One of the things people have been asking for since the announcement of the iPhone, is an actual iPhone SDK -- previously iPhone apps had been limited to web apps which ran in Safari. An SDK allows writing custom apps specifically for the iPhone without needing network connectivity. There are already many iPhone apps out which require the iPhone to be jailbroken in order to install them, and an SDK will help legitimize these efforts. I can say from experience that developing apps for a much more limited device involves a certain amount of reductionist philosophy, as it is the core of the application that really matters.
Apple released the information about the SDK, and here are the talking points:
- Apple has licensed ActiveSync for the iPhone to talk directly to Exchange, which includes the ability to remotely wipe the iPhone.
- iPhone SDK includes Core OS, Core Service, Media and Cocoa Touch
- iPhone simulator and Instruments for measuring performance on an iPhone.
- OpenGL for graphics and OpenAL for audio
- EA demos touch version of Spore running on the iPhone
- AOL demos AIM on the iPhone
- Sega demos Super Monkey Ball on the iPhone
- Also, Salesforce and drug UI lookups for more business related apps (not nearly as exciting)
To get these new apps into the hands of the iPhone user, they've set up a program called the App Store, to be installed in the next software update. It functions similarly to the iTunes store and will also be on iTunes on the computer. Think iTunes, but for iPhone apps -- the revenues from the program are split 70/30 -- 70 for the developer, 30 for Apple, with no fees for credit card, hosting and marketing, revenues paid monthly. Free apps have no charge.
There's a list of program types that are excluded from being part of the App Store, which include porn, privacy, bandwidth hog, unforseen, malicious and illegal.
iPhone software 2.0 goes beta today, with a final release in June for free. iPod touch will get similar updates, but there will be a slight charge for it.
SDK is available on website for free, and joining the iPhone developer program costs $99. The iPhone SDK weighs in 2.1 GB, so as you can imagine, Apple's developer website is getting pretty slammed right now.
New VC fund called iFund, $100 million initiative from Kleiner Perkins, in order to fund young, innovative developers.
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