Posts Tagged ‘iphone killer’

Apple Gives a Little on Its NDA

Last week I talked a bit about the potential damage Apple could be doing to its iPhone by making potential developers for the platform angry. Apple today has finally lifted part of the NDA policy, though not quite all the way. Obviously their statement is riddled with marketing garbage, but it made me change my views of the issue just slightly.

We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.

We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others.

However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.

Thanks to everyone who provided us constructive feedback on this matter.

Perhaps this statement gave us a little insight into why Apple may not want developers who’s applications that failed to ‘make the cut’ to disclose the reasons. Apple has a very fine line to walk and from what I know, no one has tried to walk this line before. Apple is, of course, continually getting ready for the new iPhone and is notorious for not being open about its new product roadmaps. The whole Apple community almost thrives on the conferences when new products will be announced. Usually some sort of rumor will leak, but often software features are not solidified to the public until just months before their release. This gives Apple its edge on its competition since they can’t see what’s coming.

So what does this have to do with applications that fail to make it to the iTunes App Store? Now, I can’t promise anything, but I read the press release as though Apple doesn’t want to let the public know of applications that were shot down due to similar functionality because that functionality might be on the roadmap for a future release. If Apple allows developers to tell others that an application has been rejected due to similar functionality that doesn’t exist, they could be showing their hand on future features.

While their slacking off a bit on the NDA wasn’t quite what I would have been looking for, I think Apple has shown a bit of the other side of this issue. Apple has placed itself in an awkward position. It is wanting to provide some sort of quality of its product by filtering out applications that could have similar functionality to built-in ones that could confuse the users, yet it has to try to be as open as possible so as to not make developers angry. Dropping the NDA on released software was a definite step in the right direction for being more open with developers and not disheartening its community in the process of keeping its Apple mystery.

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Filed under News, Tech Trends : Comments (0) : Oct 1st, 2008

The Real iPhone Killer: Apple?

Ever since the release of the iPhone, other cell phone companies have been trying to catch up. There have been dozens of phones deemed as iPhone killers, but they’ve all been just a regular cell phone with a fancy interface and a touch-screen. There are also smart phones that try to compete, but let’s face it, no other phone has the SDK, sleek interface, and easy one-stop-shop for applications for the phone. Of course, most non-smart phones don’t have the advantage of the open platform. Google has of course released its new phone OS which so far, reports have been somewhat negative towards the phone. It’s very similar and obviously meant to directly compete with the phone.

So, with this head start and momentum in the market, what could possibly stand in the iPhone’s way? The answer is simple: Apple itself. Apple controls what applications can be placed in the App Store on iTunes. While the platform is mostly open, the App Store is the only supported way to install applications. You can of course jail-break the device, but that’s not something I want to get into. Having Apple as the gateway to the App Store is a great way for Apple to achieve some sort of quality of service for the device, thus enhancing the user experience. However, just like every other solution, this has a downside.

Apple reserves the right and has used this right to reject applications submitted to the App Store. Apple has strict guidelines for what applications can be added and as of late, it seems like there’s also a secret check-list. Several well-known applications got rejected recently which caused quite a commotion and some backlash. Recently, rejected developers have revealed that Apple has placed all rejection notices under an NDA so no one can disclose why the application was developed. Even if the applications that are rejected are done so for valid reasons, how are other developers going to avoid the pitfalls that others have fallen in? Just like the famous saying, history is bound to repeat itself, especially if that history is forbidden to be shared. Without clear and concise criticism of applications that get rejected, what serious developer is going to put any time into an application that may or may not be accepted? Heck, even Steve Ballmer knew the secret years ago to extending a platform: developers.

I would imagine that a good majority of developers will follow, but at least one iPhone developer has made a stand already and it’s all over the blogosphere. How long will Apple continue down this path? I’m an Apple fan, but let’s be real here. I’m not sure that even its arch-nemesis Microsoft would get away with this. This closed doors policy is definitely a classic Apple move, but the smart phone industry could be at stake here. What possible future could an “open platform” device have if no one develops for it? When Apple unveiled the new iPhone they claimed that the only thing that could beat the iPhone was the iPhone.. I’m not sure that they meant it quite like this.

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Filed under Tech Trends : Comments (4) : Sep 24th, 2008