by Dan Wright
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Apple has now released iPhone OS 3.0. This is a free upgrade for all iPhone owners, and a $9.95 upgrade for iPod Touch owners.
As an iPhone/iPod Touch developer, I should tell you that Apple makes it difficult to upload fixes to old versions of applications to the App Store (that is, you can only update the current version, not older versions), which means that you may get shut out of bug fixes to your favorite apps unless you upgrade to 3.0.
It’s that time of year again, when all the faithful Mac OS X and iPhone developers make their way to San Francisco for Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference. With the decline of MacWorld Boston/New York a few years ago, the WWDC has become one of Apple’s most public opportunities to announce new products. These are usually not the consumer products such as iMacs, iPods, or iWork software, but rather the cutting edge technology – especially new system software, and, since 2007, new iPhone models. This year will be focused on final preparations for the arrival of the next generation of Mac OS X system software, OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard,” due later this year, and the next generation of iPhones and iPhone OS 3.0, most likely arriving in July – only a month away. The iPhone OS 3.0 application software developer kit (SDK) has been available to developers in a prerelease form since March, however it is certain that Apple has not yet revealed all its cards. The next iPhone is widely rumored to feature new, faster hardware (which will allow for more sophisticated applications), a magnetometer, and an upgraded camera that can take video as well as still photographs. Personally, the magnetometer (an electronic compass) is most compelling, and I have ideas I’m ready to implement for Photoluna just as soon as I have access to magnetometer APIs.
One thing that will be very different from WWDCs of recent years: No Steve Jobs keynote. Expect the same features and surprises of the past, but with less initial buzz.
The keynote is public, and I will be there and tweeting about the keynote for those who wish to follow along. The remainder of the conference, however, is confidential, so if my tweets become rather cryptic — well, now you know why.
For fellow developers going to WWDC – I look forward to seeing you there!
The bana smoo support forums are now live. Post your questions, problems, and feature requests for Photoluna and our other products in the support forums.
Our first application for the iPhone and iPod Touch is now available at the iTunes App Store! Read more about Photoluna here.
Daring Fireball: The Next iPhone: “Two … significant internal additions frequently mentioned in rumors are indeed accurate: a magnetometer (a.k.a. a compass) and an improved camera that will shoot video (and improved still images, thanks to an auto-focus lens; the existing iPhone camera lens is fixed-focus). Video, in fact, will be one of the major features Apple plans to tout regarding the new model.”
(Via John Gruber.)
The magnetometer is good news. John also makes the no-brainer prediction that the new iPhones will have more operating memory and faster processors. All good news; the magnetometer will make possible a cool little feature for Photoluna that wasn’t previously possible.