It finally happened. Steve Jobs announced an iPhone SDK. The plan is to release it in February, and the suggestion is that apps will need to be digitally signed . Here's hoping that developing for the iPhone/Touch will be cheap (or free) enough to allow the folks who have been writing apps to continue doing so. Says Jobs: 'It will take until February to release an SDK because we're trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once--provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc. This is no easy task.'
My prediction is that it'll be a lot like some Java handhelds. There will be a key repository. It will come with the public key of Apple and, for iPhones, for the carrier from which you currently get service. Developers will be issued a key pair, one to go onto the device they use for development, and one to sign the apps they're developing, but installing the pubic keys onto arbitrary devices will be non-trivial.
My prediction based on that is, anyone who cares about running a wide variety of apps will register as a developer and get a key pair, and freeware apps will have to be open source, because in order to get them signed correctly, people will have to compile them from source so that they're properly signed for their own devices.
With the introduction of the SDK, I think we're going to see a batch of really nice 3rd party apps. The current ones are extremely good for what resources are available, but I think everyone would agree there is room for much improvement.
Most past attempts as application/driver signing have failed because it hasn't been about signing but rather about making $$$. And signing has cost book u bucks for being signed. This is the aspect of signing that's bad. It will be fine for app signing as long as it's free to do so or a negligible (ie: $5-$10) processing fee. But if it's $500 or $1,500 to have your app signed. Then it will fail...
The situation will be the same as with the iTunes SDK: to get the SDK you'll have to sign an agreement that gives Apple veto power over your application. Every time people flamed me.Anything they don't like, gone. They say its to protect users from spyware and other forms of malware but it'll be used to eliminate anything they don't like. Instead you'll get crippled functionality, like music sharing with ridiculous limits on the number of people/playbacks per day.
Rest lets wait and watch its impact on technology front.................................................................
My prediction is that it'll be a lot like some Java handhelds. There will be a key repository. It will come with the public key of Apple and, for iPhones, for the carrier from which you currently get service. Developers will be issued a key pair, one to go onto the device they use for development, and one to sign the apps they're developing, but installing the pubic keys onto arbitrary devices will be non-trivial.
My prediction based on that is, anyone who cares about running a wide variety of apps will register as a developer and get a key pair, and freeware apps will have to be open source, because in order to get them signed correctly, people will have to compile them from source so that they're properly signed for their own devices.
With the introduction of the SDK, I think we're going to see a batch of really nice 3rd party apps. The current ones are extremely good for what resources are available, but I think everyone would agree there is room for much improvement.
Most past attempts as application/driver signing have failed because it hasn't been about signing but rather about making $$$. And signing has cost book u bucks for being signed. This is the aspect of signing that's bad. It will be fine for app signing as long as it's free to do so or a negligible (ie: $5-$10) processing fee. But if it's $500 or $1,500 to have your app signed. Then it will fail...
The situation will be the same as with the iTunes SDK: to get the SDK you'll have to sign an agreement that gives Apple veto power over your application. Every time people flamed me.Anything they don't like, gone. They say its to protect users from spyware and other forms of malware but it'll be used to eliminate anything they don't like. Instead you'll get crippled functionality, like music sharing with ridiculous limits on the number of people/playbacks per day.
Rest lets wait and watch its impact on technology front.................................................................
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