Dan’s Tech-n-Stuff Weblog

Apple has just wrapped up their iPhone SDK event in Cupertino, so what’s new?

iPhone coming to the Enterprise

In the next release of the iPhone firmware, new features will be available to support:

• Push email, calendar and contacts
• Global address list
• Cisco IPsec VPN
• Certificates and identities
• WPA2/802.1x
• Enforced security policies
• Device configuration
• Remote wipe

Exchange support will be included in the next firmware release, with the syncing/pushing happening wirelessly. New technology will be put into place on the Exchange Server side and Apple has licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft.

The new remote wipe feature will allow a network administrator to wipe sensitive data from an iPhone that has gone missing without any user interaction.

iPhone SDK

The iPhone SDK is finally here! Apple is releasing the same developer tools that they use to create native iPhone apps.

The operating system on the iPhone is divided into four layers: Core OS, Core Services, Media, and Cocoa Touch.

Using a Mac (sorry, Windows developers) you’ll be able to write an iPhone application in the new Cocoa Touch framework. Using the new write your applications in Xcode and have the ability to do things like multi-touch events and controls, as well as access the camera. Yes, you can use the accelerometer.

For examples of how easy it is to write iPhone applications an application that can be pushed data from Salesforce was shown, as was a version of AOL Instant Messanger and a couple games.

App Store

To get new applications to your iPhone, in the next firmware update there will be a new icon called ‘App Store’. It sounds like it will be similar to the wireless iTunes store except that it won’t depend on having a Wi-Fi connection–an Edge connection will work fine.

In App Store things will be organized into categories like “Featured Apps”, “Just Added”, “Staff Favorites”, etc.

Developers will pick their own price for their apps, and will receive 70% of that with the other 30% going to cover the costs of the store–no other fees (hosting, marketing, etc.).

The store will also support free apps, but Apple will have some standards in what they’ll distribute (no porn, malicious apps, etc.).

Later today the SDK will be available for download and developers who join Apple’s developer program for $99 will be able to test what they write on an iPhone or iPod Touch. Otherwise you’ll be limited to using the debug tools in your dev environment.

Unfortunately the new firmware won’t be available until June (booooo). It will be a free download for the iPhone, but there will be a cost for the new features for the iPod Touch.

If you were hoping to hear about Flash support, sorry–no Flash support was announced.