Firmware 0.8.0-rc.2 Pre-release is out on the Web IDE for Core/Photon/P1/Electron
Please read all notes in the Notes Festival 
below
Note: This is a pre-release and is not intended for production yet. We've tested this pre-release to the best of our ability and we want to know what you think now! Please understand that some care and attention is necessary when testing this pre-release, and be sure to upgrade to the final release when it's available. It will not be available by default. To use you must select the version dropdown from the devices drawer. Downgrading back to the current release info is at the bottom of this post.
Upgrading via particle flash --usb or Web IDE (OTA)
No special steps are necessary to upgrade to this release. When using the command-line, simply run the update commands in the correct order, updating system-part1, then system-part2 etc.
From the WebIDE, select the version of system firmware in the devices drawer for your selected device and flash an app to the device. The system firmware will be updated automatically.
Note: P1/Photon: the bootloader must be upgraded using either Serial or OTA update.
Upgrading via particle flash --serial or particle flash <device-id>
When you use YModem or OTA updates to update the device by hand, it's necessary to follow an upgrade sequence so that the upgrade is successful. If the sequence is not followed, the upgrade will not happen and the version of system firmware will remain unchanged.
Electron
- first, update to 0.5.3 (if the current version is less than that)
- then update to 0.6.4 if the current version is less than that)
- then update to this release, 0.8.0-rc.1.
Photon/P1
- first, update to 0.7.0-rc.6 first
- then update to this release, 0.8.0-rc.1
Note about Downgrading [Electron/Photon/P1] OTA or YModem transfer: You should downgrade to 0.6.4 to ensure that the bootloader downgrades automatically. When downgrading to other versions, you will have to manually downgrade the bootloader as well (see release notes in previous 0.7.0-rc.3 release)
0.8.0-rc.2 Changelog
FEATURES
- USB request handlers #1444
- Out of heap system event and heap fragmentation detection #1452
- Network and cloud diagnostics #1424
- [Photon/P1] TCPClient: non-blocking, blocking, blocking with timeout writes support #1485
- [Electron] adds UPSV handling to cellular_hal #1480
ENHANCEMENTS
- Serialize access to the CRC peripheral (STM32F2xx) #1465
- System.sleep() wake up reason #1410
- System.sleep(): support for multiple wake up pins #1405
- Disable WKP pin waking device up from
SLEEP_MODE_DEEP#1409 - [Photon/P1] Increase maximum supported number of simultaneously active TCP connections #1350
- [Photon/P1] WiFi.dnsServerIP()/WiFi.dhcpServerIP() support #1386
- Generalize FuelGauge to also use alternative I2C interfaces. #1443
- Firmware update and access to internal flash via USB requests #1456
- Added docs on local build setup #1374
- Use 'using std::**' instead of define * std::* #1258
- Only remake $(TARGET_BASE).elf el al. if necessary #1223
BUGFIXES
- [Electron] Fix heap bounds build for system part1 #1478
- [Electron] Guard cellular_command() with a global lock #1415
- [Electron] Fix caching of the description CRCs in the backup RAM #1413
- [Electron] connect_cancel() fix #1464
- [Electron] DCD fixes #1454
- [Electron] moves some newlib functions into part1 #1471
- [Core] Fixes I2C slave mode #1309
- [Virtual] Fixes virtual device running with UDP protocol #1462
- Fix usage of an incorrect prerequisite name in program-* targets #1463
- Fixed shadowing of write(const unint_8_t*, sizte_t) in USBKeyboard #1372