Thanks to a Tweet from Helen Maddox I found an announcement from the MIT Scratch Team about the new features that will be available in Scratch starting in August. Scratch 3.0 will roll-out as a beta product in August.
Scratch 3.0 will offer some exciting new features including:
- A new extension system for programming physical devices.
- New characters, sounds, and backgrounds.
- Updated editors for characters and sounds.
- Improved support for use on tablets.
The desktop versions of Scratch will continue to be available and be supported. Any existing projects that you have in the current version of Scratch will continue to exist even after Scratch 3.0 leaves the beta phase. And ScratchJr will still be available for younger students.