iOS 6 Now Available!

Like previous iOS updates, iOS 6 brings with it numerous new features, fleshing out the already extremely polished iDevice Operating System. Granted, if any of you have gone through updates in the past, chances are you'll probably end up waiting to update, either waiting for all of the bugs that pop up to be dealt with and fixed in iOS 6.1, or waiting for all of your games to be updated so that you know that they'll work with the new OS. But for those of you who have been eagerly awaiting for this new OS, or are getting a new iPhone/iPod Touch 5, here's some of what you can expect with the new system;

**Note, all of this info has been copied from www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/

NEW MAPS

Beautifully designed from the ground up (and the sky down), Maps changes the way you see the world. Map elements are vector based, so graphics and text are incredibly detailed — even when you zoom all the way in — and panning is smooth. Tilt and rotate to view an area, and Maps keeps the names of streets and places where they belong. Get visual and spoken turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic updates. Even soar over cityscapes to see the sights from the air in amazing, high-resolution quality.

SIRI

With iOS 6, Siri understands more languages and works in more countries.2 So you can get more things done in more places around the world. Want to know the latest scores and stats for your favorite teams and players? Thanks to iOS 6, Siri knows the answers. Or maybe it’s movie night. Siri can show you the latest reviews and showtimes. Find the best restaurants in town and make reservations. Even have Siri open your apps for you — no tapping required. Say “Launch Flight Tracker” or “Open Angry Birds” and Siri does just that. You can also use Siri to post Facebook updates and tweet for you.

FACEBOOK INTEGRATION

Now it’s easier than ever to interact with the world’s largest social network. And there’s no need to leave your app to do it. Share a photo to Facebook right from Camera or Photos. Post your location right from Maps. Brag about a high score right from Game Center. If you have your hands full, just ask Siri to post for you. You need to sign in to Facebook only once, and you’ll be off and sharing. Never miss another birthday or get-together, since Facebook events are integrated into Calendar. And your Facebook friends’ profile information is integrated into Contacts, so when they update an email address or phone number you automatically stay up to date. Now that’s something to post about.

SHARED PHOTO STREAMS

Now you can share just the photos you want, with just the people you choose. Simply select photos from the Photos app, tap the Share button, choose who you want to share your photos with, and they’re on their way. Friends using iCloud on an iOS 6 device or a Mac running Mountain Lion get the photos delivered immediately in the Photos app or iPhoto. You can even view Shared Photo Streams on Apple TV. If the folks you're sharing with aren’t using an Apple device, they can view your photos on the web. People can like individual photos and make comments. And you can share as much as you want: Your Shared Photo Streams don’t count against your iCloud storage, and they work over Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

PASSBOOK

Your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more are now all in one place. With Passbook, you can scan your iPhone or iPod touch to check in for a flight, get into a movie, and redeem a coupon. You can also see when your coupons expire, where your concert seats are, and the balance left on that all-important coffee bar card. Wake your iPhone or iPod touch, and passes appear on your Lock screen at the appropriate time and place — like when you reach the airport or walk into the store to redeem your gift card or coupon. And if your gate changes after you’ve checked in for your flight, Passbook will even alert you to make sure you’re not relaxing in the wrong terminal.

FACETIME

FaceTime now works over cellular networks as well as Wi-Fi, so you can make and receive FaceTime calls wherever you happen to be.3 You can even make and receive FaceTime calls on your iPad using your phone number. That means you can use FaceTime wherever you are, on any device. And never miss another wink, smile, air kiss, or eye roll.

PHONE

iOS 6 adds new calling features to your iPhone. Now when you decline an incoming call, you can instantly reply with a text message or set a callback reminder. And when things are just too hectic, turn on Do Not Disturb and you won’t be bothered by anyone — except can’t-miss contacts like your boss or your better half.

MAIL

Redesigned with a more streamlined interface for easier reading and writing, Mail in iOS 6 lets you set up a VIP list so you’ll never miss an important message from your accountant, your boss, or your BFF. It’s even easier to add photos and videos to email messages. And to refresh your mailboxes, all you have to do is swipe down.

SAFARI

iOS 6 brings even better web browsing to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iCloud Tabs keeps track of which pages you have open on your devices, so you can start browsing on one device and pick up right where you left off, on whatever device is handy. Safari now saves web pages — not just links — in your Reading List, so you can catch up on your reading even when you can’t connect to the Internet.4 And when you’re posting a photo or video to eBay, Craigslist, or another site, you can take photos and video — or choose from your Camera Roll — without leaving Safari. When you really want to see the whole picture, turn your iPhone or iPod touch to landscape and tap the full-screen icon to view web pages without distractions.

ACCESSIBILITY

iOS 6 comes with even more features to make it easier for people with vision, hearing, learning, and mobility disabilities to get the most from their iOS devices. Guided Access helps students with disabilities such as autism remain on task and focused on content. It allows a parent, teacher, or administrator to limit an iOS device to one app by disabling the Home button, as well as restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen. VoiceOver, the revolutionary screen reader for blind and low-vision users, is now integrated with Maps, AssistiveTouch, and Zoom. And Apple is working with top manufacturers to introduce Made for iPhone hearing aids that will deliver a power-efficient, high-quality digital audio experience.

CAMERA

The new panorama feature for iPhone and iPod touch lets you capture everything from a momentous family reunion photo to a sweeping vista.6 With one simple motion you can shoot up to 240 degrees — even vertically, to get that redwood tree, say. Then hardware and software work together to create one seamless, high-resolution panorama.

Now, personally, I'm not too excited about any of the new features, except for the Maps. I use the map app on my iPod+iPad all the time, and the new features for this look amazing. Granted, all of the other features will definitely come in handy, but I don't think I'll really utilize them until further on down the road when I finally get an iPhone. For those of you who share photos, use Facebook, Siri, Facetime, ect... on a regular basis will probably notice all of the new features right away, and become accustomed to them fairly quickly. 

All of this is definitely a larger step in the right direction, even though that direction is being constantly changed by Apple, their services are becoming more and more user friendly, making everything we do on a daily basis easier and easier. 

BUT... keep in mind that not every game has been updated to work with the new OS, and that it might take a while for all of the bugs to get worked out. So update at your own risk.

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