New in iOS 5: All-new Notifications + iMessage

As part of iOS 5, Apple today demonstrated a new notifications system for iOS, as well as a new messaging service called iMessage. The new Notification Center moves all notifications into a new slide-down drawer at the top of the screen. All app notifications appear in this area, and users can tap on a notification to go the related app, or tap a small “x” to dismiss them; weather and stock information can also be configured to show up at the top of the drawer. The new iMessage system works very similarly to the iPhone’s existing Messages application, but also offers delivery and read receipts, typing indication, automatic push of new messages to all a users’ devices, and works over 3G or Wi-Fi.