Google Maps & more: For the first time, developers will be able to create software with maps embedded into it with relative ease. This API will provide the tools, but developers will have to supply their own maps; they won’t be able to use the proprietary ones that are part of Google Maps.

In addition, Apple will start allowing developers to access the iPhone‘s location information to create navigation software with turn-by-turn directions. Bring on TomTom, or Garmin.

Peer-to-Peer Connectivity: This will allow two iPhone‘s or iPod touches to connect to each other over Bluetooth to play head-to-head games. Thanks to this upcoming feature, two devices that are near each other and are both running the same game will automatically seek each other out. While gaming is the most obvious use for this, Apple promised there would be others.

In-App-Purchase: This will allow companies to sell items from within applications. On-device e-book stores is one example, but developers will also be able to sell additional levels for their games. Naturally, this will still be tied to the iTunes App Store, and Apple will get 30% of the revenue.

Cut, Copy & Paste (Finally): Confirming the earlier rumors, iPhone 3.0 will – finally – allow iPhone users to cut & paste and copy & paste. Naturally, the process for selecting text will take advantage of this device’s multi-touch screen. This feature will be available in Apple‘s own software and third-party apps.
And it extends to more than just text. Users will be able to copy images and paste them into an email. You can also Cut, Copy & Paste between different apps, so from Safari to Mail for instance.

MMS, A2DP & more: iPhone 3.0 will also mark the arrival of other features long available in the iPhone‘s competitors, including MMS messaging, Stereo Bluetooth, device search, and voice memos. This should mean you can use already created hands free kits, or bluetooth music devices.
In addition, landscape support is being added to more of the bundled applications.
Apple is also going to release a new SDK (software developer kit) for handling streaming audio and video, including HDTV streaming.

A few other features that speak for themselves:

Forwarding of SMS
Search functionality in all applications like mail and even on an Exchange Server
Spotlight home screen with search
Notes Sync
Whole new set of API’s
New api for streaming video and audio
Use your iPhone to remotely control accessories
CalDAV Support
Updated Stocks app (Streaming news headlines, highs, lows, and PEs. Also a landscape mode)
Shake to Shuffle (iPod Nano feature)
Wifi Auto login
LDAP
iTunes account creation
YouTube ratings
Anti-Phishing
Call Log
Parental Controls
Media Scrubber
OTA Profiles
VPD on Demand
Languages
YouTube Subscriptions
YouTube Accounts
Encrypted Profiles
Tethering
Send/Receive files between devices

You can watch the Apple presentations of the new iPhone 3.o release here.

Thanks to Brighthand.com for some of the information.

I have never walked passed a TV in the shops, and had to step back and take another look, till now that is. This Sony not only looks good on the outside, but the picture quality is amazingly sharp. Watching Blu-Ray on this puppy you can see every flaw, every strand of hair, and every colour. The blacks are deep, and whites are really white and bright. The build quality feels solid too, like it was built to last.

I have hooked up my PS3 to the KDL-40W4500, and might I say the clarity is amazing. Playing games even at 720p looks perfect and at 1080p its unbelievable, colours are vibrant and bright, you can even see the tiniest details. Even normal TV or Sky looks really decent for a big panel. Granted its not HD but it upscales really well.

Sound is great too, not the best I have ever heard but its good none the less.

The MotionFlow 100Hz is a nice option, but one that I will rarely use. I have tried movies on High or 100Hz and it makes them look unreal, and just not right at all. It almost adds in frames that weren’t there in the first place, so lip sync looks a bit off, when its not. The only good thing about using MotionFlow at High would be for sports. Watching normal TV or Movies on Standard MotionFlow looks great. So being able to up the Hz a little bit is a good thing, but going full 100Hz or even the new 200Hz is pointless.

Only downside I have to say,  when your in a dark room and have used the KDL-40W4500 for awhile I noticed there are some light corners. Its noticeable but not off putting. You can also remedy this problem by turning down the Backlight, altho this does not vanish altogether. Another thing some people have been experiencing slight clouding issues, altho I have not, Sony has released this fix for it:

To achieve a high level of performance and picture clarity, Sony utilises a very bright backlight setting. This helps deliver the brightest picture possible, as well as exceptional picture clarity even with the darkest image sources.

However, under certain dark viewing conditions, the setting may cause the screens on some of these televisions to exhibit a slight uneven uniformity, especially for a blank screen with no video source.

This condition is not normally visible under typical viewing situations, such as watching movies or television programmes, and should not affect viewing experience.

Should customers find that this condition affects their viewing enjoyment, we suggest adjusting the following settings to minimise this condition:

1) Setup Menu – select – Light Sensor: ON
2) Setup Menu – select – Power Saving: Low or High
3) Picture Menu — Reduce the Backlight Level eg ‘Standard’ or ‘Cinema
mode’ (Factory Setting = ‘MAX’)

The Sony KDL-40W4500 features:

• BRAVIA ENGINE 2
• DLNA home networking
• USB Photo Viewer
• Picture Frame Mode
• Easy-to-navigate XrossMediaBar to browse TV Functions (Like that on the PS3)
• 24p True Cinema
• Full HD 1080p
• BRAVIA Sync
• 3x HDMI inputs, 1 on the side, 2 at the back
• 2x Scart inputs
• Digital Media Port
• S-Force Front Surround Technology
• Digital Terrestrial Tuner
• Cable Tuner
• MotionFlow 100Hz
• 50,000:1 Contrast

The main thing so far is that there will be an overhaul of the iPod, which will let you download podcasts from your iPhone. This will be 10MB or less via your carrier, or if its bigger via your Wifi. This would explain why Apple rejected the Podcaster app last month, which offered the same thing. Seems Apple does not want competition.

Along with the iPod update, there will be Google Street View. Useful, I’m sure. I’m still waiting for when I can sit at work, log on, and check whether I left the iron plugged in. Also included in the Google update is Public Transport, so you can plan your journey from A to B, without having to go via C, D and E. Very useful.

If you ever needed to tell someone where you were, but didn’t know yourself, well now you can. Sound crazy? With Google Maps, you can send your location to anyone else. When you click the send location button, it attaches your location into a email and sends it on. This can be useful when meeting someone, and you both swear your on the right corner, but one of you can’t read your road signs. So send your location to your buddy.

Another thing added is Emoji. Emoji are picture characters that are very popular in the Japanese mobile market. They basically look like smileys or emoticons. Cute.

There is now an option to disable Auto-Correction on your iPhone. Along with this, when you delete an app, a pop up asks you to rate it first.

Also there is a refresh of Safari (nothing fancy, just a face lift). It’s not like redesigning Safari was high on my list of things I’d change or add. In fact, I don’t even think its on anyone’s list. But redesign it they did. There’s no more little magnifying glass icon at the top of the page. Instead, the address bar is shifted over and shrunk, and the search bar sits alongside it. Oh, and the refresh button becomes part of the address bar.

Yet, besides all of this, there is still no Copy & Paste, and no support for MMS! Unless, of course, you’re using Jailbreak. There is a great site called PleaseFixTheiPhone, where it’s open to the public to get a response for features they want.

Just be aware – there will likely be some bugs that could cause problems with your system. And for some reason, it’s preset to expire early 2010. You will also find an “Evaluation copy” message defacing your desktop wallpaper. There is a way to get rid of it and the expiration date too – but you’ll have to uninstall Vista SP. It’s not a bad update, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you try to install it.

So what’s new in Vista SP2?

• Windows Vista SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
• Windows Vista SP2 contains the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
• Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista.
• Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
• Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.

Windows Vista SP2 is expected to be released in final form sometime in the first half of 2009. Judging by the expiration date of Vista SP2 Beta, I’d say that sounds about right.

Basically, it’s a browser all on its own, but it allows you to open multiple versions of your site in multiple tabs using different Internet Explorer versions.

It’s really easy to use. Just click a new tab and select which version of Internet Explorer you would like to test in.

You can read more about it and download it from: Debugbar