Filed under: iTunes
DeviceLink.framework offers wireless device syncing
Apple created its Cocoa development environment out of libraries of code called frameworks. These frameworks exist on every Mac OS X computer. You can find them in /System/Library. There are two kinds of frameworks available: public and private. Recently, super-hacker "Pumpkin" has been looking into the DeviceLink private framework and suggested I take a peek through its strings.
Sure enough, the framework seems to provide device-to-device wireless Bonjour connection support. The framework address incoming and outgoing sessions, device pairing, file transfer, and authorization. What this means is all the technology to connect iPhones, iPod touches and Macintosh computers (not to mention Apple TVs) together, using simple programming with all the heavy lifting done by Apple.
This is a private framework. Like MobileDevice, the framework that powers a lot of iTune's iPod- and iPhone-data transfer, this indicates that this is not a feature that will soon pop up in a public Software Development Kit for easy access to members of the Apple Developer Connection. And that's a shame because the framework is both exciting and intriguing.
If you'd like to look for yourself, navigate to /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DeviceLink.framework and run the Unix strings command on DeviceLink. I found the framework both on a Tiger 10.4.10 system with iTunes 7.5 and on a Leopard 10.5 system with iTunes 7.4 as well as the 1.0.2 iPhone files but not on an original Apple TV. So chances are likely that the framework is already on the system you're using.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JohnK8 said 4:50PM on 11-11-2007
"What this means is all the technology to connect iPhones, iPod touches and Macintosh computers (not to mention Apple TVs) together, using simple programming with all the heavy lifting done by Apple."
Does this make sense?
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byaah said 4:54PM on 11-11-2007
@1
I had to read it 5 times, but I think what she meant was to define what "The framework address incoming and outgoing sessions, device pairing, file transfer, and authorization." means.
Interesting find, though.
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Ben said 5:07PM on 11-11-2007
Does this mean iPhone connectivity can be vamped up with say... bluetooth Address Book functionality?
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hansning said 6:04PM on 11-11-2007
@1 & 2.
overall, what i love most about reading erica's post is that i actually understand most of what she's saying, despite the fact that i don't understand programming, hacking, or anyhing of that sort.
anyways, sounds amazing! it sounds more like wifi syncing rather than bluetooth, as Bonjour, i think, is ethernet/wifi based... but i'm not really sure...
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Jordan said 6:09PM on 11-11-2007
Hey there,
I'm not sure where this belongs - though it's a curious matter that I wonder if anyone else has run into. I've a macbook with boot camp installed - and I'm also a cheap student. Noting this, my reliance on random free wireless signals is essential - now I've found I can consistantly receive and connect to many wireless signals running XP on my macbook, while the same signals may not even show up on the OS X side. Ideally I'd like to get the same wireless reception on both sides of the machine - has anyone found the same problem? Or better yet - a better wireless driver for OSX?
Ciao,
-Jordan!
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Brendan09 said 8:05PM on 11-11-2007
THIS FRAMEWORK IS PRESENT IN iTunes FOR WINDOWS TOO!!!!!!
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\bin\DeviceLink.dll
same folder as iTunesmobiledevice.dll
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Steve D said 8:04PM on 11-11-2007
What do they mean when they say:
"If you'd like to look for yourself, navigate to /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DeviceLink.framework and run the Unix strings command on DeviceLink."
What is the Unix Strings command and how do you run it?
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Aaron Yates said 2:45AM on 11-12-2007
@6
The wording isn't good, but it says that if you don't know how frameworks work... stay out.
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Jesse Irwin said 2:24PM on 11-12-2007
I'm interested in syncing my iPhone with my MBP through .Mac, similar to syncing two Macs through .Mac. Has anyone seen anything upcoming similar to this?
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Hick33 said 12:02AM on 11-27-2007
I purchased some wireless accessories from Verizon store and received free shipping coupon from Couponalbum.com..!
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