Live coverage of Apple's iPhone 3.0 preview event
[ See also: Apple announces copy and paste, MMS, Spotlight, more for iPhone ]
08:47am: While we're waiting, what would you like to see in the iPhone 3.0 update? Cut-and-paste? MMS? Background processes? Java? Flash? Or maybe you'd like to see Apple add something that Android, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile don't already have? Add your comments below. (And yes we know the talkback signup form is stupid.)
09:00am: Also providing real time coverage: Engadget, Gizmodo, Ars Technica, SlashGear, and various folks on Twitter. It's just like being there! I wonder why Apple just doesn't do a live webcast of these things.
09:11am: Building evacuated... fire alarm? Ballmer sighting?
09:20am: False alarm, it was only Elvis.
09:28am: Wondering what will happen if Apple does NOT implement cut-n-paste. Again. What's so hard about cut-n-paste anyway?
09:35am: @LookingGlassPho asks: Anyone else in Sydney geeky enough to be awake at 3.30am following the liveblogging iPhone 3.0 event?
09:43am: Doors open.
Continue reading: Live coverage of Apple's iPhone 3.0 preview event >
09:46am: It's weird that Ryan Block is covering for gdgt, not engadget.
09:50am: Joshua Topolsky is covering for engadget. But he and Ryan are sitting right next to each other.
09:51am: RT @Makram: Watch out people! Apple's Reality Distortion Field Generators are warming up!
09:53am: Tinyurl for this page: http://tinyurl.com/cahmlo . Should you feel the need to tweet about it. Not that I'm asking. :)
09:59am: Drum roll please...
10:01am: Greg Jaswiak is giving the intro.
10:02am: 17 million iPhones have sold so far. If you include the iPod touch, over 30 million sold.
10:03am: 50K members of iPhone developer program, 800K SDK downloads.
10:06am: 2 million copies of one game, Spartan, sold by Gameloft. Gameloft says iPhone OS is their "next great development platform". Though they are experimenting with Android too.
10:07am: 98% apps approved in 7 days or less, now have over 800m downloads.
10:07am: Interview with Steve Demeter, author or Trism. Says small company can succeed.
10:08am: Scott Forstall giving preview of iPhone OS 3.0, calls it a "major update".
10:10am: 1000 new APIs in iPhone 3.0.
10:12am: Apple to support subscriptions, additional level charges, additional business models.
10:12am: Says Apple provides the same APIs that it uses to developers. Riiiiight.
10:13am: "In-app purchase" - purchase content from within your application. For example purchase new levels, or a new book for your book reader (Kindle anyone?)
10:14am: The user is asked for iTunes password but stays in your app.
10:16am: Peer to peer connectivity. Two iPhones can find other devices in the same area, no WiFi network needed. Auto discovery over bluetooth, no pairing. Uses Bonjour.
10:18am: Accessories: enable accessory developers to build custom applications that talk directly to that hardware. For example an iPhone can control the speaker's equalizer.
10:20am: Medical uses, support standard built-in protocols, send info directly to doctors.
10:21am: Maps: Finally supporting embedded Google Maps, ala Android. Use maps in your own application. Includes reverse geocoding.
10:22am: Developers can use Core Location for Turn By Turn applications. One catch: you have to bring your own maps.
Continue reading: Live coverage of Apple's iPhone 3.0 preview event >
10:23am: Push notifications. "We're late on this".
10:24am: Background processes are "not good for the customer".
10:25am: Popular AIM client dropped standby time by 80% or more if in background, but only 23% when using push notifications.
10:26am: Pushes go from 3rd party server to Apple Push Notification Service and then to phone. Types of notifications: badges, sounds and text alerts.
10:28am: More apis: Email sheet so apps don't have to quit, proximity sensors, ipod library, streaming audio and video over http, built-in VoIP.
10:29am: In-game voice, shake API, iAP, Toolbars, Text selection (?), more.
10:30am: Meebo demonstrating native OS 3.0 application they wrote in 14 days.
10:32am: Takes advantage of new push support. Multi-network AIM, MSN, Facebook, new Meebo network.
10:33am: EA (Electronics Arts) demonstration, Sims 3.0.
10:35am: Playing music from the user's iPod library from inside the game, nice.
10:35am: Typical Sims stuff, character walking around a house, customizing a house. Ah this is new: icon introduces new features which can be purchased in the game.
10:36am: Oracle demo next.
10:38am: Oracle already has 5 apps in the store and they'll be enhancing them with the new iPhone SDK.
10:39am: Server side push causes a notification to pop up, click "View" and Oracle app starts to show more info.
10:40am: Send an email from inside the app without having to go back to the home screen and relaunching. Welcome to the 21st century Apple.
10:41am: Next up: ESPN's new native application. Receive instant alerts, game scores, you can set up custom sounds.
10:42am: ESPN streaming video. Uses the new media player in 3.0. More network aware (3G, WiFi).
10:43am: Scales video quality automatically so you get the best quality for your connection type.
Continue reading: Live coverage of Apple's iPhone 3.0 preview event >
10:44am: LifeScan demo, medical app, diabetes management.
10:46am: Glucose monitor can transmit its reading using Bluetooth or the Dock connector.
10:48am: Josh says: "A cool idea, but we'd like to see just a small dock connector that functions as the finger pricking device. Are we asking too much?" +1
10:50am: Demo was written in 14 days (apparently that's how long Apple gave a few lucky devs. before the event)
10:51am: Next up: ngmoco :)
10:52am: Neil Young presents sneak peak of new games: Touch Pets, and LiveFire.
10:53am: Touch Pets: Social networking for your virtual dog. Set up play dates using push notification.
10:54am: ...buy toys in game for your dog.
10:55am: [I think Apple is missing an opportunity here, they said earlier in-game purchases would not be allowed for free games. It should be allowed anywhyere, *especially* in free games (to support them being free). -Ed]
10:57am: LiveFire is a first person shooter game. Shake to jump. Push-notify friend to join, buy new weapons for real money in the game. (I'm sure parents will looooove that).
10:57am: [Another idea: combine LiveFire and Touch Pets. Gimme that chew toy or else! -Ed]
10:58am: Next company: Smule, creators of Ocarina. Demo by Dr. Ge Wang.
11:00am: New app: Leaf Trombone World Stage. Massively multiplayer music playing.
11:02am: Guitar Hero-like UI, or play duets.
11:04am: Demos done?
11:05am: CUT AND PASTE
11:05am: Double-tap a word to get menu for cut, copy, and paste. Two grab points appear, extend and shrink range intelligently.
11:06am: Works in all applications. Notes, Mail, Safari. Paste in with formatting. Shake to undo.
11:09am: Demo of copy and paste in 3rd party apps.
11:10am: Action button in Photos lets you select multiple photos and paste them into a mail message.
Continue reading: Live coverage of Apple's iPhone 3.0 preview event >
11:12am: Next: Landscape mode. Turn the phone and Safari switches to landscape mode, uses wide landscape keyboard. Mail and Notes and SMS do the same.
11:13am: New Messages app. SUPPORTS MMS.
11:14am: New app: Voice Memos. Record audio memos for yourself. Edit, trim, share, email, message the memos.
11:14am: Send and receive files, contact cards, locations, etc.
11:16am: Calendar app: Adds Exchange support, 2 new calendar types, calendar subscriptions, .ics format.
11:17am: Stock app: enhanced to add news, more details.
11:18am: New app: Spotlight. Consolidates searches in one place. Flick to the left from the home screen to start.
11:18am: Search added to all key applications including Address Book, Mail, Calendar, iPod, Notes.
11:21am: Search demo found applications, NYTimes headline, music, email, calendar appointment, and more.
11:23am: More goodies: Notes sync with iTunes. Shake to shuffle. WiFi auto-login. Stereo Bluetooth. YouTube improvements. VPN on demand, OTA profiles, Media scrubber, parental controls, call log, a/v tags, proxy support, LDAP, EAP SIM, iTunes account creation, anti-phishing, meeting invitations.
11:25am: In all, over 100 new features, plus 1000 new APIs to keep developers busy. Developer beta is available TODAY.
11:26am: iPhone now available in 15 more countries, total of 77 now.
11:28am: iPhone OS 3.0 will ship this summer and be free to all iPhone 3G customers. Original iPhones can use it but won't get all the features (like stereo bluetooth).
11:29am: That's all folks! Thanks for reading.