New features in iOS 5

While on the surface iOS 5 looks basically the same as the previous version, the fact is that there are a large number of improvements. For example, the way that notifications are now handled has changed as the old pop-up notifications annoyed a number of people. Now the default setting has it so that every time you receive a new notification you'll see the top portion of your screen flash a message and then disappear shortly thereafter.

To see any notifications that you've received recently and might have missed, you can swipe down from the top of the screen. This will bring you to the Notification Center. In the Notification Center, you'll see any messages that you might have missed. You'll also find a few other widgets such as stocks, weather and some other information. You can also have this information appear on your lock screen. We'll talk more about Notifications in a later episode.

While on your lock screen, you can also get quick access to the Camera application and your music player. If you double-tap the home button while on the lock screen, you'll have one-tap access to the camera and you'll also be able to access the controls for your music player.

Another improvement in iOS 5 is an app called Reminders. This application lets you set reminders for yourself so that you don't have to worry about forgetting anything important and so you can stay on track of your chores. These can either be set by time or by place. We'll talk more about Reminders in an upcoming episode.

Twitter is more tightly integrated into iOS 5 as well. For example, while in Safari, you can select Share and then tap Tweet to share information about what you're looking at right through Twitter.

There is also a Newsstand app, which is kind of like iBooks only for magazines. There are also expanded messaging services (a la iChat) presented in the form of the iMessage application. This allows for more direct communications as you can see when your messages are delivered and when a person is responding to your message. You can also send photos or videos right through the app.

In iOS 5, your devices will also have more reliance on their wireless capabilities. For one thing, there's the integration with iCloud, the MobileMe successor, which allows you to store data in the cloud. This means that you can easily share data between any of your devices that you have associated with your iCloud account. Speaking of wireless, Wi-Fi sync lets you sync your iTunes content over Wi-Fi rather than physically connecting devices.

The iOS 5 update will also be the last one that is delivered by connecting your device to a computer. Any device that is purchased with iOS 5 already installed can be set up without connecting to a computer, and any device with iOS 5 installed can be updated to the next version through an over the air update. Once everything is set up, you can also back up your content to iCloud or iTunes wirelessly and even restore your device the same way.

The iPad gets its own improvements in the form of multitouch gestures and AirPlay mirroring. The multitouch gestures are primarily used to make multitasking easier while iPad mirroring makes it easy for Apple TV owners to wirelessly stream content from the iPad to the big screen.