iPhone, iPod Touch opened to developers

Written by Joe Martin

October 18, 2007 | 10:41

Tags: #homebrew #iphone #ipod #jobs

Companies: #apple

I just can't get on with the iPhone myself and just know that I'd be eternally worried of sitting on the touch sensitive screen or gouging it with my keys. Tim on the other hand loves his iPhone so much that he still plays the alarm sound on it just to show off a bit.

So, it's for people like Tim that I'm writing this bit of news about how Steve Jobs has opened up the iPhone and iPod touch to third party developers.

Previously the iPhone and iPod touch were closed off so that only Apple could legally write software for them. True, there was a slew of homebrew applications and games, but they were pretty much illegal and often fiddly to set up.

Opening up the iPhone to developers could change all that and give professional third party developers a new platform to tinker with as they churn out a load of touch-sensitive games.

In a news post on the Apple homepage, the man at the top said quite bluntly that the SDK for the iPhone will be available by February.

"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. We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users."

Apple are also worried about how the SDK could be exploited however and are trying to design a secure and safe method for controlling applications on the iPhone.

"It will take until February to release an SDK because we’re trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once—provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc. This is no easy task. Some claim that viruses and malware are not a problem on mobile phones—this is simply not true. There have been serious viruses on other mobile phones already, including some that silently spread from phone to phone over the cell network."

So, I hope you're happy Tim. Who knows, if they make enough good games for the iPhone then I may relent and finally pick one up myself. If you think you'll be doing the same or if you just want to dredge up the old PC vs. Mac argument, then head to the forums.
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