New iPhone features in 3.0

For those of you who don't care about the iPhone, you can skip reading this item. For those who do, here's an as-it-happened report from Jason Snell and Dan Moren:

10:15 PT - DM: Peer to Peer connectivity — especially good for peer-to-peer games. Now an API lets you find all the other iPhones/iPod touches in the area playing the same game, so now you can play games with your friends over the network locally. Automatic discovery, all over Bluetooth (not via Wi-Fi), and there's no pairing — completely seamless. It also uses Bonjour. Plus, it's not just for games — works for any peer-to-peer application.

10:16 PT - JS: Using Bluetooth is really smart, since it means you can play games or share information with anyone, regardless of whether or not there's a wi-fi network around. Makes it much easier. (But what does that mean about iPod touch?)

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10:17 PT - DM: Next up, accessories. Thousands of developers are building thousands of accessories that work with iPods and iPhones. Here's a speaker, for example: plug your iPhone in and listen to your music. With iPhone 3.0 support is going to the next level: enable accessory developers to build custom applications that talk right to the accessories. Speaker manufacturer can build an equalizer app that can adjust settings of the speaker. Or an FM Transmitter; you can build an app to help find the optimal frequency and tunes it automatically.

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10:20 PT - DM: Next up is Maps. Worked with Google to build incredible Maps application. Developers would like to embed map into application, but would like a CocoaTouch control that can wrap Maps and insert into applications, and that's what they're offering in iPhone 3.0. The heart of the Maps application is now an API that allows you to embed a map directly in your app. As an example, here's a Concierge application that embeds a map — supports satellite, hybrid, map views, adding own locations, pinch-and-zoom, GPS, and Wi-Fi/cell location. Can even reverse geocode your location.

[. . .]

10:57 PT - JS: It's rare that you get fluffy puppies and demos from Oracle within the same 15-minute span at any event.

[. . .]

11:03 PT - DM: But iPhone 3.0 isn't just new for developers; it's new for customers too. More than 100 new features, and let's take a walk through: CUT COPY and PASTE. There's a round of applause at the appearance of a scissors icon. They think they've nailed it and Scott's going to demo for us now.

11:04 PT - DM: Scott launches Mail, and here's a message from a colleague about a flight to Hawaii (Oceanic 815? Don't get on that plane Scott!). Double-tap onto text and it automatically selects text. Pops up a cut, copy, paste bubble above the selection, and little tiny bubbles on both sides of the text, indicating the selection points. Double tap to bring up paste bubble (there's also select and select all). Want to select block? Drag the second selection point, it pops up a magnifyer, and you can adjust the end-point. That's it. I'm going to copy and paste like a fool when I get 3.0. Just because I can.