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theDreamer · Oct 17, 2007, 11:37 AM

October 17, 2007
Third Party Applications on the iPhone

Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers’ hands in February.

Seems the iPhone, and iPod touch, will soon be getting support from Apple to have third party applications.

Big Mac · Oct 17, 2007, 11:41 AM

Whoa!

-Q- · Oct 17, 2007, 11:43 AM

That's outstanding news.

::maroma:: · Oct 17, 2007, 12:19 PM

Sweet! Great news for sure!

I think this line is the best:

We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones.

I've been saying that since day one. People need to show some patience these days. Everyone wants it all and they want it yesterday. Having some patience almost always gets you to where you want to be.

Cold Warrior · Oct 17, 2007, 12:24 PM

Awesome.

goMac · Oct 17, 2007, 12:30 PM

Well, I know what I'll be coding come February...

ort888 · Oct 17, 2007, 12:42 PM

w00t!

Here is my iPhone wishlist...

3rd Party Apps
3G
More storage space
Video capability
To Do lists
normal headphone jack

As soon as all of those are met, I'm getting one. We're getting closer.

selowitch · Oct 17, 2007, 12:54 PM

All I can say is Hallelujah!

analogika · Oct 17, 2007, 12:56 PM

video capability I take it means recording video via the in-built camera?

To-Dos are pretty sure to come with or shortly after Leopard and its IMAP-based To-Dos and notes.

Stogieman · Oct 17, 2007, 12:57 PM

What do you mean by Video capability? Do you mean support for more video formats? That's almost certain to happen once the SDK is released. I would love to have the VLC player on my iPhone.

maxintosh · Oct 17, 2007, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Stogieman

What do you mean by Video capability? Do you mean support for more video formats? That's almost certain to happen once the SDK is released. I would love to have the VLC player on my iPhone.

Presumably he means video recording.

Earth Mk. II · Oct 17, 2007, 01:23 PM

Excellent.... most excellent....

I wonder how the implementation will look though.

theDreamer · Oct 17, 2007, 01:24 PM

I keep seeing people mention this now that we know third party applications are coming; people are saying they want flash and we will get it.
Will a third party application be able to add flash? Mainly for web browsing, if so this will be great.

Nodnarb · Oct 17, 2007, 01:29 PM

Sweeeeeet

So the SDK out in February, that means we should start seeing some really great Apps around summer '08?

SSharon · Oct 17, 2007, 01:54 PM

Come on Firefox + adblock!

mdc · Oct 17, 2007, 02:01 PM

I just read this on Apple's site now.
That's very cool news. I'm sure with a proper SDK and a proper method of installing apps, we'll see loads of developers working on this.

osiris · 10:57 AM

This is great news!

I'd like to see a video recorder, a VLC playback system, Remote Desktop, and LEAP support for WEP.

osiris · Oct 17, 2007, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Nodnarb

Sweeeeeet

So the SDK out in February, that means we should start seeing some really great Apps around summer '08?

I imagine that on whatever day the SDK is released, the next day we'll see something.

Edit: oh, you said 'great' apps...

Earth Mk. II · Oct 17, 2007, 03:10 PM

Actually, a native remote-control app for iTunes would be flippin sweet......

Drakino · Oct 17, 2007, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by ::maroma::

I've been saying that since day one. People need to show some patience these days. Everyone wants it all and they want it yesterday. Having some patience almost always gets you to where you want to be.

I can agree that people need to be patient, however in this case, Apple specifically had indicated in the past no SDK was likely to be forthcoming based on the comments at the World Wide Developers Conference in June. People weren't being impatient over the eventual release of the SDK, they were voicing complaints about the lack of an SDK period.

I'm very glad to see Apple is going to release one now, and do it right. I much prefer a company able to realize past mistakes and correct them quickly, then to stubbornly hold onto a wrong course of action until it is too late. Opening the iPhone to third parties will help in exploding the market even more then it already has. The stubborn part of the corporate world is now likely to take a second look at the device and possibly consider it now.

passmaster16 · Oct 17, 2007, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by analogika

To-Dos are pretty sure to come with or shortly after Leopard and its IMAP-based To-Dos and notes.

Do you mean Leopard on the iPhone side? Also, is OS X on the iPhone built off of 10.4,10.5, or is it a completely new variant?

I only ask this because I was wondering how Apple is going to treat major OS updates on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Are there going to be full OS upgrades similar to Microsoft Windows mobile. If so, will Apple charge for this?

At any rate, it is nice to hear official third party support is coming. I prefer to not have to deal with various hacks to get what I need.

analogika · Oct 17, 2007, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by passmaster16

Do you mean Leopard on the iPhone side?

No, I mean Leopard.

AppleInsider | Road to Mac OS X Leopard: Mail 3.0

ort888 · Oct 17, 2007, 05:21 PM

Recording video is what I meant.

I can see all of those things being added in the next revision.

amyjones09 · Oct 17, 2007, 05:33 PM

This had to happen eventually right? I mean with all the jailbreaks going on.

theDreamer · Oct 17, 2007, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by amyjones09

This had to happen eventually right? I mean with all the jailbreaks going on.

No, Apple could have stuck to it and kept the phone locked down, but Apple does listen to customers and attempts to change so one could say yes it would eventually happen.

AppleJockey · Oct 17, 2007, 08:20 PM

wow great

wonder why they didnt do this from jump street

vln2 · Oct 17, 2007, 10:38 PM

We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones.

So no more talk about damaging or destroying great Apple software anymore?
Now they are called great third party applications?
Where did all that change of heart come from?

Perhaps someone finally started listening or perhaps it was not as easy for Apple developers to come up with many creative new tools which were so quickly developed by creative community developers.
Surely one iTunes button in almost 4 months did not impress me.
Looks like a lesson learned from the Linux effort.

analogika · Oct 18, 2007, 04:42 AM

Originally Posted by AppleJockey

wow great

wonder why they didnt do this from jump street

Because they had to get a working phone to market first?

Why do you think they're telling you "February" rather than "this Friday"?

It *might* have to do with the fact that they need to *completely* re-do the system architecture to lock it down and make sure all applications no longer run as root, as is currently the case...

mdc · Oct 18, 2007, 08:57 AM

I don't know if this is possible for a third party to do it, or if Apple will have to, but I want an app that will recognize my Nike+ adaptor, keep track of my run like a nano, and then after the run, upload my data to nikeplus.com (using the iPhone) and then show me my run graph.

I think that'd be neat.

selowitch · Oct 18, 2007, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by analogika

It *might* have to do with the fact that they need to *completely* re-do the system architecture to lock it down and make sure all applications no longer run as root, as is currently the case...

Are they going to transition to a multiuser environment on the iPhone like other desktop OSes?

analogika · Oct 18, 2007, 10:04 AM

I don't know - my tea-leaves don't say...

But it seems highly unlikely that their idea of "security" could equate to "allow third-party programs to run as root on a unix-based always-on network machine".

mmurray · Oct 18, 2007, 10:12 AM

So what apps does everyone want? Besides Photoshop of course :-)

My votes for:
OmniFocus
OmniOutliner
Doc's To Go from Dataviz
LaTeX ? Or is the text entry to difficult to do serious editing ?
A PalmOS emulator
A scientific calculator
Maple
Skype
SIP softphone

Of course iPhones have to get to Australia first.

Michael

Earth Mk. II · Oct 18, 2007, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by analogika

But it seems highly unlikely that their idea of "security" could equate to "allow third-party programs to run as root on a unix-based always-on network machine".

I don't know about you, but that's how I've always run all of my machines, and I've never been hac^$#NO CARRIER

theDreamer · Oct 18, 2007, 06:49 PM

If an admin wants to edit the title of the thread so it is "better" they can, so people do not attempt to make multiples and such.

::maroma:: · Oct 18, 2007, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by mdc

I don't know if this is possible for a third party to do it, or if Apple will have to, but I want an app that will recognize my Nike+ adaptor, keep track of my run like a nano, and then after the run, upload my data to nikeplus.com (using the iPhone) and then show me my run graph.

I think that'd be neat.

A little bird on my shoulder told me that we'll see Nike+ integration with the iPhone closer to Christmas time. Stay tuned.

Cadaver · Oct 18, 2007, 08:39 PM

Slingbox player (please)!

ajprice · Oct 19, 2007, 04:00 AM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

Slingbox player (please)!

EyeTV 2.5 has iPhone/iPod touch wifi streaming now.

Link

Gee4orce · Oct 19, 2007, 05:25 AM

...and Remote Buddy already does the iTunes remote thing very well (OK, it's a web app, but it works GREAT).

qkslvr · Oct 19, 2007, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by mmurray

So what apps does everyone want?

Salling Clicker
Salling Clicker
Salling Clicker
And support for Bluephone Elite

But that may require a hardware overhaul for better Bluetooth support. But my own little birdy whispers words of something along those lines as well. Only time will tell...