Highlights from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference

Today at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company pulled the curtain back on a plethora of new features for both its mobile and computer-based operating systems. You've already read about iCloud, so we've condensed the rest of the hours of announcements into an easily-digestible list, so let's dive right in! 

New notifications
The leap from Apple's iOS 3.2 to iOS 4 brought with it some dramatic changes. Multitasking, folders, and a customizable home screen were all foreign concepts before number 4 changed everything. Now iOS 5 is here, and it brings with it some notable additions that are sure to please both Apple diehards, as well as those still warming up to the idea of owning an iDevice. The most immediately recognizable change is a revamped notification system.

The current notification system has been a point of complaint for iPhone and iPad users for a good long while. Obtrusive windows that take over the screen and put a halt to whatever else you might be doing isn't exactly a user-friendly approach, and the new system changes that. It's called the Notification Center, and it groups all of your current iOS notifications into one easy-to-browse list. In an Android-like fashion, pulling down on the home screen from the top brings down your list of unchecked notifications, making it a one-stop shop for reading new text messages and checking voicemails. 

OS X Lion
Apple has been testing and teasing the newest version of its computer operating system, OS X Lion, for many months, and now it's finally here. Among the long list of additions is a brand new Mission Control mode which not only displays all the windows you currently have up and running, but also displays your dashboard, Mac apps, and other programs in convenient groups. 

Another interesting addition is the Launchpad. Launchpad displays all of your installed apps and programs in a fashion similar to iOS devices. Small icons represent each application, which can then be grouped based on type or put into app folders, just like on iPhone and iPad. You can start Launchpad by making a pinching gesture on either your Apple multitouch mouse or MacBook touchpad, which is just one of several new multitouch gestures being integrated into Lion. In another first, Lion will be the first OS available via Apple's Mac App Store, and will cost a very affordable $29. 

PC Free
Another huge announcement is that iOS 5 devices won't have to connect to a computer to receive incremental software updates. Previously, every new software change, including your initial setup after purchasing the phone, required a lengthy syncing and updating process through iTunes. Now, over-the-air updates will bring new security patches and features right to your phone without the need to sync to a computer. And if you've just purchased a new iOS 5 device, you can go through the entire setup process without ever plugging it into a computer.

You can also sync your iTunes music, picture, and video libraries with your iPad or iPhone over wifi, cutting out the need for that pesky white wire that our pets seem to love to nibble on. 

iMessage
Not content to simply use threaded cellular texts for interpersonal communication, Apple introduced a new messaging service called — you guessed it — iMessage. It works much like the popular BlackBerry Messenger, allowing for short bursts of text to be rapidly exchanged between iPhone users. It differs from simple texting in that it notifies you when a message you sent has been delivered and read, as well as when someone is typing a reply.

So there you have it: Apple's yearly developer's conference hasn't hailed the coming of a new iPhone, but it has given the company's current hardware a mighty large software facelift. iOS 5 is scheduled to launch this fall, and OS X Lion will be available in July of this year.

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