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Microsoft is introducing hand recognition and 3D modelling in real time to the Kinect for Windows. An update for version 1.7 of the Kinect for Windows software development kit will be available to download on March 18th, and also marks the first time that Microsoft will be releasing code samples for the SDK through CodePlex.
Social media service Facebook on Monday introduced a revamped iOS Dev Center and a upgraded version of its Software Development Kit (SDK) for iOS app developers. The SDK, now at version 3.2, focuses on providing better mobile analytics -- including app usage metrics, ad optimization and purchase event logging. The update also brings in better error handling, improved web dialog support and the addition of a new FBAccessTokenData type to its API. The improvements, the company says, will make it easier to build, distribute and promote FB-enabled apps.
On Thursday, Google revealed version 1.1 of its Google Maps SDK for iOS, offering hooks for developers to tap into new features they can offer in their own apps by connecting any mapping functions to Google Maps. In addition to the revised SDK, Google also changed the requirements -- now letting any developer use the kit immediately rather than having to register first. The new SDK brings ground overlays, viewing gesture controls and polylines for complex pathing.
Nuance has released a software development kit for its previously announced virtual-assistant software, named Nina (Nuance Interactive Natural Assistant). The SDK will allow developers to add voice-based features to their apps, though Nuance suggests Nina is geared for businesses that want to automate their mobile product support, rather than providing the more general appointment scheduling and message composition services offered by Siri and Google Now.
Microsoft is planning a special live stream at 9:30 a.m. PST tomorrow, Thursday the 16th, on its Channel 9 developer site to celebrate the release of the Kinect for Windows SDK beta, WinRumors reports. Speaking during a conference in Madrid, Microsoft Spain President Maria Garaña said the company plans to make the SDK available this week. The Windows SDK beta will include skeletal tracking, advanced audio capabilities and other features for developers of Kinect apps.
On the heels of iOS 4.1's release, Apple has posted still more downloads related to the firmware. The first is iOS SDK 4.1, which includes the latest versions of the Xcode IDE, iOS Simulator and other tools necessary for app production. Registered developers can find the software at the iOS Dev Center.
In parallel with the release of iOS 3.2.1 and 4.0.1 for the public, Apple has posted iPhone SDK 4.0.1 for developers. The software is essential for creating iOS apps, as it includes the latest Xcode IDE and iPhone Simulator packages, along with other related tools. Programmers with devices upgraded to v3.2.1 or v4.0.1 must install the SDK to continue development, Apple cautions.
Apple has quietly changed its iPhone SDK terms to allow more flexibility for applications that use interpreted code. Section 3.3.2 was previously worded as an absolute ban on code interpreters other than Apple's own built-in systems. Developers viewed this as a prohibition of cross-compilers, such as Adobe's Flash-to-iPhone utility that would have allowed apps to be written in Flash and run natively on the iPhone.
Apple has allegedly lifted the VoIP restrictions with the latest iPhone 3.2 SDK, according to the developer iCall. The new SDK features several utilities geared for development on the new iPad platform, however it also appears to have quietly enabled VoIP communication across 3G networks. Developers had previously been limited to running VoIP apps only on Wi-Fi Internet connections.
VolnoTech has released the newest update to its NimbleKit SDK software. The program is used to create iPhone applications without the need to learn programing languages. Instead, the SDK provides HTML and JavaScript templates to create the apps. Notable new features include orientation support, page scaling functions and GPS services.
RemObjects has launched a new tool for Mac OS and iPhone developers, RemObjects SDK for OS X. The fully native OS X framework is compatible with Xcode, Cocoa and Objective-C. It focuses on cross-platform remote-access capable client/server software, allowing designers to include network communication capabilities within their apps. The new RemObjects framework is compatible with its sister products on the Linux/Windows side, allowing for easy communication between all three platforms.
A second developer beta of the iPhone 3.0 firmware should see testing open up for some of its most critical features, reports note. The beta, labeled build 7A259, is now being seeded to developers with the comment that they can immediately begin implementing applications with push notification. The technology exists as a substitute for background processes, and should allow apps such as instant messaging clients to signal users while otherwise inactive.
(Update with release info) Apple on Tuesday unveiled iPhone 3.0, described as a "major update" to the iPhone operating system. Prominent among the new features is the overdue addition of push notification, which Apple says required a rearchitecting of its servers to accommodate. Companies can use the technology to deliver signals such as sounds and text alerts, which are pushed from third-party sources to Apple, and then to iPhones.
Recently-introduced "alternative" browsers for the iPhone are mostly weak, and not truly separate from Safari, reports allege. Though
Apple has released its latest iPhone software developers' kit, build 9M2621. The development tools have been updated for the new iPhone 2.2 firmware, as well as the matching iPod touch 2.2 software. The download is larger than the last release, jumping to 1.56GB.
The iPhone is unlikely to carry Flash even if its hardware technically supports it, a report claims. Although Flash is in widespread use on the Internet, running everything from animation to full applications, Wired notes that section 3.3.2 of the iPhone SDK specifically prohibits the downloading and use of interpreted code in apps, unless the APIs and interpreters are already preloaded. This by definition bars third-party plug-ins, whether from Adobe or any other developer.
At next week's Professional Developer Conference, Microsoft will offer a developer version of its Surface computer to developers for $13,500, including a 10 percent discount, according to a Friday report. Interested developers are paying more for the Surface than commercial customers, whose version costs $12,500, because it includes the Software Development Kit (SDK) promised earlier this month. Either price is significantly higher than the $5,000 to $10,000 range Microsoft said the Surfaces would cost back in May of 2007.
Apple is loosening restraints on the iPhone Software Development Kit, according to a refined licensing agreement discovered by AppleInsider. Developers are now able to discuss techniques with each other, when troubleshooting problems with applications; another developer may have insight on how they got around the same issue. Apple also liberated other aspects of the non-disclosure agreement, allowing more learned iPhone developers to comprise a variety of training methods for others.
Microsoft will release the long-promised Software Development Kit (SDK) for its Surface tabletop computer at its Professional Developer Conference set to begin on October 27. according to a Tuesday report. Apart from distributing the SDK to developers other than current partners AT&T and Starwood hotels, both of whom have been using Surface computers in their retail and hotel locations, the software giant will hold a tutorial on how to take advantage of the new platform when writing Surface applications.
Apple has officially dropped a non-disclosure clause from its iPhone SDK, according to an announcement. A new agreement is expected to be sent to developers "within a week or so," the company says, one which will allow people to discuss the code of published iPhone applications. Unreleased software and/or features are still expected to remain outside of public exchanges.
Apple is looking to keep developers quiet on the subject of App Store rejections, according to claims. Reports say that Apple is now adding more labeling to rejection letters, appending them with the clause that "the information contained in this message is under non-disclosure." While discussion of details in iPhone development is generally restricted, numerous developers have complained publicly about rejections without repercussion.
Developers are finding ways to cope with the harsh restrictions of Apple's iPhone SDK, writes the LA Times. The terms of the SDK include a strict non-disclosure agreement, which has generally been interpreted to mean that developers cannot discuss the SDK tools with people outside of an app's creative team, whether through e-mail, blogs, discussion boards or conferences. "We can't talk about our problems," says Jeffrey Long, a developer working on a satellite radio app. "At the same time, we can't talk about the problems we've fixed."
Apple has banned the comic book iPhone app Murderdrome, its creators claim. This adds to a growing list of titles that have been banned from the App Store for one reason or another, including Tetris clone Tris, lightsaber emulator PhoneSaber, and the "bling" app I Am Rich. Apple has used a variety of reasons for each pull, this time the iPhone SDK's assertion that content cannot offend Apple's "reasonable" sensibilities.
Developer kannuu has released an early version of a new SDK, intended for iPhone developers. Rather than assisting in general programming, the SDK aids in implementing kannuu's indexing and search technology. Also available for inserting is kannuu's user interface, which centers around an on-screen, four-way direction pad, pointing to the most likely characters in a search query. This is said to dodge the problems of A-Z searches and normal auto-complete forms.
SecuTech Solution this week announced UniKey, a driverless USB security key that functions as a 'hardware version of a password'. Cheap enough to be supplied with new software, the USB dongle is designed to act as a 'key' to both the software EULA and provide user access. Aimed at reducing piracy rates, users of UniKey-enabled software that do not have the correct key plugged in, would be 'locked out' of the application.
Apple has unveiled the eighth incarnation of the iPhone SDK beta, but for the first time, requires users to install the pre-release version of iTunes 7.7. An insider tells MacNN that the new beta is compatible with the finalized iPhone 2.0 OS, and is App Store upload-capable – a feature most likely present in the new version of iTunes. The 3G iPhone, v2.0 OS, and App Store are set to land in July, with the apps themselves theoretically ranging from free to just shy of $1000.
TomTom has in fact produced real-time navigation software for the iPhone, according to one of the company's French representatives. Yann Lafargue denies allegations from other sources, which first said that Apple's SDK license forbids real-time navigation, and then that TomTom itself had no internal prototypes. "Since the SDK became available," Lafargue observes, "some of our engineers tried to put Navigator on the iPhone. And the first tests showed that it worked well for the most part."
GPS maker TomTom may not be developing iPhone software at all, allegations say. A source within the company claims that despite public statements that TomTom has developed iPhone software, and has plans to sell it, there are actually no software prototypes in existence. The source adds that an e-mail memo was circulated through TomTom on Wednesday, with the message that "we haven't officially announced anything, we're just commenting to the press on a 'reactive not proactive' basis."
Apple may be attempting to block competition when it comes to GPS navigation on the iPhone, developers have observed. In the most recent version of the iPhone SDK, Section 3.3.7 of the license agreement tells users that "applications may not be designed or marketed for real time route guidance; automatic or autonomous control of vehicles, aircraft, or other mechanical devices; dispatch or fleet management; or emergency or life-saving purposes."
A newer beta of the iPhone 2.0 firmware, released to a group of enterprise developers this week, appears to reinforce the idea that the iPhone will have some sort of GPS component. Sources for AppleInsider are said to claim that the 5A292g build lets location-enabled applications, such as Maps, ask for a user's permission in transmitting data to identify position. The current iPhone firmware also lets users get a rough gauge of their position, but is imprecise and does not bother asking for permission with any location data it may transmit.
Apple has confirmed that CEO Steve Jobs, along with a "team of Apple executives," will deliver the keynote at this year's WWDC conference. The event is scheduled for 10AM Pacific time on June 9th, and will take place in the West wing of the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco. Although details of the keynote have not been made official, Apple notes that it will focus on Mac OS X Leopard, and "OS X iPhone," as it is now branding the iPhone's firmware.
Users of Apple's .Mac service will be able to get their e-mail pushed to their iPhone or iPod touch, an anonymous source claims. The person writes that in the latest version of the iPhone 2.0 firmware, the Settings page now has a "Fetch New Data" submenu, which lets users toggle the "fetch" or "push" status of various e-mail clients, including standard ones such as Gmail. Within this list is .Mac, giving subscribers the option of having their mail sent as soon as possible, or kept back so it appears as new when on a desktop or notebook Mac.
The latest version of the iPhone 2.0 firmware -- bundled with the beta 5 SDK -- adds limited support for YouTube within the Safari web browser, experimenting has revealed. Users of the current public iPhone firmware can only browse videos through the dedicated app; under v2.0 though, videos embedded in websites now present a link, which opens clips under the dedicated app, but then lets users quickly return to the page they were viewing.
Apple has released a new version of its iPhone SDK for developers, bringing the platform to beta 5, build 9M2173a. Little information has been disclosed on changes, except that the software contains bug fixes, and updates to the newest version of the iPhone OS. Other versions of the SDK, however, have gradually revealed unexpected features, such as possible GPS technology, or remote media streaming and control.
The latest developer version of the iPhone 2.0 firmware adds dramatically different non-Phoenician language support, accounts say. Most notable in v5A258f may be new support for simplified Chinese, and in particular handwriting support, a feature that may prove crucial if and when the iPhone is adopted in China. Chinese is a more complex language than English, making it difficult to type out quickly; as a result, companies such as Motorola have developed phones whose primary focus is on easing Chinese writing.
The iPhone SDK is now open to developers from outside the United States, language on Apple's official website indicates. Whereas the site previously stated that "the iPhone Developer Program will initially be available to a limited number of developers in the U.S. and will expand to other countries in the coming months," a message now says that it "will initially be available to a limited number of developers during the beta period."
Apple's newly released SDK build could potentially support background processes to allow for a richer user experience, and allow intricate applications to run properly. The Unofficial Apple Weblog reveals that the SDK supports the UIApplication delegate class, which includes methods that apply to gaining and resigning "active" status. While not officially confirmed in any documentation, the revelation could indicate support for background tasks.
Apple has released the fourth beta of its iPhone development kit, used to produce native programs for the iPhone 2.0 firmware in advance of the June opening of the App Store. Beta 4 upgrades the iPhone Simulator application with support for OpenGL ES, an embedded version of the popular 3D rendering API that will be crucial for running games. A variety of 3D games are already in development for the iPhone, including a port of Sega's Super Monkey Ball.
Apple today posted its best second quarter in company history, with good news from its education, computer, and iPhone segments. Educational revenue growth was revealed to be 35-percent, which Apple says is the highest growth rate it has seen
Apple has released the final version of the SDK for Aperture, its professional photo workflow program. The SDK allows developers to create a variety of custom plug-ins for Aperture 2.1, which introduced an open architecture and came with Apple's own Dodge & Burn plug-in. Already available are a handful of third-party plug-ins; among these are Tiffen's Dfx Digital Filter Suite, which simulates a variety of optical filter effects.
The iPhone Dev Team has released a new update for its PwnageTool, bringing the software up to v1.1. The program is used to hack into iPhones and iPod touches, opening access to third-party native applications; in the case of the iPhone, users can also gain access to unofficial cellular carriers. The update has several new features, among these support for custom packages, as well as custom logos. The BootNeuter.app file is automatically deleted now, eliminating some unnecessary manual maintenance.
Apple's next generation iPhone 2.0 software is expected to bring both contact search and meeting invites, according the latest builds distributed to developers. Based on a information from software distributed privately to enterprise beta testers, new screenshots reveal a new search bar in the Contacts menu. The new feature replaces the magnifying glass icon seen in the iPhone SDK demo, according to the report. In addition, the drawer button in the Calendar application, previously inactive, provides access to a meeting invitation interface that displays the number of new requests as an icon badge -- much like other new content notifications, according to the report. Engadget also indicates that enterprise users don't get the app store or iTunes store icons.
Parallels Server Beta 3 has been released, adding an integrated toolset that includes Parallels Tools, Parallels Image Tool and Parallels Transporter (a P2V and V2V migration tool) to the hypervisor solution for server virtualization. Parallels Server includes support for Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT-x) hardware acceleration technologies, 32- and 64-bit platform and guest OS support, and 4-way guest SMP and multi-core CPU support. The new release also adds open APIs and SDK for extensible management, allowing third party tools vendors to add support for Parallels Server. Also new is a command line interface (CLI), and scripting (including Python) allowing automation of common server tasks from the command line.
Luxology has announced a modo 302, the newest version of its 3D content creation software. Free for registered modo 301 customers, modo 302 adds new natural lighting capabilities, additional layered Photoshop file support, an animation Track View, new modeling tools and numerous other enhancements. Luxology is also making available the first version of the modo File I/O software development kit (SDK), which allows developers to import or export data directly from modo. modo combines a real-time subdivision surface modeling engine with an artist-focused set of tools.
Apple's anticipated iPhone 2.0 firmware will add some form of YouTube support within Safari, accounts say. Apple recently began distributing an updated version of the iPhone firmware to accompany the latest version of the SDK, and YouTube is now said to be accessible through a plug-in for MobileSafari.app. Traditionally, iPhone and iPod touch users have had to access YouTube from a separate, custom application, which also only links specially-formatted videos.
Apple has released the second beta of its iPhone SDK for registered developers. The new release includes an Interface Builder, which allows the drag-and-drop integration of graphical components which can be linked to underlying Objective-C code created in Xcode. The new SDK build is a 1.3GB download, available from Apple's Developer Connection site. You must be a registered developer to download the SDK, but no fee or program acceptance is required. Apple's development kit uses the same programming language and interface used by Apple itself and now includes Cocoa Touch, an API designed to add touchscreen input.
Microsoft is considering software development for the iPhone, writes Fortune. The financial magazine notes that for over a week, a team based in Silicon Valley has been experimenting with Apple's beta SDK, which come June will let developers publish and sell native iPhone applications. Microsoft executives explain that they are not sure whether any apps will actually be put into production, but are deeply interested in the possibility. "It's really important for us to understand what we can bring to the iPhone,” says Tom Gibbons, corporate VP of the Specialized Devices and Applications Group.
Google today updated its collection of data APIs, adding source code for YouTube and Google Contacts, and further said the entire API set will properly compile in the iPhone SDK. The YouTube API allows any video-capable program to upload content to the service, with the accompanying tags and posting information. Similarily, the Google Contacts API allows users to embed Google Contacts functionality directly into applications that could make use of such information.
Despite Adobe's positive-sounding statement yesterday, CEO Shantanu Narayen clarified that he meant Flash on the iPhone would require more than just the iPhone SDK to pull off successfully. Since Flash requires a very close relationship with Safari – something Apple is normally very hesitant to allow – Narayen says it would need to work closely with Apple to develop a satisfactory implementation of Flash for the iPhone, according to CNET.
As promised in February, Verizon Wireless has begun its Open Development Device Conference, explaining how third-party companies will be able to bring their own phones and services onto the network without having them directly integrated. In theory this may render Verizon into something more closely resembling an Internet service provider, as opposed to its current scheme, in which phones must be strictly customized and can only operate on first-party pathways.
