Developers, We Want To Talk To You!

Just minutes ago, word came from Apple (via MacRumors)that they are removing the Non-disclosure elements of their agreement with iPhone developers, as they apply to released software:

We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.

We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others.

However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.

As many iPhone developers know, we've been anxious to talk apps. So send us an email: feedback@thedigitallifestyle.tv we'd love to tell everyone about what went into making your application.

WWDC All Over Again

Maybe you missed out on our live coverage of WWDC the first time around. Maybe you think if you watch it again, this time Steve will announce the Apps store is available immediately, or maybe you just want something to listen to get through the work week.

In any event, below are the links to our live WWDC video coverage and analysis. Enjoy it, all over again...

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

Where are the Apple apps?

I think we're almost out of our version of "one more thing" regarding the WWDC keynote. But there's been one more discussion going on here at HQ I wanted to open up to everybody: Where are the iPhone apps from Apple?

The iPhone offers a lot of cool opportunities (at least we assume) beyond porting programs from other platforms. How about a lite version of iMovie intended for the YouTube crowd: record short video clips, then do basic cuts before posting directly to your YouTube or (get used to it) Mobile Me account.

And what about iPhoto? For the megapixel size of the camera, the iPhone takes great pictures, but why not allow the user to do basic image adjustments?

There's always the chance that Apple held back on their own software given that this was the Developer's Conference: focused on getting others to create apps for the platform. That said, is there any other way to showcase what the device can do than to show off Apple-created apps? We also hear how quick it is to develop for the phone. Developers come out and talk about only working on something for a month, and how easy it is to program. But how about showing us something that's been in development, possibly for years at Apple? Why not show us what's possible when a programming team can devote full attention to creating apps. With time, we'll either start to see these apps, or we'll have to wonder if maybe the SDK doesn't allow for the kind of groundbreaking development we had hoped.

You have a tumor... Or maybe just a dead pixel

Alright. A few days have passed, and everyone has had a chance (us included) to point out the shortcomings from the WWDC Keynote. There was one area though, that seemed far more advanced than perhaps we'd expected: specialized iPhone apps.

The applications demoed, specifically the medical applications proved to be the most interesting. While most iPhone users will never need to use the apps from modality or MIMvista shown at WWDC. These products though, may represent the most cutting-edge use of the iPhone as a platform that we'll see anytime soon.

Mark Cain's look at the the MIMvista projects in particular, showed the potential of the iPhone, while it might take longer than we expected (meaning later than the launch of the apps store) to see this kind innovation. Porting Cro-Mag Rally is one thing. The ability to view, analyze, and adjust CT scans, x-rays, etc. from anywhere is the first step towards seeing a legitimate "third platform" to go along with the Mac and Windows.

Exclusive Interview with the iSepta creators

Those of you in the Philadelphia area, rejoice! If you're an iPhone owner (or even if you just have an internet connection) iSepta has made navigating Philly's Regional Rail system far easier.

Watch below and meet the guys behind iSepta. And if you live anywhere near a mass transit system, pay attention: They might be making your commute easier next!

What we got. What we expected.

And so the WWDC Keynote is in the books. The 3G iPhone was announced. The rumored video chat features were not. The GPS was there, the apps store is there, although not today, and Apple did manage to hit the $199 price point.

To call it underwhelming would be an understatement. We were staffed, and prepared for an afternoon of putting the new applications through their paces. Of showing people just what wonderful things they could do with the new phone. While the new phone, especially the price point will increase sales, especially in new markets, frankly there's very little reason for existing iPhone customers to run out and get one. (even though you can't. Not 'til July.)

This was one of those keynotes that raised more questions than it answers: why can we still not copy and paste? Why is there no mms? Why is mobile me any better than say push email, and why does it seem like such an awkward .mac replacement?

All we know is, the phone will be here next month, along with the apps store, although not even all the demo'ed apps will be available then.

And so, along with mundane things like copy and paste, we didn't hear anything about iChat for Windows, a new tablet, or iPod touch changes. We didn't even get the traditional "up and to the right" sales graph. And no "one more thing."

We can only take comfort in the fact that Phil Schiller made an appearance on stage. At least some keynote traditions remain.

Final Reminder: Live video coverage of keynote announcements Monday

Just a quick reminder that we'll be serving up our live video analysis of the WWDC keynote beginning at noon ET / 9AM PT. We'll be your first source for keynote developments, video of the new device(s) and reaction from the Mac Çommunity. Everyone watching will be able to chat and interact with us live on-air via iChat.

If Macworld was any indication, we expect a big crowd, so here's a few tips:
1. Load the videostream early. We will need to initially cap the the video connections at 30,000, allowing more people to view depending on bandwidth/web stability.
2. Secret second stream. If our main website goes down, you'll also be able to watch the live video at www.mogulus.com/tdl .
3. There's no step three!

We look forward to a fun event, and hope you'll join us. We'll be bringing the latest and fastest reports from the Keynote that we can.

See you Monday!

Let's not forget the other part of WWDC...

iPhone this, iPhone that. As the WWDC keynote approaches, the chatter is ratcheted up even further abouth the new iPhone, and its slew of features/software.

But let's not forget, WWDC existed long before the iPhone. First and foremost, it is a conference for OS X developers. We might just be looking at a situation in which Steve sneaks something under the radar regarding Mac development, while everyone is worked up in an iPhone frenzy. We already know how the iPhone story ends: Bigger storage, gps, and probably video conferencing. So where could the surprise come from next Monday? How about a new API making it easier to run Windows apps natively under OS X? Maybe the announcement of a similar self-service Apple store independent OS X developers? Maybe some new xCode tricks making development for the Mac and the iPhone simultaneously a cake walk?

Again, even we've speculated on possible hardware announcements like newer MacBooks, or the introduction of a tablet, but it could be a quiet, under-the-radar development tweak that has the greatest long-lasting effect on Apple marketshare and stock price in the long-term.

(And don't forget, we'll have live video coverage of the keynote announcements beginning at noon ET / 9AM PT.)

iPhone Gaming: How Serious is Apple?

June 9th 2008 is going to be a very important date for Apple. Not only is this the start of WWDC and the unveiling of third party iPhone and iPod Touch applications, but also the day Apple (hopefully) enters the gaming industry.

I'm expecting to see at least a few games that week. EA will probably show Spore, and SEGA should have Monkey Ball, but will Apple be showing anything? Being the platform holder, shouldn't Apple now be developing some kick ass games in house? Shouldn't they be using part of their billion dollar war chest to acquire a studio for internal game development? This is exactly what Microsoft did by acquiring Bungie and Rare during the beginning days of the Xbox. Sony and Nintendo have also done the same.

First party games have always determined the success of any gaming platform. Ten million Wii Sports owners are proof of that. And while the iPhone isn't a gaming device first and foremost, if they want to be taken seriously in that market Apple is going to have to get off its butt and start making some games. At the very least it would give the Apple Works team something to do :)

iPhone gaming: Top Five Unanswered Questions

The iPhone SDK is out there, (And actually it just had an update today.) and we know a lot of people are working on a lot of great applications, many of which will be games. Unlike the launch of a true gaming console at CES or the heyday of E3, this is the rare instance in which millions of the "console" have already sold, and no one quite knows what will happen with games. And so we present (in no particular order) the top five unanswered questions about gaming on the iPhone.

1. Is the hardware up to the challenge? Or more precisely, how much of the hardware power will Apple allow to be unleashed? According to specs from Roughlydrafted.com, iPhone specs include a 620mhz processor (underclocked to 412mhz), compared to the 67mhz ARM processor in the DS, and a 333mhz processor in the PSP. Of course as anyone from the PowerPC days knows, processor speed is only a small part of the story. The iPhone also has four times the RAM, and much more than ten times the storage capacity. However, it is after all, a phone. How much of this hardware can be maxed out for gameplay? How much of that RAM needs to be ready for use by mail, iTunes, Safari, etc? How hard does Apple want to push the hardware, and was this in mind when the phone was designed? After all, some have questioned whether Apple ever wanted to put out an SDK to begin with.

2. What will happen with battery life? Again, related to just how much of that raw hardware power Apple wants to unleash. The processor is already underclocked by more than 100mhz, presumably to save battery life. And as mentioned on this blog previously, battery life can be slightly shorter than expected already. What happens when you have 3D graphics running all the time during game play, as well as accelerometer input, etc? Look for a surge in 3rd party battery solutions to give gamers more juice.

3. What happens when the phone rings? When you're playing most consoles and the phone rings, you can ignore it, or glance over at your phone and take the call. It's presumable that gameplay will pause, and a dialog box will ask you whether to take the call. Given the concern over Apple's limitations on running apps in the background though, will you lose your game/saved data? This seems like an unlikely scenario, yet the SDK limitations could be interpreted to show this as a potential problem.

4. Can your music be integrated with gameplay? Already some games for the iPod allow you to continue listening to your iTunes while playing. Will Apple's restrictions around music, ie. not allowing developers to access iTunes, limit this capability on the phone? And more importantly, will it limit the creation of exciting new games that could integrate the users media already stored on the device? Imagine a 3rd person shooter in which the tv in one of the settings is playing your favorite music videos. Personalization could be taken to a whole new level, or it could whither on the vine.

5. What about wifi/bluetooth? Three cell phones ago, I enjoyed playing Battleship with a friend via bluetooth. Yes it was nerdy to sit there at the same table and play on two different phones. But it was also fun. The bluetooth functionality of the iPhone is limited right now, to put it kindly. Devices like bluetooth-enabled cars, with integrated address books are unable to communicate with the phone. Will we see more support of bluetooth standards in general, or will developers have to create their own solutions? And even if they can, will Apple give them access to the system calls and underlying OS to make that possible? The same questions surround wi-fi. Will iPhones be able to communicate directly with each other? Will a wifi network be required?

Clearly those five questions lead to many, many more. What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments.

Is the iPhone SDK bigger than the PC?

When John Doerr speaks, Silicon Valley listens. As part of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the Valley's premier venture capital firm, Doerr has seen his share of huge, game-changing technology. From Google, to Amazon, Sun and others, Doerr has had the vision to see the future just ahead of others. At Apple's iPhone SDK roadmap event, Doerr, took the stage to announce the establishment of the iFund: a $100 million dollar pot of venture capital money for applications intended for the iPhone. Lost in the coverage of the fund's establishment was something else Doerr said.

"Today we're witnessing history... In your pocket you have something that's broadband and connected all the time. It's personal. It knows who you are and where you are. That's a big deal. A really big deal. It's bigger than the personal computer," Doerr said at the launch.

Let's digest that for a moment. The iPhone as a bigger development in technology than the personal computer. Is there a bigger statement that could be made about the SDK release?

Well in fact, it could very well turn out to be true. While the iPhone has proven itself has a worthy phone/ipod/portable internet device, this SDK does indeed take things to a whole new level. Suddenly everyone from an 11 year-old girl to a Wall Street executive need/want the same device. The business app integration becomes a must-have for some, while a slew of cool, independently produced games become the hip item on every playground. John Doerr is seldom wrong, and he's not wrong this time either. This is bigger than the personal computer. Period.