Tshirt> Yes, but death does not necessarily mean, that it is physical dying. If M1 was about birth, why does Neo die? What was, really, “born” in M1. The One way. Death is a symbolic figure of transformation, of change – of revolution. The One may very well die in Revolutions. Neo doesn’t have to do that.
As for the blindfold.
From the trailers it seems (a cautious seem, we don’t know the chronology of things yet), that Neo, when he wakes up, does so without the blindfold. So after Trinity and co rescues him from the evil clutches of the Merovingian he can see.
I think that the anomaly code which Neo carries (“… the process has altered your conscience…” –The Architect) has evolved. There was no stopping sentinels in the real world, until AFTER Neo has touched the Source (or his mind, as the Oracle says). The anomaly doesn’t go away, just because Neo isn’t hooked up to the Matrix. Just like Smith has infected the bioelectrical signals of Banes brain, the anomaly is present in Neo all the time.
We know, from the Architect, that the anomaly can cause fluctuations in all programs in the Matrix. Sure, there’s some hardware keeping the Matrix program running, but when Neo visited the Architect, he came in contact with the Matrix representation of the machine main-frame. The Source. He’s caused fluctuations in that, too, now. And just as the operators on the hovercrafts are in contact with our heroes through wireless, that’s the (pardon the pun) source of Neo’s sudden abilities in the real world. He can stop machines, through the fluctuation he’s caused in the software of the Source, and see that the bioelectrical signals of Bane is that of Smith. Unfortunately he can’t switch this ability off.
He constantly sees THROUGH the Matrix, inside the Matrix. Hence the blindfold.
He’s injured when he talks to the SPEAK-machine, but it would look as if something attacks him. Maybe Smith infected a sentinel – that wouldn’t be impossible, hence the golden/fiery light we see.
And hence the reason why The One must die. Otherwise Neo will be condemned to a life wearing a blindfold. Neo can still survive, but he must sacrifice the anomaly, his digital self.