Steve Jobs only speaks to the media when he has to, when he launches an iPod, the iPhone, the MacBook Air… the App Store. Here’s what he just said to USA Today:

“This is the biggest launch of my career.”

From the man who brought us the Apple II and the Mac? Really? That’s a lot of faith in what some are calling the next major platform. And it looks like Jobs isn’t taking any chances. Heck, it looks like he’s positively stacking the deck:

500 Apps in the Store at launch. 450 of them under $10. 125 of them FREE.

Of course, to enjoy these Apps, you’ll need iTunes 7.7. It’s live now, just crank up Apple’s Software Update or go to Apple.com for the direct download!

Use iTunes 7.7 to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later. Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home – a free download from the App Store.

You’ll need iPhone firmware 2.0 as well, unfortunately, so that means we’re still waiting for another big drop… and/or an iPhone 3G!

UPDATE: According to MacRumors, while the App Store proper is not visible yet in iTunes, APPS ARE!!! To find them, just search for their names (or parts thereof), i.e. AOL, Remote, etc.

(And YES! Apple’s iTunes Remote is there, and it works with iTunes and Apple TV!)

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iTunes 7.7 Live! 500 Apps! 90% Under $10! 25% Free! + Jobs Speaks!

Those lucky… bloggers over at Gizmodo have scored a video walkthrough of both the iPhone 2.0 software (build 5A345) and the matching iTunes 7.7 developers received last week. What say they?

As you can see in the video, the App Store is there—although it’s not active yet—along with the new Push data feature, the content restrictions, and the BCC field in Mail, among the rest of the new features.

Though they also say that the Gold Master didn’t drop last Friday due to some remaining glitches. However, the iPhone/iPod Touch Remote Control was already baked in!

Check out the video and then keep wiping the drool until the 11th!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 2.0 + iTunes 7.7 Video Walkthrough!

Beta release 8 is compatible with the final iPhone OS 2.0 release and must be used to build and sign any iPhone OS application to be submitted to the App Store. As a reminder, you must be a member of the iPhone Developer Program to submit apps.

So quoth Apple’s developer site, continuing its relentless schedule leading up to a rumored Friday Gold Master, and a necessary July 11th iPhone 3G launch.

The latest beta weighs in at 1.25 GB and is identified as 5a345.

What’s new this time around? Aside from stability, new certificates replaced the previous, just-expired certificates. Only time and the usually bit-by-bit code inspection will tell what else may lurk in the strings (like MMS and Secure Erase?).

However the SDK beta does require the also available-to-developers beta of iTunes 7.7, with a new, fresh tab to handle App Store apps the same way its previously handled Music, Video, and the rest of your iPhone content.

We’re through the looking glass, folks.

Read

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 2.0 SDK Beta 8 + iTunes 7.7 Beta