In case some did not know the link to the 1.3 dev notes
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Versi ... ons#12w30b

Lots of stuff beeing done for this update.

Some of the more notable new updates:

* Dispensers will deploy boats on water, and minecarts on rails. Powered minecarts and storage minecarts are also deployed similar to minecarts
* Ice no longer turns into water in the Nether.
* Editable Books - Book and Quill, crafted using a Book.
* Hardcore Mode is now available in multiplayer.
* Cocoa Beans are now obtainable in jungle tree leaves.
* Wooden tools work in furnaces as one full furnace use.
* Dispensers will eject Water and Lava source blocks (from buckets)
* Added Sandstone Stairs
* Added Pyramids.
* NPC Villages change style according to their biome.
* While sitting inside of a minecart pushing the directional keys will make it move the direction you are pressing. This will only work while the minecart is sitting on rails.
* Made Buckets stackable.
* Added Villager Trading.
* Added Emerald Ore.
* Added Emerald.
* Added Ender Chest.
* Chainmail Armor is now available in-game.
* Half-slabs can now be placed upside-down when pointing at the upper half of the side of a block.
* When exposed to rain, Cauldrons have a possibility of slowly filling with water
* Extremely rarely, Nether Portals will spawn Zombie Pigmen
* Added an "adventure" game mode
* Added Jungle temples.
* Smelting in a furnace with a lava bucket now leaves an empty bucket for the player to retrieve.
* Added Tripwire
* Redstone (including repeaters, torches, levers, and pressure plates), Torches and Rails can now be placed on top of upside down slabs and stairs.
* Monsters can now spawn on upside down slabs
* Nether Wart can now grow in the Overworld and The End.
* Boats now drop the boat item when destroyed by a player.
* Signs are stackable up to 16.
* Stairs, when placed on the upper half of a block's side, will now be placed upside-down
* Creeper Explosions, Fire charge explosions, and TNT have knockback

There are alot more changes and fixes, I just listed some of the more notable ones.

One thing that is intersting is the Adventure gamemode. That should give us some good possibilities.

Wow, I just might come back for a while with this update. Been waiting for placing half blocks and stairs on ceilings for ages. When is it supposed to come out?

Pre-release just came out, so it should be soon.