WWDC 2008 Roundup
Over a week has passed since WWDC commenced with Steve Jobs announcing the release of the iPhone 3G. I will try my best to cover the event from every angle and feel free to comment on your thoughts about WWDC 2008.
iPhone 3G
The iPhone 3G will boast of download speeds as high as 1.4Mbps while average data speeds clocks in at ~100Kbps on a EDGE network. It is still unknown if the iPhone is capable of making and receiving video calls.
Apart from faster data transfer speeds, the iPhone sports a new design. The back is now plastic (black on the 8GB model, black or white on the 16GB model) and the volume buttons on the side are now silvery metal. The headphone jack is now flushed and not recessed so you can use any pair of earphones without the need for an adapter.
The overall feel of the iPhone is thicker but the handset’s edges are thinner and more curved than in the previous version. The new phone weighs a little less but the difference can be neglected.
Another feature worth mentioning is built-in GPS. There are no maps loaded onto the device so a steady connection to Google Maps is required. Oh, it doesn’t talk to you either.
The iPhone 3G will sell at US$199 and US$299 for the 8GB and 16GB models respectively. It will be available from July 11 in 22 countries including Australia, Hong Kong and Japan.
MobileMe
In short, MobileMe is Exchange for the rest of us or a re branded .Mac to some of us. We all use multiple devices at home, school or work and up till now, there isn’t a foolproof way to sync all the data between them. MobileMe will work with Macs, PC, iPhone and the iPod Touch. You will have access to all your email, calendar, contacts, photos and files regardless of where you are.
Existing users of .Mac will receive an automatic upgrade to the new service.
With an annual subscription of US$99 or US$149 for the individual and family pack, MobileMe is cheap considering you get 20GB of combined email and file storage and 200GB of monthly data transfer. The option of purchasing more storage is available as well.
iPhone 2.0 Software Update
The iPhone 2.0 Software Update is probably the most exciting announcement in my opinion. Sure, we are knew it was in the works but I was blown away by some of the apps that were demoed! Check out the new features here.
SproutCore
A lesser known announcement but equally important is SproutCore. SproutCore is essentially a full MVC application framework for JavaScript. Many developers are already calling it “Cocoa for Windows” and “Flash Killer!” You check out the demos that are currently available but to understand the framework better, Daniel Dilger of RoughlyDrafted Magazine has written an excellent article on the new application.
