iPhoney is an application that allows you to check what your website would look like on an iPhone (we’ve reported on it before). They have a new version, which requires Mac OSX 10.4.7 and is now open source.
All Articles Tagged omgnoappz
Gah. I’m not thrilled with the news of web apps being the application delivery method, but I don’t think that web 2.0 is Apple’s permanent answer to an SDK.
Web app functionality is something you talk about if either
- you’re not ready to talk about the external SDK. We already knew it would do web apps — reference the “kinda sorta internet” commercial. We knew it would do the full internet, javascript, the whole shebang — last January.
- There is no SDK, Web 2.0 / AJAX all the way.
- Jobs said at D5 that if folks are willing to hold on for a while, he’ll have an answer for that. I have said that I didn’t think we’d have an SDK at launch, and it looks like at least that much is true. I still think we’ll get one later.
- though I’m not excited about Web applications, they are powerful. Case in point: Google Documents. There’s an interesting wee tidbit from that website: “Safari support for Google Docs is coming soon!” I don’t see Opera, Minimo or Pocket IE on their list of compatible browsers.
- Web 2.0 / AJAX devleopment is going to be a boon for web developers, and it’s simultaneously a shot in the arm for Safari. It’s quite possible that Safari as a targeted web platform is more important to Jobs right now than an SDK (it does burn me to say that). Conversely, web apps significantly lower the bar of entry for application development, and opens up subscription and service-based application licensing models.
- I’m still convinced the market potential is large for iTunes as a signed app delivery vehicle. I think I’ll stick to my guns on this one; we’ll see what other announcements Jobs makes in the next year or so, maybe as early as January at MWSF.
That said, there are still some vexing questions:
- Whither YouTube?
- is Adobe’s flash supported? If so, expect it to basically become the default application language. This would be a huge boon for Flash Lite apps.
- Can you store web apps on the iPhone directly, i.e., run them from flash storage? If you can run apps without incurring bandwidth, that’s great. If not, this could be a huge issue.
It’s very clear to me that we still don’t have all of the SDK answers yet; I don’t think this issue will be resolved yet on launch day.
From the live coverage at MacRumors.com, Jobs confirmed that the SDK will use Web 2.0 applications — AJAX, if you prefer. Download the beta of the Windows Development kit today.
I’ll admit, I was hoping for a full-blown SDK; I had surmised a widget-based application stack earlier but foolishly abandoned it in the hopes of a full-blown SDK, if not just for the sake of games. More after the end of WWDC to follow!
There’s an incredible SDK (that’s system development kit) article at Ars Technica, one of my favorite tech sites, about the new user interface metaphors, the work involved in making sure a new user interface is robust and polished to ensure that the use of this SDK provides high-quality applications. It’s by John Siracusa and it’s titled The Frontier.
The article even goes into detail concerning Jobs’ worry that an application could bring down a network, which has been pooh-poohed by various technical people:
I happen to know of one actual incident in which a bug in a certain first-party smart-phone application caused, essentially, a denial-of-service attack on an important data service—one that happened the same time every day for weeks before it was tracked down.
If you’re tweaked out about the iPhone SDK issue, go read it. Some programming knowledge might help.
The iPhone is not just a new platform, it’s an entirely new set of rules for interface design. That is what struck me the most once the actual iPhone demos started. There are no windows, no close/minimize/zoom widgets, no checkboxes, no radio buttons, no scroll bars, no nothing.
Seriously, I could quote this article all day. I wish it went into why an SDK is so important, but it doesn’t, so I’ll follow up where it left off.
There has likely been a lot of griefing concerning the lack of 3rd party SDKs and APIs for the iPhone as of yet. While presenting at D5, Jobs stated he doesn’t want the iPhone to be unstable or insecure, stating the iPhone won’t be
“one of those phones that crashes a few times a day…. We would like to solve this problem and if you could just be a little more patient with us, we’ll do it.”
OMGAPPZ. kthxbye.
Walt Mossberg’s All Things Digital, aka D5, has posted video of the Gates and Jobs fireside chat. It’s unfortunately in 9 chunks of FLV; there’s no stream, no MOV or WMV that you can download of the entire event. That shouldn’t stop you, however, as the chat is excellent. Jobs and Gates are relaxed, affable, and make jokes throughout, and it’s frankly great to watch both of them. They talk openly about the mobile space, where “post-pc era devices” (Jobs’ term for devices like Zunes, iPods, GPS, and other catch-all convergence or divergence devices) are headed. It’s an investment of time — roughly an hour — worth its weight in gold.
One of the best parts, for me, is that Jobs confirmed they’re still working on 3rd party applications for the iPhone, how to do it right; how to do it without making the device crash twice a day. A more in-depth article should follow this afternoon or evening.
In any regard, D5 has posted a highlight reel, but I’d personally recommend just watching the individual flash videos. Read on for the links.
&tThird party apps are being “considered.” I’ve been pretty confident that we’ll see 3rd party apps on the iPhone, and I’ll continue to be confident. I more or less expect them to be signed (meaning that they’ll have to be purchase through the iTunes store and wrapped with DRM or some such — I’d be happy to be wrong about this) but I think we’ll see 3rd party apps. Maybe not immediately on launch, but we’ll see it.
Steve is said to be “wrestling with the issue,” which basically means that he knows it’s the right thing to do for the iPhone platform but likely isn’t excited about giving up control. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
According to Walter Biscardi, one can install a lite version of Final Cut Studio on the iPhone if one already has a license, and capture and edit movies in the Apple ProRes 422 video codec. There are only two audio and video tracks, that’s it, but still, it’s video editing. On the iPhone.
I have no idea if the story is true, there’s no video of it in action; it could be a photoshop, it could be false, it could be a brazen lie by Walter Biscardi to capture traffic. But if it’s true, it should quiet the doubters worried about the application ecosystem a bit, especially if it’s a sign of things to come.
Apple PR officially revealed that Steve Jobs will be doing the keynote on June 11th during Apple’s WorldWide Developer Conference. I know, he pretty much does it every year, so it’s not exactly groundbreaking earth-shattering news. But, it means he’ll probably trot out Leopard, the new version of Mac OSX.
Odds are very good that he’ll remind everyone about the iPhone too. I suspect he’ll probably put some of the lingering questions to rest about the iPhone. Hopefully he’ll tell us what day we have to get in line to purchase one. Since it’s WWDC, I’m guessing that he’ll announce some sort of SDK and official capacity for third party apps. Otherwise it would be like rubbing developer faces into mud: “Here’s a groundbreaking platform that changes everything that you can’t be part of! Besides buying one! And switching to Cingular!” Not likely; or at least, not for long. Personally I think we’ll see 3rd party applications in iTunes the day the phone is out.
