For those expecting a low-level bit-by-byte account of what the SDK means, Erica will return momentarily after a break from her (epic) type-a-thon this afternoon to give you the low-down. While we all wait for our downloads of the SDK to start here at TUAW's globe-spanning offices, let's just recap on what you need to build your next, earth shattering, application for the iPhone and iPod touch:
a free Apple iPhone developer account and the SDK itself -- note that access to the SDK is not going to cost you ninety-nine bucks. It's free, though getting the application approved and out onto devices will set you back the $99.
Sadly, if you're wanting to run off and pick up a copy of said SDK, you're likely to be left wanting. Apple Developer Connection is 'pulling a Twitter' (much like Twitter itself did, during the event) and is totally unresponsive to most visitors. That said, when the ADC site comes back online, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to get in on the SDK (note, existing ADC members need to update their memberships too and sign up as iPhone developers to access the SDK).
Ready to crack on and unleash some applications for the iPhone later this year? Be sure to set aside $99 to get your application onto the store however, as Ars Technica reports "Developers have to register with [Apple]. For that $99, we give them an electronic certificate that tells us who they are .... if they write a bad app, we can both track them down and we can turn off the app's distribution".
In addition to the $99 licensing charge to distribute the application (whether it's a free or commercial app) companies seeking a proprietary solution will need to cough up another $200 ($299 total) for the 'Enterprise Programme'.
Another item worthy of note those still using PowerPC machines: if you want to develop for iPhone, you'll not only need Leopard, but an Intel-based Mac to run the SDK. Disagreements about architectures aside, what does your $99 get you?
Complete set of resources in the iPhone Dev Center
Testing of your code on iPhone and iPod touch
Code-level technical support from Apple engineers
the ability to reach every user via the Application Store
The paid-for Developer Programme is currently US-only "and will expand to other countries in the coming months."
We've all been waiting. Since Apple announced the iPhone SDK in October, every developer and iPhone enthusiast has been waiting to find out exactly what Apple has been promising. Are we going to see iTunes distribution for hobbyists or is it going to be an invitation-only system? What limits is Apple going to put on the SDK? Where is the iPhone and third party development going? Today we find out as Apple unveils its iPhone strategy at its special event and TUAW metaliveblogs it. Join me, Scott, Mat, Brett, various Mikes (Schramm and Rose) as we bring you nearly live commentary on second-hand reports!
My mailbox has been flooded with requests for an open predictions post about the iPhone SDK event today. Your wish is my demand--assuming that your demand doesn't involve small mammals and whipped cream. What do you expect to see at today's Roadmap special event. Are you looking forward to free immediate access to the SDK or do you think Steve Jobs will weasel out of an immediate delivery? Let us know in this Unspun poll.
Back in early February, we reported that sources had given GearLive (of jiggly-icon fame) the nod about Flash coming to the iPhone 'very, very soon'. Unfortunately, anyone hoping to get Flash on their iPhone (or iPod touch) anytime soon is likely to be left waiting, as Steve Jobs yesterday pulled a broadside on Adobe Flash, saying it simply wasn't suited for the iPhone. Ouch.
Of course, some folks are likely to be more than disappointed with this announcement (not least Adobe and perhaps GearLive). Others, myself included, are simply relieved that our iPhones will remain clear of Flash's clutches [call me bitter, but I've seen enough 'Unresponsive Script' errors for my liking]. Either way, with Flash now brushed aside by Steve-O, it's all-eyes on Apple's Campus Event tomorrow, which starts at 10am PST, as the veil of secrecy (hopefully) rises on Apple's plans for third-party applications.
Invitations have just gone out to the major tech and Apple sites (i.e. not us) inviting the media to a no-holds-bar hoe-down at the Infinite Loop Ranch on March 6. According to Ars, Apple will hold an iPhone Software Roadmap event (notice how it's not called the "iPhone SDK introduction"?) to discuss the SDK and its new enterprise features (which means we were kind of right, only Apple was a week late). The party starts at 10 am Pacific, so make sure to put on your Yellow Sticky tees and square-dance with TUAW as we party like it's 2008!
If you were planning on Apple pulling something out of its hat on a booth at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas in early April, you're going to be disappointed. TVTechnology.com has received confirmation from Apple's Senior Manager of PR Anuj Nayar that the folks from Cupertino are cutting back on their show participation, and will not be having a booth at NAB this year.
With some of us at TUAW hoping to get some more details on the long-delayedFinal Cut Server at NAB, this is something of a disappointment. Despite a statement that FCS will be 'available in early 2008,' the software has yet to ship. Of course, Apple not having a booth doesn't mean that the future of Final Cut Server is indeterminate -- Apple is touting its use at a Los Angeles TV station, after all -- but all those hoping to see it in action at NAB will be left wanting.
TUAW has received a tip that the company that does television for Apple's live events and Macworld is apparently hiring for an unannounced Apple event at the end of February. Keep in mind that this is an unconfirmed rumor -- while TUAW trusts our source, job listings are not available on the video company's website, and Apple has not yet announced any events happening this month. But Apple did promise us a year flush with announcements, and starting with the new Mac Pros all the way up to the bigger iPhones and iPod touches last week, they haven't disappointed yet.
This is just a rumor, so don't get too excited yet. But if it is true, and if Apple is holding an event before the end of the month, get ready, baby. We just might be about to see the iPhone SDK.
Macworld has news out of CES that EA's mobile division president has good and bad news about the iPhone and gaming. The good news is that the iPhone is a terrific device -- but then again, you already knew that. But the bad news is that Apple's handling everything all wrong. By leaving out the actual distribution platform for gaming on the iPhone, Travis Boatman says that while Apple could be doing great things with games on the iPhone, they're actually hurting mobile gaming by delaying or refusing to turn the iPhone into a gaming platform.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Apple is sitting on a goldmine in terms of games on the iPhone (well, they're sitting on a lot of goldmines with the iPhone, but this is another). With multitouch, the tilt monitor, the microphone, the networking capabilities, and the camera, this is a device that Nintendo would dream about building (their DS has half the features and it's selling like it prints money). It's the greatest handheld gaming device ever made. And yet because Apple has been so stingy with the SDK, there's not one official native game on it.
Not to mention that the "distribution platform" Boatman is talking about is iTunes -- there's no better way to get your games sold and out there. Hopefully, we'll see progress on this as soon as MacWorld (and as late as February, when the iPhone SDK is set to be officially released). But Boatman is right: the iPhone begs to have some great gaming experiences on it, and Apple, so far, is just not opening the door.
This is yet another bonanza year of the iPod-docking-station compatible device if early reports from CES are to be believed. New docking solutions include jack-equipped cars, digital photo frames, iPod-compatible pacemakers, genetically modified cattle with horn-implanted docks, wearable dockware, iPod-compatible beer, and so forth. Or something like that. I got a little bored reading through today's press releases and may have embellished a bit.
Actually, the iPod-compatible news from CES this year is a bit on the slim side. After last year's Macworld-CES head-to-head grudge match, CES seems to have realized this year that it doesn't produce all that much in the way of interesting Apple-related news.
Macworld Expo 2008 is fast approaching (it takes place in San Francisco from Jan. 14th to the 18th) and people's social and conference calendars are filling up. If you don't get a chance to cram enough Mac talk in during the conference itself why not stick around for a Mac centered BarCamp called MacCamp?
BarCamp, in case you aren't familiar with the term, is a type of 'user generated' conference. There is no set schedule, no set speakers. Attendees make up the schedule as the event goes along, creating sessions that they want to participate in and attend. MacCamp is a two day event starting around 6pm on Friday, January 18th. The schedule isn't set, but you can see who will be coming at its Upcoming page (sadly I fly back to Philly Friday afternoon) and check out more on its wiki page.
Over the last few days, there's been plenty of reports about the scale of the iPhone's launch here in the U.K, and what a 'flop' it was. Not so fast, dear readers, for Ars Technica is reporting that on Friday night carrier O2 activated 8,000 handsets: more than double their initial estimate of 3,000, despite issues with activations on the network's side (where have we heard that before?). Problems aside, the iPhone is apparently O2's fastest selling handset with 'tens of thousands' sold. Whilst not as high as the 70,000+ some had been murmuring, that's a remarkable achievement given the widespread poor reporting of the launch by the mainstream media.
Whilst in the queue on Friday, people were being asked what they thought about the iPhone 'lacking a camera', with at least one news crew leaving the Regent Street store with a significant portion of laughter at that question. Of course, with Apple having kept the U.K. iPhone under such tight lock, few had actually seen one 'in the flesh', but not seeing it in the flesh seemingly didn't stop people deriding the device out of hand.
Gripes aside, it seems to have been a moderately successful launch, if not setting the world on fire. Thankfully, if you weren't to be found queuing for an iPhone on Friday, there's a plethora of photographs from the launch here in the U.K. Thanks to all those who left comments on our (repeatedly, and abruptly, interrupted) Live-Blog. If you're wondering where the queues were, you might want to check photos from London #1#2, Manchester, Birmingham and across the country.
Greetings TUAW readers, from our temporary HQ located just outside London's Regent Street store. Yes, that's right: we're live from London until 6:02pm tomorrow, updated as and when yours truly isn't too busy consuming food (or caffeine for that matter). If you're in-line for an iPhone somewhere in the U.K. and have a tip to share, be sure to link to photos in the comments or hit us up on our tips form.
In the interests of preserving our American readers' sanity (at least until launch day), we're going to condense the U.K.-related iPhone news into a roundup for your reading pleasure.
"A Mac Expo. In London?" I hear our American readers cry. Yes, it's true. There's Mac shows this side of the pond too, didn't you know. As it happens, TUAW will be paying a visit to the MacLive Expo London which runs from October 25th - tomorrow - through til Saturday October 27th. Coinciding with the launch of Leopard (how convenient) there's a plethora of seminars, hands-on sessions, theatres and the show floor itself to enjoy.
If you're paying the Expo a visit on Friday, it might be worth noting that instead of competing with rush-hour London (not to mention an indubitable crowd at the Regent Street Apple Store), you can pick up a copy of Leopard at the show. Organisers have chosen to extend the show's hours until 6.30pm (Friday only) to allow visitors to pick the new OS from resellers who will be on the show floor.
The MacLive Expo is being held at the National Hall, Kensington Olympia, London. See you there!
For those expecting a low-level bit-by-byte account of what the SDK means, Erica will return momentarily after a break from her (epic) type-a-thon this afternoon to give you the low-down. While we all wait for our downloads of the SDK to start here at TUAW's globe-spanning offices, let's just recap on what you need to build your next, earth shattering, application for the iPhone and iPod touch:
Ready to crack on and unleash some applications for the iPhone later this year? Be sure to set aside 
Back in early February, we reported that sources had given GearLive (of 
Invitations have just gone out to the 
If you were planning on Apple pulling something out of its hat on a booth at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas in early April, you're going to be disappointed. TVTechnology.com has received 
TUAW has received a tip that the company that does television for Apple's live events and Macworld is apparently hiring for an unannounced Apple event at the end of February. Keep in mind that this is an unconfirmed rumor -- while TUAW trusts our source, job listings are not available on the video company's website, and Apple has not yet announced any events happening this month. But Apple did promise us a year flush with announcements, and starting with 
In the interests of preserving our American readers' sanity (at least until launch day), we're going to condense the U.K.-related iPhone news into a roundup for your reading pleasure.
"A Mac Expo. In London?" I hear our American readers cry. Yes, it's true. There's Mac shows this side of the pond too, didn't you know. As it happens, TUAW will be paying a visit to the 
