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   iOS 6 to Ship 19 September 2012

   Tonya Engst

   During Apple's press event to announce the iPhone 5, the company
   showcased a few [1]iOS 6 apps and confirmed plans to make the new iOS 6
   mobile operating system available on 19 September 2012.

   iOS 6 will run on the just-announced iPhone 5 and the 5th-generation
   iPod touch (coming in October 2012), as well as on the already released
   iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S, the 4th-generation iPod touch, the iPad 2, and
   the 3rd-generation iPad.

   If you've read Apple's June announcement of iO6 (see '[2]Apple Previews
   iOS 6 for Fall Release,' 11 June 2012), nothing about Apple's iOS 6
   demo today was especially surprising. Much of the demo was devoted to
   showing the attractive new [3]Maps app, which is entirely redesigned
   and no longer uses Google's mapping software. It features audible
   turn-by-turn navigation, enhanced zooming and panning with vector-based
   images, and Siri integration for locating nearby services. (Your
   experience will vary depending on which device you have: turn-by-turn
   navigation won't work on the iPhone 3GS and 4, and fourth-generation
   iPod touch, and Siri isn't available on the iPhone 3GS and 4, iPad 2,
   and fourth-generation iPod touch.)

   Apple also noted that in iOS 6, Notification Center can post to Twitter
   and Facebook; the Safari Web browser has a new fullscreen landscape
   mode; with iCloud Tabs, iCloud can now list your open Safari tabs among
   devices running iOS 6 or OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion; and the VIP feature
   introduced in Apple Mail in Mountain Lion will make its way into the
   iOS 6 Mail app, and those VIP lists can sync between devices. Siri
   remains in beta but has become more capable: the service can now launch
   apps via voice, get sports information, list movie times at nearby
   theaters, and post updates to Facebook. In addition, the iTunes Store,
   App Store, and iBookstore apps have been redesigned to make them easier
   to navigate.

   [4]Passbook, the only entirely new Apple app in iOS 6, will help you
   organize and use digital coupons, gift cards, tickets, and airplane
   boarding passes. The app uses 2D barcodes to encapsulate information
   that can be scanned in order to, for example, redeem a coupon, show
   purchased movie tickets, or board a plane.

References

   1. http://www.apple.com/ios/
   2. http://tidbits.com/article/13056
   3. http://www.apple.com/ios/maps/
   4. http://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/#passbook