“After many, many hours of intense work from ‘Nightwatch,’ the first independent ‘Hello World‘ application has been compiled and launched on the iPhone. This was made possible using the ‘ARM/Mach-O Toolchain,’ Nightwatch’s ‘special project,’ that he has been working on so carefully over the past few weeks. Certain parts of the toolchain (such as the assembler) are being refined and tested and these will be released as soon as possible,” iPhone Dev Wiki reports.
This development could mark a path for third-party developers to create “real” applications for Apple’s iPhone.
MacDailyNews Note: iPhone Dev Wiki has asked the media not to link directly to the wiki due to traffic concerns.
Hopefully malware, etc, doesn’t follow soon, eh?
This development could mark a path for third-party developers to create “real” applications for Apple’s iPhone.
Yeah, until a firmware update disables it. Why are hackers so desperate to make devices do what their creators don’t intend? Don’t they understand you almost never end up with a usuable device that way?
I wonder though, how many legitimate third-party developers are willing to resort to a hack to install apps on an iPhone, especially if and update to the iPhone software could disable the hack? At best, I see it as marginal, and I also wonder if Apple will eventually release “sanctioned” apps through iTMS, as they do now with iPod games (as suggested by others).
Hmm, I wonder what Apple will do with this? Do they have the right to squash independent development like this? I expect they care, but maybe they’ll give nightwatch a bit of leash and see how far he can get. Will be interesting to see the reaction
How long did that “ceack” take? It will take Apple just the amount of time to upload an update to disable it. Otherwise, iPhones will be crashing all over the place as Windows sufferers misuse them in droves.
I agree with Woody when he says will release sanctioned Applications through iTunes, much like they do now with iPod games.
Personally, I’m sick of these moaning people who want it all. “It’s my right to have apps on iPhone etc. etc.”
There’s a reason why don’t allow anyone to develop apps for iPhone – do people really want it to end up like WinMobile?
I agree, the best way to protect the hardware and integrity of the software is to submit to apple and let them tear it apart and give their seal of approval. You won’t find a better platform or location to sell your wares anyway other than at Apple.com
Better for everyone!
Exactly Jim,
We need more sheep like yourself. Obey everything Apple says. Its not my phone, I’m just leasing it. Because Apple knows whats best for me.
Would you feel the same if when Leopard comes out, Apple announces that only Apple approved software will be available for it? Or that third part development would be closed entirely because we don’t want to bring the internet down with some rogue software app.
Apple controlling software delivery to the iPhone, just like other media (music, videos) thru iTunes is a great idea. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to reinitialize my old WM5 phone due to some third party app, installed with good intentions, that didn’t do exactly what I wanted and ended up crashing the phone. Especially when you start adding multiple third party apps, many of them not compatible with each other. Apple is all about maintaining control of the entire experience, that is why their solutions remain so elegant and trouble free.
This is exactly what the iPhone needs. Hopefully SJ will see it for what it is worth….3rd party apps=tons more sales. With 3rd party apps a dev kits the iPhone will finally truly be a personal computer.
Just my $0.02
Comment to Jeff
Jeff your analogy of the iphone to leapard is false. Apple announced to the world before iphone was released that it would be a closed system. This left potential buyers with 2 choices … 1, Buy it knowing it was a closed system, or, 2. Don’t buy it. I want my iphone to continue to work as specd by Apple without worrying that some ambitious malcontent decides what is best for the rest of us. This does open the door for all types of mal ware to find itself to the iphone.
MDN missed the link to the story:
http://iphone.fiveforty.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Freedom is about CHOICE:
You can choose to use the application as the manufacturer intended to.
Or you can choose to tweak and hack it any way you want, if you’re willing to lose your warranty.
It’s just like cars. You can choose to keep it standard, the way it came from the factory (keep it “classic”, if you want.)
Or you can modify it, put the big rims, alter the engine, gadgets, body, lower it, raise it, you name it.
In discussions like this, I remember WHY was Apple created, in the first place: To free people from the IBM-related restrictions. The Apple II was a computer designed to CREATE, ADD and REMOVE options at your leisure (I’m the proud owner of an original 1979 Apple II, plus other nice old computers, like a NextStation)
And, aren’t Macs the computers for creative people? And isn’t programming the top creative activity to do with computers?
It’s all in choice. If you choose to be just an user and use only what Apple (or whomever dictates), I’m OK with that. It’s safer for sure.
But that should not be a reason to bash programmers who try new things and push technology to the limits. If you don’t know programming or the spirit of learning more, then your comments about hackers (REAL hackers, not “crackers”) are somehow out of line.
No offense to anybody.
Surely it’s only a matter of time before Apple increases the amount of RAM to 8GB and 16GB and then creates a virtual sandbox in which the applications can play.
As a disclaimer:
Of course, my previous comment does NOT condone programming for the pure sake of destructive activities: Virus, malware, etc.
Programming (as anything else) is a responsibility. You should be free to practice it, but respect for others in vital for it to flourish.
@Jeff
“Would you feel the same if when Leopard comes out, Apple announces that only Apple approved software will be available for it? Or that third part development would be closed entirely because we don’t want to bring the internet down with some rogue software app.”
This is not the same thing. Imagine for one second that you witness a terrible accident, you try to dial 911, but your phone crashes and you simply can not get it to work. The iPhone needs to paramountly be a phone, any thing else is secondary.
If you can understand this then your Leopard analogy goes out the window, because your computer in NOT a phone and vise-versa. Whether you can grasp this or not is irrelevant because in this case Apple does know best.
Folks, independent apps WILL be developed for iPhone. No question about it. However, install at your own risk.
For those of you ranting on about freedom of choice and the Apple ball and chain, just remember your words after you’ve installed some 3rd party app that trashes you device’s functionality and the fly-by-night “company” that developed it disappears from the web and there’s no way to uninstall the app and Apple tech support declines involvement.
I say more power to anyone who successfully hacks the iPhone. It’s not like any additional apps will be forced on anyone who doesn’t want them. If I want to modify a stock product, why should you have any issues with it? Doesn’t sound like anyone is trying to force any 3rd party apps on anyone here. If you don’t want 3rd party apps, don’t install them. You have absolutely no standing to dictate to me what I do with a product I own, as long as I am not breaking any laws.
Some people need to lighten up.
If I break a product by trying to hack it, it’s my own damn fault. I have no right to complain to the manufacturer. In the case of witnessing an accident, if a hack on my phone causes it to malfunction, well, that’s tough nuggies for me.
@Dave
Who is forcing you to download future 3rd party iPhone apps to your phone? You think the fact that they will *exist* will bring down your phone or collapse the network? Get serious dude. If OSX is so secure (as we all like to brag so much about) and the iPhone is on OSX, then how are these apps going to “open the door for all types of mal ware to find itself to the iphone”? (your typo).
I’m with the people who want choice. I don’t believe allowing them to have that choice will affect Dave’s use of his iPhone in the slightest.
“Mac-nugget” — Apple always knows best, blah, blah. Don’t be such a sheep.
The good news is they did a Hello World program.
The bad news is that for the iPhone any application has to be written in malbolge.
“Imagine for one second that you witness a terrible accident, you try to dial 911, but your phone crashes and you simply can not get it to work.”
In fact, I carry around 3 phones from different providers, a CB Radio, and a signal flare just in case I witness a horrible accident and one of my phones crashes.
In other words: Bullshit.
The 911 argument is rubbish. If that were the case, I would carry a phone that was just a phone. Obviously, there’s less to go wrong with a phone that is just a phone and doesn’t have innovative interfaces, iPods, web browsers, etc. Keep It Simple, Stupid.
So if you’re so concerned with Emergency 911 situations, you shouldn’t be using an iPhone. Hell, my officemate has an iPhone and she’s had to reboot it 3 times since she bought it (“Peter? The buttons aren’t working again…”) You should have a simple phone.
To use me as an example, I don’t have an iPhone. I would love an iPhone. However, I use my phone as an “emergency” device. It usually sits in my car’s glovebox or in my backpack when I bike. The only time I use it is if something is wrong. When my roomate took a tumble on her bike, I used my cellphone to call her sister for help. When I had a flat tire on my bike, I called my roomate to let her know I’d be late.
My phone is good, solid, and dependable–everything that a phone used for “emergencies” should be. All the cruft has been removed. So the argument that installing third-party apps on your phone will somehow cause it to crash when you need it the most is rubbish. If you are depending on your phone for emergencies, you’re an idiot to use some multifunction device to begin with.
So stop with the FUD.
Maximum flexibility means maximum difficulty. In other words, Apple allowing people to customize the iPhone willy-nilly will drive their support costs through the roof and reduce the perceived product quality or perhaps product quality overall. Don’t act like this affects no-one but the third party developers and their customers. The situation requires a balancing act and it’s not about “freedom” versus “tyranny”. You are free to purchase your cell phone from any provider that you wish. It’s really about whether you get to tell Apple what to do or not, isn’t it?
At the developers conference, Apple gave free copies of Leopard Beta with the advice to developers to develope apps for the iphone in Safari.
That doesn’t sound like a company that is against 3rd party apps! If a 3rd party developer thinks that their program is soo hot, they will submit a copy to Apple for testing, verifying and approval.
Sounding off, before following normal channels is akin to saying that you have something, not so sure about it, so build up expectation and pressure to Apple in the hope that tyhey will come knocking on your door.
Bless you Nightwatch for all the hard work you have done so far…..try not to ejaculate your development too soon next time!
to buy an iPhone. Will not buy one until/unless it accomodates “real” 3rd party apps. Or until Apple itself supplies those much needed apps. Until then, I stick with my cumbersome trio: iPod, cell phone, PDA. Too bad.
soulseek + iphone = happy