iPhone OS 3.0 released to developers

After the arrival of iPhone, things in the world of technology have been completely reshaped and modified. What was thought difficult was made easy by the man, Steve Jobs. The iPhone came and it was no less a wonder boasting of features like a Multi-touch screen, a complete multimedia device akin to the iPods, full Mac OS ported to the iPhone. But then with all the goodies comes all the drawbacks. So, Apple soon went to the drawing board once again and came up with the new Apple iPhone 3G. With more features and functionalities, people were getting increasingly happy. But again basic features like Copy/Paste functions and Forwading SMSes were omitted and Apple received huge criticisms for it.

Scott Forstall, senior vice president for iPhone software discussing the new cut, copy and paste feature

This time they have made sure we don't get much to crib out. Apple have released the iPhone OS 3.0 officially to developers and will be available to general public in June when Steve Jobs will be making his heroic comeback from his medical leave. Rather than talking too much garbage, let us delve into what the iPhone OS 3.0 has new to offer us. Here are some the key benefits out of 100-

• Cut, Copy and Paste across all applications. This announcement was greeted with thunderous applause prompting cynics to ask why people were clapping for a feature which every mobile phone already has.
• Forwading SMSes and the ability to delete multiple messages at one go.
• MMS. Not necessary but with QR codes, it can be used to sell tickets.
• Spotlight, OS X Leopard's search function will now be available making task work to be finished in a jiffy. Earlier, a lot of scrolling used to be the only thing.
• Turn by turn GPS navigation. If your city isn't mapped properly by Google Maps, you can use third-party maps to guide you.
• Support for Bluetooth stereo headphones.
• Exchange files and contacts over Bluetooth. Songs will be excluded.
• Instantly hook up with another Bluetooth phone and start playing games. No pairing is required.
• Typing e-mails in Landscape mode. You can type faster and gives you more space between keys.
• Parental Controls so that they can ban the sites and videos that they do not their children to watch.
• Better streaming of videos. iPhone will adjust playback depending on the Internet speed.
• Tethering. You can use your iPhone as a modem to get onto the Internet.
• Voice Memo. You can record your letters and mail them and even attach Contacts.
• Sending Contacts to others.
• Attach multiple photos in an e-mail. Currently you can attach only one picture.
• Search your e-mails. If it is not found on the phone, it will search the server too.
• Subscriptions. This will allow you to buy new levels of games and magazines, newspapers through the Kindle 2 app.
• Push. Instead of running applications simultaneously, draining battery life, audio and text alerts will be pushed into the closed app.
• Medical Apps will allow you to measure your blood sugar levels through an adaptor and even track your blood pressure.

With the freedom available to developers, the iPhone can be used as a control panel for practically any electronics available. You can pair iPhone with a set of speakers and use it as a digital equaliser or shake your phone to just shuffle your songs. The possibilities are endless.

iPhone 3.0 Feature list
Discuss about the iPhone OS 3.0

Is iPhone a Boon or Bane for India

We are back. That's the loud and clear message from Cupertino. Apple earlier shaking the world with it's iPod now clearly is shaking the world with the new Apple iPhone. And in it's newest 3G avatar, has it got the potential to do the difference or make an impact in India? Let us see what it really has to offer to the Indians.

The Hype

Essentially, the key element to a products success and failure. More the justification of a hype, more is the appreciation and thus profits of the product. Apple had created a lot of excitement in India before it's latest launch in India and the new price reductions in the US really meant a whole lot more fun for the Indians. But it was a short lived joy. Estimates had predicted a sale of nearly 10,000 iPhones in the first month after the launch. But the excitement soon fizzled out due to exorbitant prices charged by the providers Airtel and Vodafone (Wish BSNL was there too) and iPhone hardly sold a 1,000 units in India. Too bad for such a dream gadget. Partly because of the greed of the Indian government to make higher tax money from it and partly from the service providers so that they could benefit from the good margin. Thus all the great anticipation and excitement went down hard enough for Apple to take a beating from it. Although the iPod Touch really became a huge hit in India.

The Inside Power

An iPhone right now in India is more like a BMW on the Indian streets; full of style, class and pride! The Apple iPhone offered Multi-touch support on a 3.5 inch high resolution screen which the new one also offers. The new Apple iPhone 3G other than the obvious introduction of 3G has a lot more. But since India is yet to see 3G auctions, this feature more or less goes right into the drain. The other new introductions are the new Firmwares and the inclusion of the new App Store. Designated to make your life easily, there are many Apps to choose from and range from free to highly priced piece of creations. Although the restriction limits a lot more applications but still it's a novel concept. Performance is top class due to the inbuilt Mac OSX operating system which is quite snappy and cool. The 2MP camera is quite disappointing for a novelty like this. Other than that it features the fully loaded Safari browser and other built in Mac applications to add to your ease. Although you still cannot edit your Office documents in this one as of yet. Music and Video quality is typical Apple and great. But rather than all this, what does it really have for the Indians?

The Desi Impact

• First of all, one's biggest deterrent will have to be the locking of the SIM card to the specific provider. We Indians usually love to interchange between different providers whichever is the best but this beauty surely keeps you at bay from this.
• Next, you have the lack of SMS Forwarding, Copying options and FM radio which means most Indians will have to give this a miss. The first and the last are almost essential features in every phone for every Indian.
• The next problem is the lack of 3G support in India till now which means the new tag of Apple iPhone 3G is more or less useless.
• Lack of high Google Maps support as in the US in India also adds to Indian woes.
• When the battery goes down, it means you need to go to Apple and surrender your phone to them till the time they don't finish work and that means you are without your life support (at least for Indians).
• High price means that after seeing all the drawbacks, it makes sure that you don't buy this device at all.

So eventually, what matters is how much the drawbacks are going to affect the person's life. Right now, the Apple iPhone is more like a fashion statement than anything else in India. If you are a college goer or a young dynamic youth, then the iPhone is for you but if you are a tech freak and want only the best, then you are in for a huge disappointment. So the Doctor has advised some CAUTION pills at the moment.