BIG CHANGES IN STORE WITH APPLE'S IOS 6

There's a lot to like about Apple's new operating-system upgrade announced at the company's worldwide developer conference last Monday -- and one thing that will displease many.

First, the good news. There will be 200 new features for users of iPods, iPhones and iPads to enjoy when the free IOS 6 system is released later this year, likely in the fall. Many of these will be modest -- though still appreciated -- enhancements of various features that already exist. But there are a few gems that will reshape the way we use our mobile devices.

* Siri, which lets you interact with your device by speaking to it, is getting a boost. It will now work more closely with other apps to bring an even greater degree of automation to users.

For instance, if you want to find a great steakhouse in Manhattan, just ask Siri and it'll track your current location, list matches in your area, provide you with customer commentaries and photos of specialties from Yelp and display step-by-step directions and bird's eye map views of your options. Name the place and time and Siri will make a reservation for you through OpenTable.

Siri, which proved to be one of the most exciting innovations when it was introduced on the iPhone 4S last fall, will also come -- finally -- to the iPad with IOS 6.

* The era of digital currency is upon us, though users have been slow to catch on. That may all change with Passbook, a collection of all your digital assets -- credit cards, coupons, movie tickets, transportation passes -- that are placed in an easily accessible digital wallet on your iPhone or iPad.

Imagine this: You approach a movie theater and your GPS-enabled Passbook flashes a reminder that you have a discount coupon for that theater. You can watch movie trailers and read reviews to help select a movie, and when you're ready, just hold the QR code displayed on your cellphone near the theater's scanner, and get your discounted tickets instantly.

You can pay for parking, board a plane, make online purchases or buy coffee with a tap or two of your digital wallet.

* Google has dominated the market for online mapping for some time, but Apple plans on taking a big bite out of its fan base. With IOS 6, Google Maps gets the boot and in its place will be Apple's own Maps services. It promises stunning flyover images and 3-D renditions of neighborhoods, and will provide turn-by-turn voice directions to any destination.

Real-time traffic flow will be displayed and it will be fully integrated with Siri, so you need only say your destination and Siri will display a map and tell you how to get there.

Traffic jam at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17? No problem, Siri will recommend alternate routes.

Apple is working with major car manufacturers, such as BMW, General Motors, Mercedes, Chrysler and Toyota, to include an "Eyes-free" button that will allow voice commands to control navigation. There will no longer be a need for physical contact with your device to obtain directions while driving.

* Making video phone calls may become a lot more common now that IOS 6 will permit the FaceTime app to be used over 3G cellular connections. Currently, users are restricted to Wi-Fi hotspots to make calls. Now they'll be able to make calls from virtually anywhere.

Furthermore, users' phone numbers will be linked to their Apple IDs, which means they can receive calls on their Mac or iPad.

Other IOS 6 changes are more modest. For instance, for those who want to upload photos to a website such as Flickr while using Apple's Safari browser, you will no longer have to first exit the browser and log into your photo library to fetch the images; the operation can be completed without ever having to leave the browser page.

The one key downside to the new operating system: Some features will not be accessible to users of the iPhone 3GS or earlier or the first- or second-generation iPads. That's Apple's subtle way of suggesting it's time for an upgrade.