cupertino instead of SF (for me) is the fact that I don’t have to wake up at 5 AM. Wee.

8:38 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:

8:41 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
We’re here! The weather’s surprisingly mild, so we’re not like freezing cattle outside waiting to be let in.

8:42 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Did you know John Mayer is on Twitter? I wonder if he’s going to be following this today. His Twitter background is an OS X desktop, so chances are good. But, he uses a BlackBerry. HMM.

8:48 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Still about an hour to go. People are slowly strolling in, already weary from the Bay Area traffic.

8:52 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Everyone try Oregon Trail for the iPhone yet? That thing is addicting—I spent many hours this weekend avoiding bears and dysentery. Some children didn’t make it. What, you expect me to stop for EVERY kid eaten by snakes?

8:54 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:


Hi! Brian here. Good morning!

8:58 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Oh, and farmer and banker are both good. Carpenter, less so.

9:00 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
What does everyone expect to see today? Post your prediction in the comments of the first post on Gizmodo. Here’s what I think. Cut & Paste, MMS/video, and new edible Phil Schiller edition iPhone. 32 delicious gigabytes.

9:05 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Not a whole lot of bald guys today, surprisingly.

9:05 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

9:10 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Someone just set off the loudest alarm I have ever heard. Not me, I swear.

9:11 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
And now everybody is streaming outside. Is this a fire? Did Steve show up and start screaming at people?

9:13 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
We’re back inside. Disaster averted.

9:18 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Liveblog bingo is up! Go to the main page and print it out. What, your office doesn’t charge you. Print that crap in full color, highest quality.

9:20 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
40 minutes left. There’s a guy that looks EXACTLY like Matt Damon here.

9:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Actually, imagine if Matt Damon had a cousin that went to Stanford, graduated with a computer science degree after changing majors from chemical engineering. Then he decided to purchase a belt that doesn’t quite fit so well. That’s this guy.

9:25 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:
Don’t forget, you still have time to play the iPhone OS 3.0 Liveblog Pizza Bingo. You can get a bingo card here.

Also, if you want to make comments about and during the event, you can post your comments here.

9:26 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Then next to him, there’s a guy whose eyes are 2 inches too close to each other. If you’re saying to yourself, “hey, there are only two inches total between my eyes”, yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.

9:30 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Dr. Drew from loveline, Kumar from Harold and Kumar, and that one guy from Band of Brothers and now 24 are also here.

9:32 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Speaking of 24, Jack Bauer is one person who will NEVER use an iPhone. It may be functional, but it would never survive a fistfight inside a quarry.

9:35 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
When the screen breaks, he would say “dammit”.

9:36 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
There’s an interesting Italian villa theme going on inside of the Town Hall. I think they need to add a functional fountain in here.

9:36 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
24 minutes left.

9:37 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
What do you want in the next gen iPhone that can only be added through a hardware release? Front video camera, slightly more memory, Nike+ support.

9:44 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
We’re inside. The unofficial band of Apple, Coldplay, is playing.

9:45 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

9:45 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
It smells like doobies in here:

9:46 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

9:47 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
I think it’s the newspaper guys.

9:48 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
Harry “Spartacus” McCracken of Technologizer.com

9:48 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Twelve excruciating minutes left til start.

9:50 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

9:50 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Now Jack Johnson is playing. I would must RATHER have John Mayer, if that wasn’t obvious from our previous liveblog last September.

9:52 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:


Heeeeeere’s Brian!

9:53 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:


Apple’s Jos and Katie Cotton, getting ready for the show.

9:54 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
And that’s half of me on the right, which LUCKILY, includes my crotch.

9:55 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:


After a dozen or so liveblogs, I realize that I have a biological radar for news, and that when it is imminent, I develop the need to urinate.

9:56 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Apple ad music!

9:57 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

9:57 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Getting excited. Like in theaters, a disembodied voice just told us to turn our phones off. They DIDN’T say iPhones, surprisingly.

9:59 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
I think this may be the only time anybody besides Phil Schiller’s wife and kids are SO excited about having him show up anywhere.

10:00 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
Jason Chen, showing intense blogging face. BTW, at least 5 times at every trade show, someone calls me Jason Chen now. All look same.

10:00 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Chances of a one more thing today are slim.

10:00 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:01 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Music stopped. Apple’s Jos is stepping on stage. (Not Phil Schiller yet)

10:01 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:01 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Greg and Scott Forstall will be the ones presenting today, not Phil! As of this week, the iPhone is in 80 countries around the world.

10:02 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Greg Jos is a pretty slick speaker, btw. Slicker than Phil Schiller.

10:02 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



10:03 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
iPhone sales are up to 17 million through December 2008. If you count iPod Touch together with iPhones, they’ve sold 30 million devices.

10:03 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Jos is going through the history of the SDK now. They’ve had 800,00 downloads of the free iPhond SDK, plus 50,000 individuals and development companies join their paid iPhone program.

10:04 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Over 60% of these developers have never developed anything for Apple before. One of the guys at Gameloft, a major cellphone/portable game development company, says that the iPhone OS is “the next great development platform for Gameloft.”

10:05 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Steve Demeter, the guy who made Trism for iPhone, is on screen now in a short video of him biking and talking. Handsome guy! He just said said hello outside while we were waiting. Hey Steve!

10:05 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:06 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
His Trism game was made in his spare time OUTSIDE of his work, most likely allowing him to quit his job entirely. He lives in San Francisco and has a nice looking apartment. App Store money!

10:06 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:06 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Jos is back on the stage.

10:07 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:07 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Joswiak says there are 25,000 apps in the App Store. For their most current month of data, 96% of total apps have been approved. And of those, 98% of those have been approved in 7 days or less. There have been more than 800 million downloads of all apps total (8 months time).

10:07 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:08 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Jos is introducing Scott Forstall, SVP of iPhone Software to give us a preview of iPhone 3.0.

10:08 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:08 AM on MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Scott says the 3.0 software is a major update to all iPhones and iPod Touches.

10:09 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:09 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
To start, he’s going to talk about what Apple’s doing for developers in 3.0.

10:09 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The SDK gives developers the same APIs and tools that they use (almost, there are some parts of the phone hidden for security and performance reasons). 3.0 brings 1,000 new APIs.

10:10 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



10:10 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
First, Scott is talking about enhancements to the App Store.

10:12 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Some developers have said they like to have other business models other than the current sell-once model that’s in the App Store. What are some? Subscriptions for magazine developers, additional levels for game devs, and eBook devs, who want to sell one app and sell eBooks inside the app. They’re supporting ALL of these things now with In App Purchase.

10:12 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:13 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Inside the app you will get prompts like continuing to purchase issues of magazines (6 issues for $5, for example), or buying more levels (add ten more levels for a game for $2).
10:13 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:13 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Another example is for city guides. Instead of selling a huge city guide app, you can sell one city guide app, then sell each individual city separately (and for more money) inside the app. The entire scheme is tied into the iTunes store.

10:13 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
It uses the same iTunes password and username, using the same APIs and same purchase scheme.

10:14 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:14 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The business model for in-app purchase is the same as the store. The developer sets the price for each in-app item, 70% of the revenue goes to the developer, and there are no credit card fees. They continue to be paid monthly. This is ONLY for paid apps, not for a free app that developers want to charge for once you’ve already downloaded it.

10:15 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
So in essence, free apps are still totally free. You won’t be tricked into paying for anything.

10:15 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:15 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next is support for Peer to peer connectivity.

10:15 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:15 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

10:16 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The new multiplayer connectivity allows you to bring up a dialog that lets you find local devices. The services provided are Automatic Discovery over Bluetooth (no Wi-Fi), no pairing, Bonjour, and isn’t just for games.

10:17 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
But this isn’t just for games, it works for ANY P2P application. For example, apps that can send business cards to another phone, in a handshake-like manner.

10:17 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:17 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next, accessories. There are “thousands and thousands” of developers building accessories.

10:18 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:18 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
With the iPhone 3.0 SDK, they’re going to enable accessory developers to make custom applications that can communicate directly with the accessory. For example, an equalizer application on the phone that can control the equalizer on the speaker when it’s docked.

10:18 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:18 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Another example is an FM transmitter. With 3.0, the dev can build an app on the iPhone itself that can control the FM tuner, finding the best frequency to use at the current moment.

10:19 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:19 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
An even more esoteric application is for medical devices, like a blood pressure monitor that can dock into the iPhone that allows you to send your blood pressure directly to your doctor after you’ve measured it.

10:19 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
These accessories can talk to the phone over the dock connector AND over Bluetooth.

10:20 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:20 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
You can use standard protocols or build your own custom protocols.

10:20 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next up is Maps.

10:20 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:21 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
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.

10:21 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Everything is in there-pinch and zoom, custom annotations, satellite views, location tracking and location tracking.

10:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
There is also ONE MORE THING to do with Apps. Developers can now use CoreLocations to make Turn by Turn applications.

10:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
Turn by Turn!

10:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:23 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
So now you can build a turn by turn application app, but you cannot use Apple’s Google Maps because of licensing issues. But you can bring your OWN maps (as a developer), and make turn by turn directions for the iPhone.

10:23 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:23 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

10:23 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Now, Push Notification. “You know, we’re late on this one.” “There’s a few reasons for this, most importantly, within two months of launching the App Store, we had over a thousand applications on the app store.”

10:24 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Apple had to completely rearchitect the structure for the push notification in order to make it scalable for all the millions and millions of downloads. But now, they’re “good to go.”

10:24 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Developers asked them to do background processing, because it’s “easier to do background processing.” But Apple says it’s “not good for the customer.”

10:25 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Apple’s been testing background processing on other phones (Windows Mobile, Android) by opening up IM app, and just having it run in the background lowers battery by 80%.

10:26 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
By using Apple’s push notifications, battery life only dropped by 23% when an IM app is “open” in the background, listening for messages.

10:26 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



10:27 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Here’s how Push notification works again. The Push notification service has a persistent connection to the phone, so you can get notifications all the time. The three things you can send are badge alerts, text alerts and audio alerts. Text alerts appear like SMS alerts, badges show up on the app icon, and audio alerts (like AIM) plays in the background.
10:27 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:27 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
To be perfectly clear, this means no background processing yet. Just push notifications.

10:27 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:27 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

10:28 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
In game voice chat is also one of the various APIs now open, as is iPod library access, proximity sensor, audio recorder, battery API, streaming audio and video, data detectors, text selection (oh??? is this for copy and paste??) UI alert view, sake API (for rumble) and GPS lingo.

10:29 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Scott says they asked a few developers to come in and make some apps in just two weeks with the 3.0 API. They’re going to show some demos now.

10:29 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
First is meebo, the IM app.

10:30 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
From meebo, it’s Seth Sternberg, the CEO of meebo.

10:30 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:31 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
What are some of the new features in meebo? First, there’s IM networks like AOL/MSN, networks like Facebook, plus proprietary social networks like MyYearBook.

10:32 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Why did meebo wait until now to build an app? Because they felt like push notification was NECESSARY to make a complete IM user. They wanted to allow an easy way to quit out of the app and get back in “when it made sense.”

10:33 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Their extra “spice” in their App allows you to connect to social networking sites and get alerts from your friends when they’ve done things you may be interested in.

10:33 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:


10:35 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
They’re showing a demo of Sims 3, which looks actually pretty great for a phone.

10:35 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
EA is going to have in-app commerce, having you buy items for the Sims in the App Store directly from the game for $0.99 each.

10:36 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
For example, playing music from the stereo in the game lets you play music back from YOUR music library (from the 3.0 SDK API).

10:36 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:36 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
“Next up is Oracle.” Which elicited audible groans from the audience, despite their CEO being Steve Jobs’ good friend.

10:38 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
This is your chance to go grab a sandwich. Unless you’re your company’s IT guy that’s trying to get business apps onto your enterprise’s iPhones. Then you’ll be RIVETED.

10:38 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
Bore-acle, I mean, Oracle:

10:38 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The Oracle guys are talking about their app that tracks supply line and blah blah chain blah blah company stuff.

10:39 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The Oracle app goes and pulls out data from their backend CRM server, which you can use to find the account rep and contact him over email, phone or SMS.

10:39 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Oracle’s done.

10:40 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
JD Power ranked the iPhone #1 for customer satisfaction for business smartphone users.

10:40 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next is ESPN, moving their webapp to a native app with iPhone 3.0.

10:41 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Their ESPN Alerts app brings text alerts directly to your phone using the push notification service, plus play the ESPN tone whenever that happens.

10:41 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



10:42 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:42 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
They’re sharing off a video directly inside the app, using the new media player that pulls down the appropriate quality video depending on your connection.

10:43 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

10:43 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:43 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
With this app, ESPN doesn’t have to deliver for the “lowest common denominator”, and can scale video quality automatically using the API so you get the best quality for your connection type.

10:44 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next is LifeScan, a Johnson&Johnson company in glucose monitoring.

10:44 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:45 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
LifeScan’s app is for people with diabetes in order to “simply diabetes management.”

10:46 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:46 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
In their example, they’re putting themselves into the shoes of Maddie, a 15-year-old girl with diabetes. She tests herself six times a day and injects insulin multiple times a day. First she needs to prick her finger and get her glucose reading. Now the insulin meter can transmit her reading to her iPhone over Bluetooth or over the 30-pin dock connector.

10:47 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
She can then track her readings and mark them appropriately as before a meal or after a meal. Then she can track what kind of food she’s eating and how much of it, plugging it into the iPhone, which will tell her exactly how much insulin she needs after her meal.

10:48 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Maddie can then re-calculate on the phone if she then needs less insulin because she’s going to exercise later.

10:48 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
With the iPhone app, she can then let her parents know that she’s OK by sending them a message directly through the app that has her glucose level and how she feels.

10:49 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:50 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:50 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The app shows her glucose levels in chart form and can list out all her previous readings.

10:51 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next up is ngmoco:), the people who made Rolando (I’m pretty sure).

10:5 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

10:52 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:53 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:53 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Today, they’re showing two upcoming games. First is Touch Pets, a social pet simulator. Second is LiveFire, a multiplayer first person shooter over 3G or Wi-Fi.

10:53 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
One of the uses of Touch Pet is a push notification of a “play date with someone else’s dog.”

10:54 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:54 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The dogs are playing together. You can buy clothes and random crap for your dog. Toys. Food. I wonder what happens if your dog starves, or whether you can beat up other dogs who are on a play date with your dog.
10: AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



10:55 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next LiveFire, a FPS game.

10:56 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
You control the FPS by touching anywhere on the left side of the screen, then shoot with your right thumb.

10:57 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
You can then send push notifications to your friends on your friend list in order to invite them into your game. You can BUY new weapons for real money (rocket launcher), and play together with your buddies.

10: AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:





10:58 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Pretty fun, with Quake 1ish graphics and relatively smooth (for a phone) framerate.

10:58 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

10:58 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next up is smule, the people who made the Ocarina app.

10:59 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
They’re inviting Dr. Wang on stage to talk. Wang is an assistant professor at Stanford.

10:59 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:00 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Their new app is Leaf Trombone (World Stage).

11:01 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:01 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
It’s a similar idea to Ocarina and lets you slide the trombone on the right, change the range on the left and play by blowing into the microphone.

11:01 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Wang’s talking in a loud, breathy whisper, and is kinda creeping me out.

11:01 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:02 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Wang and his friend are demoing playing Phantom, of the Opera on Leaf Trombone. It sounds like Phantom of the Opera, for sure, and it’s definitely cool.

11:03 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Wang’s gone, and Scott’s back on stage.

11:03 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:





11:03 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

11:04 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Now, finally, onto the customer side. It has more than 100 new features. INCLUDING, Cut, Copy and Paste.

11:04 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:04 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Scott’s now demo-ing the copy and paste feature on a phone running iPhone 3.0.

11:05 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Here’s how you select text. double tap onto a bit of text and it automatically places a “CUT, COPY, PASTE” bubble above your current selection. Double tap to bring up a paste bubble later to paste.

11:0 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:06 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
To select an entire block of text, put your thumb on the right drag point and drag it to where you want your block of text to end. You can drag the left drag point as well.

11:07 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
You can drag between apps as well (obviously), through the same process. Double tap, then drag in order to select what text you like, then double tap and paste to paste it.

11:0 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



11:08 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
You can also copy and paste web content. The phone uses the same analytics engine in Safari that they do for zooming in order to know which selection to select for copying. Yes, HTML paste for copying. If you didn’t mean to paste something, shake your phone in order to Undo (or Redo) your paste.

11:08 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
undo by shaking:

11:09 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
There’s a photo icon inside the SMS app, and Scott called it the “Messages” application, which means there SHOULD be MMS coming soon too.

11:10 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
One more thing he wants to show you is Photos. You can now send more than one photo at a time with 3.0 by tapping the action button, selecting a bunch of photos, copying, and then pasting it into the Mail app.

11:11 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Cut and paste can work across multiple apps, has undo support, can work with developer APIs, and can use Cocoa Touch support for regular text.

11:11 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:12 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next, Landscape. Apple’s had support for landscape mode for Safari since launch, and can enter text in wide-keyboard mode. Now you can use landscape in “all key applications” including Mail.

11:12 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
They’re also adding support with the big keyboard for composing messages in Mail as well. It also works in Notes and the “Messages” application.

11:13 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



11:13 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next up is “Messages”, which they will enhance in 3.0. You can forward and delete messages-individual messages or multiple messages.

11:13 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:14 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The BIG news is that they’re adding support for MMS (as we spotted earlier). You can send and receive Photos right over the network. Contacts (VCard). Audio files. Or your location. No word about video yet though.
11:14 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

11:1 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Next, Voice Memos. (No sending video in Messages it seems). You can record voice memos to yourself, lectures, interviews using the built in microphone or an external microphone. You can trim it using the phone itself, then send it on using email or MMS.

11:15 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:







11:15 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:16 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Then there’s Calendar. They had personal calendars first, then Exchange (last year) and MobileMe. They’re now adding CalDAV, a calendar standard that’s supported by a lot of people like Google and Yahoo. It’s useful for shared calendars. Second is subscriptions, using the .ics format.

11:16 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:16 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Now is Stocks. They’re adding support for news stories (headlines) in the bottom of the app, plus details like highs and lows and PEs. There’s also landscape view.

11:17 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



11:17 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Search! Not only can you search inside the Contacts application, which was there in iPhone 2.0, you can now search in all of the key applications, including Mail.

11:17 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
Search in Mail! Works on the server using iMAP:

11:17 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
If your search isn’t found on your iPhone, the search continues on the server.

11:18 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
There’s also search in Calendar, iPod (search by artist, album, etc) and Notes.

11:18 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



11:19 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
There’s now a new home screen where you can search across all those applications, and they call it Spotlight. The search is to the left of your regular home screen, and you access it by flicking left from your standard home.

11:19 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:20 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:



11:20 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
You can also search Apps and use Spotlight as a quick launcher instead of going all the way to the 8th screen and searching for your app.

11:20 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Basically, search searches most of the major Apple-developed apps.

11:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

11:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
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.

11:22 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
TONS OF NEW FEATURES:

11:23 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:24 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
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.

11:24 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Scott’s leaving the stage and Jos is coming back on.

11:24 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:25 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
How are they going to make it available? First as a Developer Beta available TODAY. It’s going to be available to everyone in the iPhone developer program. You can join now and get access to the beta. They’ll have more info on their website as well.

11:26 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
They’ll be hosting developer forums where you can share 3.0 development information with other devs.

11:26 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The App Store is now available in 77 countries, out of a total 80 countries that the iPhone is available in.

11:26 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:


Who’s the keynote master? Forstall has excellent presentation duration, going for over an hour with little help, but Jos is so natural. It’s like this is his livingroom.

11:27 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
How about regular people, not developers? They’re going to ship it “this summer.” It will be a free update to iPhone 3G customers. It works on the original iPhone as well, so that not ALL the features will be available (like MMS and Stereo Bluetooth) on the 2G iPhone.

11:27 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
It’s also going to be available for both generations of iPod Touch users as a $9.95 update.

11:27 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
Free this summer! But the old iPhone won’t get the MMS or Stereo Bluetooth.

11:28 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
The developer beta again, is available today, and will ship to regular users this summer.

11:28 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Phil Schiller and Scott Forstall are coming up on stage for a short Q&A. It’s not over yet!

11:29 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari:

11:30 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:
People are clearing out, but the media is staying for a reprogramming session. MUST OBEY.

11:32 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q&A’s starting now.

11:33 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Josh Quittner, Time: Why did it take so long so get Cut and Paste into the iPhone?
A: There’s a user interface you need to design, security issues, and “there’s a lot of pieces you need to worry about instead of getting osmething that doesn’t work right.”

11:34 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Video is still a blackhole if you visit a website with flash.
A: We have no announcements on Flash today.

11:34 AM ON MAR 17 2009
B. Lam:

11:36 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Could you qualify a bit more about the peer to peer. It looks like it’s available across the two iPhones, but it seems like you can do peer to peer with other Bluetooth devices.
A: It’s really a device to device Bluetooth connection. It’s 1 to 1, using Bluetooth and Bonjour to discover other devices and make an IP connection.

11:36 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: So you can control devices…?
A: Yes, now you can, with third-party applications, control and talk to accessories over Bluetooth.

11:38 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Are people able to trade files, say music files, through iPods with this?
A: We have the ability to stream music to music apps, and certainly a game, if a game has music in the game it would be possible to download game tracks, but if would be confusing for other music apps with downloadable music that isn’t through the app store.

11:39 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
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.

11:39 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Can you say anything about hardware?
A: No.
Q: Netbooks?
A: Nothing to announce today.

11:40 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Bluetooth human input device profile for external keyboards.
A: We have nothing to announce.

11:40 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Will you make any promises about push notification in terms of uptime?
A: No. We want it to be as reliable as possible.

11:41 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: On the voice memo, you mentioned external microphones. Could you use an off-the-shelf microphone?
A: Yes absolutely, if you have an adapter.

11:42 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Are you addressing some of the performance issues in the current OS? It’s slightly laggy, are you going to address that in 3.0.
A: We absolutely take performance very seriously. These units, because they’re tethered, are more laggy than you would see on standalone units. But we are addressing lagginess in our own ways.

11:43 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Jason Chen:
Q: Is there a physical hardware problem on the first-gen iPhone that prevents it from doing MMS.
A: It’s a different radio, so it is a physical issue.

11:44 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: With Peer to Peer, can you have access to other iTunes library?
A: You can see them but I don’t know if you can play them.

11:46 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
Q: Do you have any comments on your app acceptance scheme?
A: We want to help developers to be very successful. We also want a store where customers feel great about the quality of what they get, so the numbers speak for themselves. [Kind of a non-answer here]

11:48 AM ON MAR 17 2009
Jason Chen:
And that’s it. Thanks for reading, and hit up the main Gizmodo site for more posts and analysis soon. See you guys next time!

11:49 AM ON MAR 17 2009
ccmascari: