• On TechRepublic: Windows 7: Slower to boot than Vista?
February 27, 2008 9:48 AM PST

Apple planning iPhone SDK event March 6

by Tom Krazit

Apple distributed invitations Wednesday morning for "an iPhone software road map" event next week, which means we're finally going to hear details on the plans for an iPhone software development kit.

Next Thursday, we'll find out more about what Apple has in mind for third-party iPhone software.

(Credit: Apple)

As you might be aware, next week is March, not February, which means Apple will have missed its deadline for shipping the SDK this month. Still, on Thursday, March 6, at 10 a.m. PST the company will hold a "town hall" meeting at its headquarters in Cupertino to discuss the State of the iPhone, and probably answer several questions about how iPhone application development will unfold.

Apple also said to expect details on "some exciting new enterprise features," which at first blush sounds to me like a method of getting the iPhone to work more closely with corporate e-mail software. It's not clear whether the SDK will actually become available next week, or whether Apple is planning to use the occasion to explain what options developers will have for getting their applications on the iPhone. Check out our report on the iPhone SDK and the possibilities for official third-party application development for more background on what might be discussed next week.

Apple will be playing host twice next week, holding its annual shareholders meeting on Tuesday and then two days later having us all trek down I-280 once again for the iPhone event.

Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom.
Recent posts from Apple
Apple Store opens in the Louvre: Where next?
Rickrolling iPhone worm is never gonna give you up
Apple said to be working on 'world mode' iPhone
Smartphone market unfazed by recession
Steve Jobs, Fortune's CEO of the decade
Apple, RIM grab market share from Nokia
Parallels 5 boasts huge speed improvement
Apple reaches 100,000 apps, 2 billion downloads
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (18 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
SDK
by huntman989 February 27, 2008 10:03 AM PST
so i guess next thursday when they do hold this meeting... Is that when the release will be do u think or will it apple just be discussing what they r goin to do this month mentioning when the sdk will arrive and so on.. thanks
Reply to this comment
Translator required
by NeverFade February 27, 2008 10:16 AM PST
My head hurts from reading your post...
View reply
Help! Waiting for the iPhone SDK is giving me Priapism.
by StuartJam February 27, 2008 10:28 AM PST
OK, maybe I am exaggerating slightly about the Priapism, but one of these Apple is going to go too far and get into trouble. I can see the headlines now. "Massive worldwide Priapism epidemic caused by delays in Apple's new [insert product name here]".
Reply to this comment
pre-app-ism?
by williamQ February 27, 2008 11:07 AM PST
Perhaps you meant pre-App-ism?

Or pr-iAp-ism?
View reply
whine...whine...whine...
by gmon750 February 27, 2008 3:37 PM PST
I await the SDK too. But you folks really need to expand the scope of your life. I have my wish-list of things I want to develop too but until Apple officially introduces it, I'm not going to go through the dramas like you life-lacking people.

Nothing to read here. Move along...
SDK
by scottoconus February 27, 2008 11:09 AM PST
What is "SDK"?
Reply to this comment
re: SDK
by NeverFade February 27, 2008 11:17 AM PST
Software Development Kit

It's what developers are waiting for so they can write apps for the
iPhone.
Please God, let it be ActiveSync
by gopnick February 27, 2008 11:34 AM PST
If the iPhone has ActiveSync on March 6, I'll be overcome with joy.
Reply to this comment
AnythingSync
by ivorycruncher February 27, 2008 11:44 AM PST
I don't care if it's ActiveSync or any other sync software. I just want to be able to legally put apps on my iPod Touch. The whole web apps idea is the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. You have to have a WiFi internet connection, first of all, and then you have to go hunt down apps from websites that have hundreds or thousands of apps available, most of which are useless. Furthermore, searching for them on the small iPod/iPhone screen is a major pain. We should be able to load apps and games and whatever onto these devices. If it requires iTunes, so be it.

I just think it's absolutely retarded that Apple is selling tons of games for their iPods in the iTunes store, and their newest devices can't run them. These things have the potential to take the mobile computing world by storm, and they will as soon as you can put some decent software on them and sync calendars and contacts and stuff properly.
View reply
Developer's Wish List
by paughey February 27, 2008 1:08 PM PST
Now that we know the iPhone SDK will arrive March 6th. I'd love to hear what are the top iPhone applications that people want to have.

My #1 is actually very boring: I'd just like to be able to sync my iPhone notes with my PC so I can type notes on my PC and have them show up on my PC and vice verse.

My #2 is much cooler. I'd love to have an app where I can put in all the things I'd like to find near me: Garage Sales, Irish Bands Concerts, Sports Bars (okay, I made up all three of these, but you get the picture) then when I click the "Find Me" button it plots the sites with different icons, tells me the distance to each one (ranked closest and coolest), and has more info (such as cover charge or links to the band's home page) on the screen.

While #2 is wayyy cooler, I bet the #1 is a bit easier to code.
Reply to this comment
ActiveSync
by paughey February 27, 2008 1:11 PM PST
I subscribe to a lot of Podcasts, it would be nice to have the iPhone update these without having to plug it into the PC. I'd love to have them update via Edge or WiFi.
Not require iTunes Music Store to load programs
by appledogx--2008 February 27, 2008 4:56 PM PST
Especially with the iPod touch, there are NO iTunes music store
accounts outside of the few countries Apple chooses to support. To
deny the rest of the world a way to buy software for the iPod touch
really stinks and begs for third party installers. Apple should be
ENTIRE world savy and not iTMS centric for iPod touch and iPhone
paid updates.
View reply
No GPS
by Thomas, David February 28, 2008 7:49 AM PST
Did you have a trick in mind linking with Google Maps?
(18 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

After 5 years, Firefox faces new challenges

Mozilla helped reshape the Web since releasing Firefox 1.0 five years ago. Now it's got a reawakened Microsoft and Google Chrome to reckon with.

There's a map for that: GPS or smartphone?

Almost every handset comes with mapping software these days, but standalone GPS devices are becoming more affordable than ever.

About Apple

At the start of the 21st century, there's no tech outfit more influential than Apple. CNET News' Erica Ogg and other reporters will attempt to make sense of the rumors, hype, products, and people that will shape the future of the company. But Apple's not the only game in town, as the established cell phone companies and others strike back against the iPhone. E-mail Erica at erica.ogg@cnet.com.

Add this feed to your online news reader

Apple topics

advertisement
advertisement
Click Here

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right