SHOWCASE: Apple previewed its iPhone OS 3.0 software today and announced the availability of a beta software release to registered developers. The iPhone OS 3.0 beta release includes updates to the Software Development Kit (SDK) with 1000+ new APIs such as In-App Purchases, Peer-to-Peer connections and Push Notifications.

Apple's highly anticipated iPhone OS 3.0 will finally give you cut and paste, and MMS, among others.

The OS 3.0 also includes over 100 features for the iPhone and iPod touch, including:

• Cut, copy and paste features
• MMS
• Landscape view for Mail, Text and Notes
• Stereo Bluetooth support
• Syncing Notes to the Mac and PC
• Shuffle shake feature
• Parental controls for TV shows, movies and apps from the App Store
• Automatic login at Wi-Fi hot spots
• Voice Memo app
• Expanded search for all key iPhone apps
• Spotlight search
• Updated Stock app (shows recent news, opening/average price, landscape view)
• Shared calendar viewing with CalDAV support and syncing with iCal, Yahoo, Google and Oracle

According to Apple, its App Store has more than 25,000 applications available to consumers, and 15 more countries have been added so the App Store, making it accessible in 77 countries and reaching more than 30 million iPhone and iPod touch users around the world. (Editor opinions: 1)

David Chieng, Editor, HWM Singapore

David (HWM SG): There’s no doubting the fact that Apple’s been hard at work by adding a great number of features to their upcoming revision of the iPhone’s operating system, but a major bone of contention is that it took two revisions to bring something as simple as copy and paste to the iPhone.

At least Windows Mobile and other operating systems won’t be able to use that long-running rock to throw at Cupertino. On the other hand, it’s also a little disappointing that Apple continues to shortchange the iPod touch user community, this time charging US$9.95 to upgrade.

The first upgrade for the first generation iPod touch cost US$19.95, while the second one went for US$9.95. By the time the user is done with the third upgrade, they would have spent US$40 to unlock features that were already there to begin with (i.e. Bluetooth).

This is a practise many are deriding as having to pay for a driver update, effectively relegating the iPod touch community to second-tier status behind the iPhone. This, despite the fact that many iPod touch users continue to use, and pay for, apps downloaded from the iTunes App Store.