Apple's iOS 8 operating system to be ready for release in September

Apple's latest iOS 8 mobile operating system is currently in its fourth beta version and has seen steady progress since it was first revealed at the 2014 World Wide Developer Conference in early June. Reports indicate that the fifth iOS 8 beta will release to developers on August 4th, followed by the sixth and final beta on August 15th. Current rumors are that we will likely see the final consumer ready version of the iOS 8 software release along with the iPhone 6 by mid September.

Apple's iOS 8 will bring with it some cool new features along with a host of updates to many of its popular apps. For those not up to date on what to expect, here is a short list of key iOS 8 features coming to your iPhone and iPad in September:

Notifications
Apple has updated how notifications work. With iOS 8 you will be able to recieve and respond to notifications from within any app as well as at the lock screen. Apple has also added some customization features to the iOS 8 Notification Center allowing you to add, remove, and order notification widgets according to your personal preferences.

QuickType
QuickType is a cool new keyboard feature in iOS 8 that provides predictive typing suggestions as you type. The responses QuickType offers are very personalized depending on what app you are using, and also intelligently adapts to the person you are messaging.

Continuity
New continuity features allow iOS 8 and Apple's OS X to communicate and collaborate between devices. So, if you have an iPhone running iOS 8, and have either an iPad also running iOS 8, or have a Mac running OS X Yosemite, you will be able to send and recieve text messages and even phone calls from your other devices.

Hey, Siri!
With iOS 8 you will now be able to activate Siri by voice command without having to even touch your device by using the spoken keyphrase "Hey, Siri". Siri will also be able to identify songs with Shazam and make iTunes purchases. Other Siri updates including streaming voice recognition, and support for 22 more dictation languages.

Family Sharing
A new iOS 8 feature called Family Sharing will allow you to form a family link between up to six Apple ID's that share the same credit card. You will be able to share purchased content, digital media, calenders, and reminders between family members. Family sharing also includes a feature to locate family members and their devices, as well as to approve or decline any app or media purchases made with the shared credit card.