Apple opening up a little

[MrGibbage]

Is Apple moving towards open source? This has gotta be in response to Android.

"To our developers:

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."

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/

[New World]

Wow!

Haha, guess Android has already improved life for Apple users a little bit

[bizarro_stormy]

they knew they were going to take a huge hit if they didnt do this...

[insight spinner]

apple is running scared. They went over the top on commercials on Monday during the show Heroes and I just sat there grinning, thinking "someone wants to shore up their loyalty before G1 hits the streets."

If I were them I'd pull whatever rabbits I could out of my little wormy hat.

[PtheProfessional]

I bet they still reject and delete apps though...

[New World]

Originally Posted by PtheProfessional

I bet they still reject and delete apps though...

Time will soon tell what Apple will do to fight off ANDROID

[iancdp]

They are only allowing apps that are already to be modified to their likings. so dont worry android will rain supreme regardless androids sw is better maybe not as pretty Yet but a lot better

[Jorsher]

Apple's insistence on locking down iPhone developers with a restrictive NDA has been controversial from the start, and it looks like the company's seen the light -- it's just posted up a tersely-worded letter saying that the NDA is being dropped. It's a strange little note, actually -- the first paragraph comes off as a little defensive and whiny, if you ask us -- but we're not going to complain about anything that makes developing apps easier and faster for devs. Now let's work on not capriciously rejecting and deleting apps from the App Store, and maybe we can go back to focusing on the iPhone platform's actual merits instead of all these paperwork shenanigans -- we've got some suggestions if you're having a hard time figuring this out on your own.

Seems like Apple is trying to be a little more open with the impending Android release

This was via Endgadget/Apple.

[androidmaddy]

I think there was discontent among apple developers since the beginning, but I'm sure release of G1 and great support that Android is receiving from devs added fuel to that fire and Apple had to take some action to minimize those losses.

[tread]

it is in fact very whiny, but they're not a non profit organization you know =p... google knows how to make things free and open and still make money off of it, apple doesn't have this choice so they are going to reluctantly open themselves to attack