Big news in iPhone buzz-land: hints of the third-generation iPhone, or iPhone 3.0, are out!

Word is that Apple just recently filed two separate patent applications that involved motion and gesture based user interfaces - the general supposition being that this is in preparation for the next incarnation of the iPhone. Why?

Well, in part because the iPhone already has one motion and gesture based technology already built into the iPhone 3G and that's its accelerometer, which shifts the display view from portrait mode (standard) to landscape mode (16:9 widescreen) simply by rotating the device. Clearly this only scratches the surface of what could come next. For example, how about a feature that turns the iPhone on automatically when you bring it up to your ear? That's just one idea. I'm sure you can think of scads more.

According to at sketch of the device on at least one of the patent applications, a front-facing camera also appears to be in store for the next iPhone. This leads prognosticators to predict that videoconferencing may also be coming down the pike. Might that also mean simple video recording capabilities too (which iPhone 1.0 and 2.0 both lack)?

The third generation in iPhone software (also going by the name iPhone 3.0) is slated for release this summer, and the beta is already out. Among the new features in the new iPhone software will be cut-and-paste/copy-and-paste, improved push notification functionality, stereo Bluetooth, and multimedia messages. It also adds 1,000 new interfaces for developers wishing to create iPhone Apps - which in the long run benefits everyone.