iPhone 3G

Apple drops NDA for iPhone application developers

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:11:41 -0400

Apple has dropped the non-disclosure agreement it previously had forced application developers who wrote applications for the iPhone 3G to agree to, citing the burden it placed on developers.

In a statement on its developer website, Apple said it had previously put in place the NDA to protect certain Apple technology it did not want to get out into open, citing the fact it had happened in the past. However, the company said the NDA placed too great a burden on developers, and was dropping it for already released software. It will provide developers with a new agreement without the NDA "within a week or so."

Developers have complained about Apple exercising too much control over developers, most notably in squashing applications that might directly compete with Apple services, such as Alex Sokirynsky's Podcaster application.

For more:
- see this article
- click here to see the statement

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iPhone hackers strike again with Pwnage 2.0

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:54:25 -0400

It took about a week, but hackers have unlocked Apple's iPhone 3G. The iPhone Dev Team--a group of programmers previously responsible for AnySIM, a widely distributed and totally unauthorized iPhone unlocking solution--has resurfaced with Pwnage 2.0. The software enables any iPhone or iPod Touch user to install third-party applications on their Apple device. The Pwnage software also promises to unlock the iPhone for use across operator networks beyond Apple's exclusive U.S. carrier partner AT&T.

For more on Pwnage 2.0:
- read this iPhone Dev Team blog entry

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Ten million iPhone App Store downloads in first weekend

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:14:00 -0400

Despite myriad problems with Apple's iTunes activation server, the iPhone 3G's opening weekend looks like a success--the computing giant announced more than a million devices sold within the first three days of release. iPhone and iPod users also downloaded more than 10 million applications from the fledgling App Store, which debuted Thursday.

According to Apple, there are now more than 800 native iPhone applications available via the App Store--just last week, when CEO Steve Jobs sat down for an interview with The New York Times, he said the App Store would feature roughly 500 applications at launch, including educational programs, mobile commerce and business productivity tools. Games represented about a third of the first-wave apps.

Jobs said about 25 percent of the first App Store downloads are available free of charge, with roughly 90 percent of the premium applications priced at $9.99 or less. Jobs insists Apple will not rely on the App Store as a source of significant revenue, in much the same way iTunes music sales have contributed little to the firm's bottom line: "We are not trying to be business partners," he said. The goal is to "sell more iPhones." Moreover, Jobs added that developers are right to be wary of possible competition from Apple-developed iPhone apps: "We will compete," he said. "That's a discussion to have."

For more on the App Store's debut weekend:
- read this release

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