At Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference last week, we got a taste of what is coming. Doctors will be able to monitor patient’s heart rates as if they are by their bedside; TomTom will launch a navigation app with turn-by-turn directions and sell an accessory car kit, and gamers will be able to buy more difficult levels within ngmoco’s Star Defense. And, yesterday we talked to AP Mobile about how it is releasing a new version of its news application that will take advantage of some of these functions, including push alerts.

In March, when Apple first announced iPhone 3.0, we argued that the updates were not aimed at consumers – at least not initially. More to the point, the features were truly aimed at developers, who would use the tools to do make the next-greatest thing in mobile. Starting today, consumers will be able to see some of the differences, but it will likely take longer for them to appreciate it.

For example, take AP Mobile, which offers a free news application on the iPhone. It will begin offering a new version of its app today as soon as the latest software update is released. The new version will be able to push out alerts to a user’s homescreen when breaking news occurs. In addition to alerts, Mosse said it will also support copy and paste, which will allow people to save stories, including into the note-taking application, Evernote. Another big feature is being able to send emails from within an app. With that feature, you can send an AP article to a friend without having to leave the application.

Ben Mosse, AP’s director of mobile products, said they got to see the value of the alerts in early tests with Apple. One day during the trial, there was an earthquake in Mexico, and within a couple of minutes, AP pushed out an alert. An iPhone tester, who happened to be in Mexico City felt the tremor, and wrote to AP, saying: “This is a new level of real-time information.” AP and other publishers hope alerts will drive more usage to the apps that can often be forgotten about. Maintaining a high readership is crucial when the apps are often supported by advertising. Mosse said they’ll be conservative on how many they’ll send out: “We recognize it’s a precious commodity. Eventually, we hope to allow users to switch it on and off for specific subjects they are interested in.”

When asked if it was going to be headache supporting more than one software version going forward, Mosse said no because they have no intentions of supporting the older iPhone operating system. “Users are suggested to upgrade to the latest OS for their device,” he said. For iPhone users, that’s a no-brainer because the software is free, but it may be more difficult for iPod Touch owners since the update will cost $9.95.