Liveblogging: iPhone SDK Event - Done!

UPDATE: The event is now over! Hit the jump for a transcript of what happened if you're just joining us now!
As we mentioned last week, Apple is holding a press event on March 6,2008 at the Apple campus entitled the "iPhone Software Roadmap" where they will be detailing information regarding the iPhone/iPod Touch SDK (Software Development Kit) and how third-party applications will be developed and function on the iPhone/iPod Touch.
I am going to bring you live coverage of the event starting at 10AM PST/1PM EST right here on this post, just like I did with the MacWorld Keynote.
To skip to the live coverage, hit the "Read More" link at the bottom of this post.
To tide you over until the event begins, here's a list of rumours regarding the announcements:
- If they actually release the SDK today, it will be a beta.
- The final SDK will probably come at WWDC (June.)
- The SDK will be an add-on to Apple's Xcode programming environment and will require Leopard.
- Applications to be sold for the iPhone/iPod Touch will have to undergo a certification procedure with Apple to ensure quality.
- Apple will be taking a percentage from each application sale.
- Free applications will not need to undergo certification.
- All applications will be distributed through the iTunes Store.
- Third party applications will have access to EDGE and Wi-Fi data, as well as all hardware on the iPhone/iPod Touch (camera, tilt sensor, etc.), but will NOT have access to add-on accessories.
- Applications will be written in Cocoa.
- Full Microsoft Exchange support is likely to be added today.
- Side Note: Flash apparently will NOT be coming to the iPhone/iPod Touch anytime soon. Jobs has remarked that the current versions of Adobe Flash are not efficient enough for the iPhone/iPod Touch, and until Adobe makes a more efficient plug-in, Flash is a no go.
Now that you've read the rumours for today, you're all set!
Hit the jump for the live coverage, beginning at 10AM PST/1PM EST.
Live iPhone Software Roadmap Coverage:
NOTE: I will be updating this page as the event progresses to bring you my running commentary on each new announcement. This page will not automatically refresh for you; you will have to refresh manually. Please be kind to our servers and limit your refreshes to once every few minutes - thanks!
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- Waiting for the event to begin.
- Apparently there are AOL, Adobe, and Disney employees at the event apart from the media. Hints of applications to come?
10:02AM PST: Steve's out. It's iPhone statistics time with Papa Steve! Yay!
- iPhone has 28% marketshare in Q4 of 2007, and 71% of mobile browser market share (Whoa!)
- Going to talk about enterprise features (ah hah! here comes exchange...)
10:05AM - Phil Schiller's talking about all the things enterprise users want (push e-mail, VPN, global address lists, WAP2, etc... (OK, but will you get on with what you *are* adding?)
- Remote wipe in case the iPhone is stolen...
- ALL of these features in the next iPhone update! Wow, OK. I won't be flippant at you again Phil.
- Also will feature full Microsoft Exchange support (DING.)
10:10AM - Demo time.
- The Exchange support is done through a licensed version of ActiveSync for the iPhone. Whoa.
- All the exchange features will be built right into the existing iPhone applications. Just add the sync information in the settings and you're set.
- Yawn. Still demoing Enterprise features. Can you tell this isn't very interesting to me? I'm sure some execs somewhere are jumping for joy.
10:17AM - Done with demo (yay!) now it's tie to talk SDK (double yay!) with Scott Forstall.
-"web apps have been succesful" (yadda, yadda... web apps are not what the SDK is for, Scott.)
10:21AM - Back to the SDK: features the same tools and API available to Apple.
- the iPhone uses a specialised subset of Cocoa called Cocoa Touch, specialised for touch input instead of mouse/keyboard.
- WARNING: GEEK CONTENT BELOW
- OS Kernel is the the same as OS X.
- Same BSD networking as OS X.
- "Core OS has the OS X Kernel, Lib System, BSD TCP/IP, Sockets, Security, Power Mgmt, Keychain, Certificates, File System, Bonjour" - Ars Technica
- "Has all audio/video capabilities: Core Audio, OpenAL, Audio Mixing, Audio Recording, Video Playback, JPG/PNG/TIFF, PDF, Quartz (2D) Core Animation, OpenGL ES" - Ars Technica (hey, they're good at copying down all this stuff.)
- Hardware accelerated Open GL 3D, apparently "screams" on the iPhone. 3D Games, perhaps? (Remember we saw Quake running on a phone with half the processor of the iPhone speed this past week.)
- Developed Core Location, and API layer to make location aware apps (and here comes location aware social media!)
- SDK will integrate right into Xcode. With iPhone API code completion, and software documentation built right-in.
- Remote debugging: plug an iPhone into your Mac, and from within Xcode, launch the application on it live and debug it from your Mac (neat!)
- Interface Builder will be able to completely and easily build Touch interfaces with drag and drop, just like it does of OS X apps with keyboard/mouse input interfaces.
10:35AM - Xcode will now include an iPhone simulator to test apps.
- Demo time!
- Scott's now building a quick "Hello, World!" app.
- Quick and easy, and he ran it in the Simulator
- The iPhone Simulator sends all the same events to applications as the real iPhone, it's identical except for being virtual. (heh.)
- "I made this app in two minutes, but let's see what we made in two days" - Touch FX
- Basically a Kai's Power Goo with photos (I just kinda dated myself with that reference in the tech world, didn't I?) Live distortion based on you finger pinching, etc. Shake the iPhone and the picture resets.
- Now what they can do in two weeks: A game! Touch Fighter
- Space Shooter, you move the shooter by moving the phone around, tap to fire. It's fully in 3D. Very cool. (squee! the possibilities!)
- And that game was less than 10,000 lines of code.
10:45AM - they asked other developers to see what they could do in 2 weeks. Most hadn't even developed for Macs before.
- Travis Boatman from EA is now on stage (this is a new gaming thrust on the iPhone for Apple?)
- Holy crap they ported part of Spore in 2 weeks!
- Includes the evolution editor, all 18 levels up and running on the iPhone. ( O.O WANT!)
- Now Salesforce.com's Chuck Dietrich on stage (boo! more Spore on iPhone!)
10:50AM - "Sales reps would love to keep track of sales goals on their iPhones" (yawn, again, an executive is dancing somewhere.)
- Oh look, they programmed the iPhone to pull up sales data and show pretty charts... boring. (boy, who scheduled them after Spore on the iPhone? They sure got the short end of the stick.)
10:53AM - AOL is now up! (PLEASE GIVE ME AIM ON IPHONE FOR PETE'S SAKE!)
- AIM on iPhone developed in 2 weeks (YES!)
- Can have multiple conversations going, just swipe between like on multiple pages of the home screen.
- I really hope they release some apps today, if not soon.
- Epocrates person is now on stage (clinical handheld applications provider... where's my nurse friend when I need her?)
- Demoing a drug identification app on the iPhone.
- Wow, complete with drug monographs, medication reactions, etc. That's actually pretty neat. My insatiable appetite for learning obscure chemical compounds wants this.
- The theme here is a wide variety of applications easily developed for the iPhone, methinks. Nice way of driving the point home, Apple.
11AM - And now it comes full circle: Sega is up!
- Super Monkey Ball on the iPhone! (of course! tilt controls!)
- All ported in 2 weeks. Nice.
- Scott is now handing it back to Steve Jobs to explain application distribution, here comes the interesting part
- App Store on the iPhone itself, just like the iTunes Music Store on there now.
- Can also get apps on your computer and transfer to iPhone.
- App Store will also tell you when your apps are updated, and can update them wirelessly in the background.
- All kinds of app browsing like the music store. Popular apps, staff picks, etc.
- Steve clicked on a free app and it started downloading and installing right away, wirelessly over either cell or Wi-Fi. Can be done through both for completely on the go app downloading.
- If you want to sell your app, you'll get 70% of revenues. Apple will take care of credit card fees, etc. No hosting or marketing fees.
- If your app is free, then you pay nothing. It's all free.
- Limitations: No porn, no malicious software, no privacy invasion.
- iPhone 2.0 software update will be the one to include all the enterprise and SDK stuff.
- Beta will be out today to developers.
- Available to the public in June as software upgrade.
- All this available to iPod Touch owners too, but b/c of the accounting practices, there will be a charge for the update (*sigh* could you please change that, Apple?)
11:14AM PST - To become an iPhone developer, go to Apple's website and download the SDK for free in about an hour.
- Ah, the SDK may be free to download, but to test your app on your iPhone (aka get the beta of iPhone firmware 2.0, etc.) and to distribute your app, you have to join the iPhone dev programme, which is $99.
- "One More Thing..." (squee!)
- Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer is starting an iFund to fund Apple entrepreneurs
- holy crap $100 million available to fund developers O.O
- That $100 million will be to fund iPhone developers. (Wow. Take that, Google Android.)
- "Should be enough to start a dozen Amazons and a few Googles" (yeah, millions of dollars will do that.)
11:20AM - Event is over, now Steve and Phil are on stage for a Q&A session.
- Q: "What's the $100 million do for the iPhone community?"
- A: "Opportunity to invest in community. They love young developers, so helps the whole iPhone ecosystem."
- Q: "Should RIM (Crackberry) be worried? What's the message to them?"
- A: "Ask them, we're not sending them a message, just providing for our customer's needs. This stuff is shipping around the 1 year anniversary of the iPhone." (cute, Jobs.)
- Q: "Security?"
- A: "Developers have to register with Apple. The $99 gets you a certificate telling Apple who you are and authorises you to distribute apps in the App Store. If they write a malicious app, we can track them down and tell their parents."
- Q: "What about VoIP?"
- A: "Only will be limited over cellular data connections. Over Wi-Fi is a go." (Hello Skype!)
- Q: "Will you be able to sync to both Exchange and iCal, etc.?"
- A: "Yes. You will be able to have multiple account syncing."
- Q: "Is Apple being the sole distributor of apps going to bring about monopoly issues?"
- A: "It'll be a boon to developers, puts the apps right in front of all iPhone users. Not aiming to make money with the App Store [on Apple's side], the 30% is to pay for the store costs themselves."
- Q: "Will SIM unlock software not be allowed in the app store?"
- A: "... yes." (as if Steve was going to say it was allowed... no harm in asking, I guess.)
11:34AM - Q: "What'll the fee be on the iPod Touch?"
- A: "We'll determine that in June. Not looking to make a profit on that."
- Q: "Will the IT tools be easy to use? An easy switch from Blackberry to iPhone for IT folks?"
- A: "iPhone will use ActiveSync so it's familiar, and tools will be included to manage devices."
- Q: "Is this an international rollout? Will open source apps be allowed?"
- A: "It's international, but not open-source project. For-profit project only, even though the update is free." (I think they didn't quite understand the open source part of the question - the question asked about open source apps on the developer side, not for the source code of the firmware on Apple's side.)
- Q: "What about additional connections? WiMAX?"
- A: "We're not talking about hardware today."
- Q: "How would enterprise managers distribute internal apps?"
- A: "There will be a special app for that."
- Additional info: Parental controls will be integrated into 2.0 update. Parents can turn off individual features like the App Store and Safari, etc.
- Q: "Why'd you change your mind about apps? A year ago you said web apps would be the only way to develop for iPhone."
- A: "Wanted to make something great. Steve's lived with an SDK for 20 years."
- Q: "What about the carriers? Are the carriers involved in the App Store?"
- A: "This is our programme and we're running it." "So they're not getting revenue sharing from this?" "We don't go into financial arrangements."
- Q: "Dock connector API?"
- A: "No way to write apps for the dock connector other than the existing programme" (refers to the "Made for iPod" accessory certification programme, but this didn't quite answer if the SDK will have APIs available for interacting with accessories connected through the dock connector.)
11: 48AM - No more questions. It's done.
Thank you for staying with us at Homotron for live updates on the iPhone Software Roadmad presentation. Stay tuned to us for any more news today as the story develops!






BlackBerry Bold
Awesome coverage, Den Den! I wish I could have been there with you. There is some big news coming out today! Now, if only June would get here sooner.