Apple released the iOS 5 today and its perhaps the biggest update to the software. The iOS 5 comes with over 200 new features and it has been released for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Here's a rundown of some of the most notable changes in the new iOS 5.

Freedom from the PC. Apple's late Steve Jobs was all about freedom from the PC and the iOS 5 is built to perform this revolutionary new way of doing things. The iOS 5 is all about freeing your various Apple devices from the computer. Your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad can now receive updates from Wi-Fi syncing or through the iCloud. iOS software updates can be accessed through the device itself without hooking it up to a computer. You can back up your data on the iCloud, create playlists or photo albums. The iOS 5 is all about letting your devices stand on its own without the computer.

iMessage. The feature that is causing endless worrying among cellphone carriers is the iMessage function. This new feature allows iPhone users free instant messaging between any iOS device. Much like the Blackberry messenger, the iMessage lets users share encrypted text, photos or videos between their iPad, iPhone and the iPod Touch. The messaging is free over Wi-Fi but carriers can charge if the app is used over 3G.

Notification Center. Taking a page from Android, the iOS has a new notification bar that collects notices like missed calls, texts or voicemails in a discreet banner at the top of the screen. The user can access this Notification Center by swiping down from the top of the screen to show the notices the user didn't access.

Newsstand. In an app designed to entice more publishers to use electronic media, the Newsstand is a virtual bookshelf that has all the user's magazine or newspaper subscriptions. It's basically a way to compile all the user's digital magazine apps in one app. The app can download new issues automatically to be ready for the user's perusal in the morning.

Twitter Integration. Twittheads with Apple devices will now be able to enjoy a better integration with their favorite social-network with iOS 5. Users can now share their 140-character thoughts with a simple tap on the Share icon and then the Tweet button. You can share your favorite links, photos and even your location via Twitter. Apple's even made it easier by having the iOS5 keyboard easy access to commonly used Twitter symbols @ and #.

New Safari Browser. The upgraded Safari browser app now has tabbed browsing and a smoother transition between windows. Two new features include the Safari Reader which allows the browser to show just the text and the Safari Reading List which lets users synch content among other devices.

Camera Shortcuts. Users can now take pictures without unlocking the screen and accessing the camera app. The camera can now be accessed with a simple click on the Volume Up button. Editing the photo will still have to be done via the Camera app including crop, rotate and reduce red-eye functions.

Better Game Center. There will be more social games available on the iOS 5. The Game Center app will allow gamers to share their game stats with their friends or recommend their favorite games to other friends. Users can now add their picture to the member list and look for friends. The iCloud will also let you synch your game records across other iOS devices.

Find My Friends. If you want to know where your friends are, then this new social app will make it even easier to track down friends in real-time. Any iOS device can now ask their friends their location on a map. Users can control when and with whom they're sharing this information with.

Updated Mail. The Mail in iOS 5 will have rich-text formatting like bold, italics and underline. Other features will include draggable addresses, message flagging and better security. Users can use the iCloud to sync their Mail accounts to all their iOS devices.

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