WWDC updates live! (well almost)

By Benedict Wee

As expected, the new iphone was announced today at the WWDC. Here is the rundown of the new features:

• It's called iPhone 3GS, S is for Speed
• Launching applications is faster
• Supports 7.2 Mbps HSDPA (faster 3G)
• Camera is 3MP auto focus along with auto macro, auto white balance and auto exposure and low light sensitivity improved
• Video capture: 30fps VGA with audio. You can trim the video on the iPhone as well.
• Voice control: Call people by using voice, control iPod playback
• Built-in digital compass
• VoiceOver support
• Nike+ support
• Improved battery life (Wifi: 9hrs, Video: 10hrs, Audio: 30hrs, Talk: 12 hrs)
• 16GB for US$199, 32GB for US$299. Prices are for AT&T customers in the US
• iPhone 3G will still be sold, 8GB version for US$99
• Available June 19th (US), July for New Zealand

Also announced are

Update 3.0 for iPhones and to a certain extent, iPod Touches

• Cut, Copy and Paste works with all applications
• Undo support
• Landscape Keyboard in email, notes and messages
• MMS for iPhones (later this year. WHAT?!? Why so slow?!?)
• Spotlight: Search across your phone
• iTunes allows the rental and purchase of videos from the iPhone
• Parental Controls
• Tethering: Share your iPhone internet connection with a PC, Mac over USB or Bluetooth
• HTTP streaming for audio and video quality adjusted to connection speed
• Auto-fill in Contact Information
• 30 language support including Hebrew, Arabic, Thai, Greek with landscape keyboards
• Find My iPhone feature: Only for MobileMe customers. Shows you on the map where your phone is. Message your iPhone. People can pick up your phone and call the number you specify.
• Remote wipe command: Erase all of your data from a PC/Mac. Data is restored once your phone is returned by synching iTunes
• Peer to Peer support for multiplayer gaming
• Accessory support
• Google maps can be put into any application
• Free for all iPhones, US$9.95 for iPod Touch
• Available June 17

The 15" Macbook Pro

• Built-in (unremovable) battery
• 40% more battery life (7 hours)
• Battery will last 5 years
• SD Card slot
• Up to 3.6 GHz Dual Core Level 2 Cache
• Up to 8GB of memory
• US$1699 lowest configuration, US$1999 second, US$2299 highest

The 13" Macbook

• SD Card slot
• 40% more battery life (7 hours)
  
• Battery will last 5 years
  
• Up to 8GB of memory
  
• US$1199 lowest configuration, US$1499 highest
• Difference between them is one has 160GB HDD and another 250GB HDD
• FireWire 800 (a returned feature, not new)
• It's now called the Macbook Pro

Macbook Air

• US$1499 lowest configuration, US$1799 highest
• Difference between them is one has 120GB HDD and another 128GB SSD

Snow Leopard OSX

• Exchange support built into Mail, iCal and Address Book
• Exchange support is free, requires Exchange Server 2007
• Expose built into the Dock
• 3D rendering for the Dock
• Recovers 6GB of storage space after installing
• Spell out Chinese characters using trackpad
• Safari faster than any browser on any platform (4.78x than IE8)
• Safari Full History search allows you to Cover Flow though your browser history
• Crash resistance feature
• Quicktime 10 with ColorSync, HTTP streaming and Hardware acceleration
• Edit and convert videos directly from Quicktime to export to various devices (i.e. iPod Touch, iPhone)
• New Magnifier blows up thumbnails within Finder
• Snow Leopard costs US$29 for all Leopard users!!!
• Available this September