iPhone 3.0 adds Copy & Paste, MMS, global Spotlight search

[AppleInsider]

At the preview of the new iPhone 3.0 platform, Apple announced new features for users that include the ability to select text for copy and paste between applications, MMS, and scores of other new features.

New text editing features

Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president of iPhone software, demonstrated a new text selection feature that will allow users to select text by double tapping on a word. That action brings up a popup of copy, cut, and paste buttons, along with selection markers that users can drag to expand their text selection.

Once the selection is made, the buttons allow for usual copy, cut or paste features. The new feature works across any application, and adds undo support. Apple also demonstrated pasting multiple photos into Mail.

Apple is also adding a landscape, wide keyboard mode to other apps outside of Safari, including Mail, Notes, and the new MMS messages app.

Copying and Pasting in on app

You double tap onto the text, and it automatically selects that text, adding grab points you can drag to customize your selection.

Above the drag points is a Cut/Copy/Paste bubble that allows you to choose your operation (in this case "Copy").

Once you've copied the text, navigate to the place where you'd like to paste the text and double tap to bring up the Select/Select All/Paste bubble.

The select choose your operation (in this case "Paste"). That's Copy & Paste on the iPhone.

To expand a selection, grab the right or left grab point and drag it along the text. A magnifying glass will popup to help you with your selection.

Copy & Pasting across apps

To Copy and Paste across applications, simply copy or cut the text from the first application as described above. Then hit the iPhone's home button.

Next, launch the app you wish to paste the content into, double click in the precise area you want the text to appear, then select "Paste" from the popup bubble.

And the copied text appears in the second application..

Copy & Pasting web content

Copying and Pasting web content leverages WebKit's smart container selector (used to isolate content when double tapping in Mobile Safari). A double tap in a Web blurb selects the entire blurb.

You can then expand the content to other web containers, blurbs, etc by using the grab points. The copied content can then be pasted across apps.

Undo

To undo any form of copy and paste, simply shake the iPhone/iPod touch to bring up the Undo/Redo selection overlay.

Copying and Pasting multiple photos to Mail

You can also copy and paste multiple photos into Mail messages by selecting the action button at the bottom of a photo gallery and then selecting the images.

Then return to mail. Double tap where you want to paste the photos. Select "Paste." And you're all set.

Landscape mode for all key apps

With iPhone 3.0, Apple is expanding landscape mode (with landscape keyboard) to Mail, Notes, and MMS Messages.

Multimedia Messaging

The current SMS app is also being updated into the Messaging app, with support for individual forward and deletion of messages (rather than just clearing the entire conversation log), and support for MMS picture messaging, which is very popular in the UK and Europe. Users will also be able to text other mobile users their contact vCards, audio clips, and geographic locations.

The new Messages app will allow you to forward and delete individual messages (or multiple messages) without having to clear your entire message history for a contact.

It will also allow you to send and receive photos, audio files, contact cards (using the vCard standard, which can then be saved to your address book), and Locations.

MMS is part of the 3G mobile networking specification and therefore will only work on the iPhone 3G, and only when it has 3G service. MMS also incurs additional messaging fees. Apple designed the original iPhone to use standard internet email for sending pictures, and has been awfully quiet about MMS while reviewers demanded it be added.

New Voice Memos app

Apple will also be including a new application called Voice Memos, which uses the built in mic or mic-integrated headphones to record audio clips that can be edited and then sent to other users via Email or MMS.

The interface for recording memos in Apple's new Voice Memos App.

CalDAV Calender

The iPhone's Calendar app is being updated to support the emerging CalDAV specification used by Apple's iCal Server and the open source Darwin Calendar Server, as well as other third party calendaring products. This will allow users to create calendars that can be shared with members of their family.

A new version of the Calendar app will support CalDav shared calendars and Subscription calendars (so you an follow your favorite sports team).

That will enable third parties an open mechanism for supporting mobile calendar features. The new Calendar also now works with subscribed .ics iCalendar feeds, which populate calendar events based on an RSS feed. This feature is popular for users wishing to subscribe to a calendar containing their favorite sports team's schedule, for instance.

Note sync

The 3.0 update will also add support for Note sync.

Spotlight search

A new global Spotlight search feature can be used to quickly find and launch an application (without having to scroll to your 8th home screen), or to search content content across all apps. It's immediately accessible by flicking the home-screen to the left.

Spotlight will search across all your applications on an iPhone or iPod touch.

Mail, Notes, iPod, and Calendar are also gaining their own built-in search. The Mail search digs through headers, and if it doesn't find matches to messages on the iPhone itself, it will extend the mail search to messages on the mail server. This is supported by Exchange and most IMAP servers.

Other application features

The iPod app now supports "shake to shuffle" during playback, iTunes account creation. Apps in general get access to the iPod library, new audio video tags, live streaming of audio and video, and A2DP stereo Bluetooth headphone support.

YouTube gains support for subscriptions, accounts, and ratings. Safari gains support for encrypted profiles, anti-phishing flagging of suspect sites, and auto-fill forms.

Apple's Stocks app is being expanded to show news headlines and stock details, such as highs, lows, and MarketCap.

The Stock app gains support for company new headlines, high and low tracking, and landscape mode for stock graphs. Meanwhile, Phone gets call log support and OTA profiles. VPN on demand features have also been added.

The new iPhone 3.0 software will be available this summer, free to all iPhone users and $9.95 for iPod touch users. Certain features, including MMS, GPS, and A2DP Stereo Bluetooth, will only work on the iPhone 3G due to hardware features lacking on the original iPhone or iPod touch. The original iPod touch also lacks a built in mic input. A Developer Beta is available today, and Apple said it wants developers to get started with the new platform immediately.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[TBaggins]

Yay! FINALLY! So much for everyone who was talking up email and how MMS support was "not needed".


They also allowed that nice, bigger landscape keyboard into other apps than Safari:





And finally added cut-copy-paste:





All the stuff that should've been in months ago, finally here. All is forgiven, Apple.

(well, okay, a better camera and video-recording is still needed last I checked, but still... )
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[tazinlwfl]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

At the preview of the new iPhone 3.0 platform, Apple announced new features for users that include ... MMS, and scores of other new features.

Man I'm so pissed that I can't do MMS with my 2G iPhone
I'll wait for the next one in June (hoping that there will be one)

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by tazinlwfl

Man I'm so pissed that I can't do MMS with my 2G iPhone
I'll wait for the next one in June (hoping that there will be one)

Yah, that was the one major bummer. Ya gotta have the 3G model. Not a nice thing for many.

It'll help drive the upgrade cycle, tho', eh? Eval.
.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by TBaggins

Yay! FINALLY! So much for everyone who was talking up email and how MMS support was "not needed".

It's not needed - it's just more convenient for some. At an anally-raping price. Knock yourself out, I'll be looking for the way to turn it off, since most of us in the US *can't* block them at the service provider, unlike the rest of the world.

[w00master]

I'm going to find it fascinating and interesting seeing how many people who claim that MMS is useless now will b*tch and moan that they can't do it on their original iPhone.

Continuing... I'll say the nay-sayers of copy and paste now will be singing it's praises.

Guess what people? IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THERE SINCE THE START.

[ClemyNX]

this update is really cool, seems that everything that everone was waiting for is there, and even more. I like the fact that we can finally log into a youtube account.

[NOFEER]

so with all that "upgrade" any hints as to
voice dialing
video conferencing (they said they will support streaming video, audio right?)

[ClemyNX]

and tethering is supported!

[sausage&Onion]

Damn. How much is AT&T going to fuck me for MMS support, I wonder? I hope to Christ that its not a mandatory part of the plan. Even better would be the ability to disable MMS entirely. If I'm not paying for them and then someone sends me one, I dont want to pay 2 bucks because I decided that I dont want in. Oh well. Im fairly surprised about the bluetooth. That's surprising.

Pretty much everything on the list aside from flash got hit. Amazing! Not bad Apple, its been a while since I've left one of these things without feeling disappointed.

[tazinlwfl]

Originally Posted by w00master

I'm going to find it fascinating and interesting seeing how many people who claim that MMS is useless now will b*tch and moan that they can't do it on their original iPhone.

Continuing... I'll say the nay-sayers of copy and paste now will be singing it's praises.

Guess what people? IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THERE SINCE THE START.

I'm only gonna bitch about MMS because 3G iPhones get it and 2G users dont.

So not only did I pay $600 for my phone, but I don't get something as "simple" as MMS? I understand the Turn-by-turn GPS - I accept not having the hardware

but for software? C'mon

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by Kickaha

It's not needed

Apple does not appear to agree.

At an anally-raping price.

What are you talking about? Ever see a messaging plan? I have one, 250 msgs/month for five bucks. As little as two pennies a msg. Oh noooo, I feel so 'anally-raped'... yeesh. Talk about drama-queening.

Face it, lots of ppl will use the MMS and are happy it's here. And it's another plus for the iPhone, so win-win for Apple and the user. What's to hate on?
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[Haggar]

Apple should not allow third parties to create native iPhone applications. Nobody needs native iPhone applications. Web apps are really really SWEET.

Apple should not support copy and paste on the iPhone. Nobody needs copy and paste on the iPhone..

Apple should not support MMS on the iPhone. Nobody needs MMS on the iPhone.

Apple will not make a video iPod. Nobody wants to watch video on an iPod.

Apple will never make a multibutton mouse.

Apple will never switch to Intel processors.

[ivan.rnn01]

What I got from Live Coverage is:

• cut 'n' paste implementation is not really system-wide and is not consistent with existing gesture scheme;
• is quite limited not to say useless; the typical operation is to paste into edited text, not to cut from it.

Further more systematic reports may certainly alter my opinion, but right now I dare say, Apple fails to solve cut 'n' paste puzzle.

Besides, there is a lot of really cool stuff in 3.0...

[bmson]

What about selling iPhone in Iceland?

I'm waiting...
Now I'm using "illegal" iphone.. I would like to buy one legally

[iReality85]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Apple is also adding a landscape, wide keyboard mode to other apps outside of Safari.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!

Did I say it enough?

[dr_lha]

What's the reasoning behind not supporting MMS on original iPhones? As a decision it seems arbitrary at best, given that my 2 year old phone I owned before I got my original iPhone 2 years ago supported it, its hard to believe that the original iPhone doesn't have the grunt to support such a simple feature.

[tazinlwfl]

Originally Posted by tazinlwfl

I'm only gonna bitch about MMS because 3G iPhones get it and 2G users dont.

So not only did I pay $600 for my phone, but I don't get something as "simple" as MMS? I understand the Turn-by-turn GPS - I accept not having the hardware

but for software? C'mon

Q: Is there a physical hardware problem on the first-gen iPhone that prevents it from doing MMS.
A: It’s a different radio, so it is a physical issue.

Dammit!
-makes sense

[TheFatWookie]

Originally Posted by TBaggins

Yah, that was the one major bummer. Ya gotta have the 3G model. Not a nice thing for many.

It'll help drive the upgrade cycle, tho', eh? Eval.
.

Where does it say that this only works with 3G. The 3.0 platform will be available to all iPhones free of charge and to iTouch for $9.95. SOME of the new features will only work on the 3G, but I would suspect that is limited to anything requiring GPS.......?

[Amorph]

Originally Posted by TBaggins

Apple does not appear to agree.

If enough of their users scream MMS! MMS! they'll include it regardless of the merits.

Originally Posted by TBaggins

What are you talking about? Ever see a messaging plan? I have one, 250 msgs/month for five bucks.

That's email circa 1989.

What are the concrete benefits of this again? What reason would I have to a) use this in preference to email, and b) pay more per month to avoid getting anally raped because someone else decides to send me a lot of messages that I am perfectly happy to receive as email?

[ckipel]

Any word of when the 3.0 firmware is going to be released?

[OzzieTheOWl]

Originally Posted by tazinlwfl

Man I'm so pissed that I can't do MMS with my 2G iPhone
I'll wait for the next one in June (hoping that there will be one)

The software update will be available for all current iPhone and iTouches, free for iphone users, 9.95 for the iTouches, with certain features not available to first generation iPhones (probably anything related to GPS).

[ivan.rnn01]

Originally Posted by ckipel

Any word of when the 3.0 firmware is going to be released?

This summer. Free for iPhone 3G owner, $9.95 for iPod Touches...

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by Haggar

Apple should not allow third parties to create native iPhone applications. Nobody needs native iPhone applications. Web apps are really really SWEET.

Apple should not support copy and paste on the iPhone. Nobody needs copy and paste on the iPhone..

Apple should not support MMS on the iPhone. Nobody needs MMS on the iPhone.

Apple will not make a video iPod. Nobody wants to watch video on an iPod.

Apple will never make a multibutton mouse.

Apple will never switch to Intel processors.

Hahahahaha, so true, Haggar, so true.

I'm so tired of the "Apple didn't put it in, so we don't NEED it" rationalizations. It's so very fanboi, and it gets blown up for the lunacy it is on days like today.
.

[TenoBell]

For those of you who like to give your carrier extra money for no reason, you have MMS.

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by TheFatWookie

Where does it say that this only works with 3G. The 3.0 platform will be available to all iPhones free of charge and to iTouch for $9.95. SOME of the new features will only work on the 3G, but I would suspect that is limited to anything requiring GPS.......?

From Engadget:

"What about the rest of us? iPhone OS 3.0 will be available this Summer. A free update to all of our iPhone 3G customers. And it works on the original iPhone. Now the hardware has changed between these two devices. For instance, A2DP and MMS won't be available on the iPhone 1st gen. It's also available for the iPod touch... for $9.95."

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.
.

[Hattig]

Originally Posted by w00master

I'm going to find it fascinating and interesting seeing how many people who claim that MMS is useless now will b*tch and moan that they can't do it on their original iPhone.

Continuing... I'll say the nay-sayers of copy and paste now will be singing it's praises.

Guess what people? IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THERE SINCE THE START.

Creating a whole new platform and UI takes time. It is understandable that some features were not ready or not accessible. You can't just throw more developers at the problem, some things take time.

That said, Cut and Paste should have been higher up the list of important things to do.

[turboredmr2]

All the new features look fantastic. Im particularly looking forward to making my iphone a credit card scanning machine...

but come on, no video recording capability AGAIN?!!??!!? what the hell is going on? I can understand not allowing to send video that hogs bandwidth, but what the hell are they doing limiting this feature after 2.5 years?

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

For those of you who like to give your carrier extra money for no reason, you have MMS.

There, there Teno. It'll be okay.
.

[hotmarkb]

I feel so let down after that

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by TBaggins

Hahahahaha, so true, Haggar, so true.

I'm so tired of the "Apple didn't put it in, so we don't NEED it" rationalizations. It's so very fanboi, and it gets blown up for the lunacy it is on days like today.
.

Read Amorph's reply, he gets it. It is not 'needed' - there are other perfectly viable routes for sending the same data to the same devices. What it is, for those who want it, is merely convenient. And they will pay something on the order of 8200x the data rate for the privilege. Yes, that's eight-thousand two-hundred times as much. I'd rather not. In fact, I outright resent being forced to pay for some drunken idiot's 4am MMS to me because "d00d this r awsum!" and he just couldn't control himself. And he got me by mistake because of a misdial. If the carriers let me shut it off, I wouldn't have a problem with other people opting in, but I can't opt out of the extortion racket.

That $5 a month you're paying is simply extortion. I mean, why not just send me the $5 bucks instead?

It's not being a fanboi, it's realizing when you're being mugged over a barrel for no reason. I don't care *who* made the phone, SMS and MMS are pure extortion.

[F1Turbo]

SPOTLIGHT! Awesome! Even if I have to put all my memos/documents etc into 1 giant Notes folder, will still be a huge step up from today.

[SpamSandwich]

MMS is ridiculous, but there it is. As for copy/cut/paste, I never considered it THAT important but it'll be nice to have. Now they need to double the RAM onboard the iPhone tho'.

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by Amorph

If enough of their users scream MMS! MMS! they'll include it regardless of the merits.

That could be said about any feature the iPhone has, frankly.

Fact is, ppl wanted it, it's in, and everybody's happy. 'Cept those who drank the "mobile email is going to take over 100% completely in a year or so" kool-aid, and can't handle that MMS is going to be around for awhile. And popular too.

The Apple Community™- The only place crazy enough where some ppl get mad because a popular, ubiquitous mainstream feature was included, instead of excluded.
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[macFanDave]

It has been cloudy for about a week here in Houston, and the forecast has been for more cloudiness for days. However, once Apple announced that cut-and-paste will be on the iPhone, the clouds parted and the sun shone!

Conclusion: Cut-and-paste on the iPhone makes God happy!

[teckstud]

Now that SJ has OK'd MMS I guess all the losers on here that have called me a troll and said noboody need MMS will do an about face and now think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Read Amorph's reply, he gets it. It is not 'needed' - there are other perfectly viable routes for sending the same data to the same devices. What it is, for those who want it, is merely convenient.

And there you have it. And that was good enough for many ppl to want it, and for Apple to include it.

Don't like it? Take it up with them, I guess.
.

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by hotmarkb

I feel so let down after that

Too much anal raping??

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by bmson

What about selling iPhone in Iceland? ...

I think the complete collapse of Iceland's economy and banking system has more to do with this than Apple's choice of sales partners.

Is Iceland even a country anymore?

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Now that SJ has OK'd MMS I guess all the losers on here that have called me a troll and said noboody need MMS will do an about face a think it's now the best thing since sliced bread.

*all the MMS users spike the football in the end-zone and do the funky chicken* 8)
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