01/23/2008, 5:05pm, EST
Wednesday, January 23rd
SDK groundwork laid in iPhone, Touch 1.1.3?
The recently-unveiled 1.1.3 update for the iPhone and iPod touch potentially lays the groundwork for officially installable third-party applications. According to Creations.net, SpringBoard no longer needs to be modified to show other applications in the unit's /Applications folder, and they no longer run under the root user, instead identifying themselves under the user "mobile". Preferences have also changed locations, now occupying the /var/mobile directory in place of /var/root.
While the update reportedly modifies software framework in order to make it easier for users to deploy applications made from the upcoming official developer's kit, it also breaks some jailbroken apps – software installed on the device through a back door exploit.
SpringBoard also appears to support widgets, which is evident through the included class called SBWidgetApplication
Last October, Steve Jobs announced that an official software developer kit is coming for the iPhone and iPod touch, which would allow developers to create officially-supported applications. Users currently have to circumvent the devices' security measures in order to install applications, which can leave their unit vulnerable to attack.
Filed under: iPod, iPhone, software
Other story tags: update, Touch, firmware, 1.1.3
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