In a major announcement today, Apple revealed an OS upgrade for iPhone and iPad that will move the devices further into the realm of full blown computers.

The features of iPhone OS 4 include:

Multitasking: Yes, run multiple apps simultaneously.

Folders: Organize your ever-growing library of apps into handy folders. Folders can be stored on the dock as well. The new technique raises the practical limit of apps installed on the device from 180 to 2,160.

Unified Mail Inbox: Got multiple mail accounts? iPhone OS 4 will merge all the mail into a unified mailbox. Quicker access and less clicks!

iBooks for iPhone/iPod Touch: Same interface as iPad, just optimized for the smaller screen.

Enterprise Features: Corporate IT will be pleased with better e-mail encryption, as well as data encryption within apps themselves through new APIs. Better mobile device management is forthcoming, as is the ability to wirelessly distribute apps through a company's own servers. VPNs can now utilize SSL.

iAd Mobile Ad System: Free apps abound, but app developers need a way to monetize their efforts. Developers will get a 60% cut from the system that Apple claims will "change the quality of advertising." The system ties in with other iPhone capabilities, spawning new ways to interact with ad content like shaking, tilting, touching, strumming, etc.

GameKit (Game Center): New code supporting social gaming features like inviting friends to play, matchmaking, achievement tracking, etc. Think an early version of XBox Live for the mobile space.

Additionally, the firmware includes over 100 new user-end features in total, such as gift apps, geotagging, playlist creation, a spellchecker, 5x digital zoom and tap-to-focus for video, and support for Bluetooth keyboards.

All in all, the announcement of 1500 new APIs in iPhone OS 4 will be viewed by the developer community as tectonic in terms of their ability to continue to innovate in the mobile space.

Rumors and announcements of tablets have the Internet abuzz. The upcoming Consumer Electronics Show is purported to be the launchpad for a slew of new tablet devices, ranging from the new Skiff Reader, a 1/4" thin, high resolution titanium-encased flexible touch screen ePaper device weighing less than 18 ounces, to rumored offerings from Microsoft. Of course, Apple is in the mix with a rumored tablet device that some web sites are predicting will be announced on January 27th.

While it's impossible to accurately gauge the impact of vapor-hardware, the conversations they foster can be quite enlightening. How do you, community member, see tablets impacting learning in higher ed?

Comment below!

A recent Wired article discusses Abilene Christian University's mobile initiative, a pilot program in which 1,000 freshman students had the choice between a free iPhone or an iPod Touch. According to the article, the pilot is succeeding on a number of fronts. Forty-eight percent of the ~4300 student population are now equipped with a free iPhone. Fully 97 percent of the faculty population has iPhones, too.

 Read Wired's article, and check out the mobile learning case study panel presented by Abilene Christian University at the 2009 AcademiX Conference held at Duke University. Visit Abilene Christian University's iTunes U site.