iPhone Developer's Kit at WWDC?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/04/technology/04iphone.html) reports on the upcoming iPhone. They mention Steve Jobs' comments last week that 3rd party application development for the iPhone was in the works, but also cites sources that Apple will be unveiling a method for developers to port Mac apps to the iPhone:
A person briefed on Apple’s plans said that at its software developer conference this month, Apple intends to announce that it will make it possible for developers of small programs written for the Macintosh to easily convert them to run on the iPhone.
Apple's developer conference (WWDC) kicks off next week on June 11th with a keynote speech. We will be providing live coverage at MacRumorsLive.com (http://www.macrumorslive.com/).

[Vidd]

I think the next rumour should be along the lines of "5 new Mac Rumors posts without a question mark in the title?".
Maybe some day...

[bommai]

That is one sure way to increase the base of mac applications to a wider audience. This is going to get the small mac developers salivating!!

I hope WWDC does not become "developing for iPhone" session though.

[xUKHCx]

The more content on the iPhone the more widespread it will become. If it is easy for anyone to build applications for it then i expect it to skyrocket. So much better than a closed system, if i need something on my phone i can write it, brilliant.

Versiontracker will need a new tab.

[aricher]

I hope WWDC does not become "developing for iPhone" session though.

The iPhone is going to be a part of WWDC but Leopard and new hardware will be the meat & potatoes.

[xUKHCx]

The iPhone is going to be a part of WWDC but Leopard and new hardware will be the meat & potatoes.

making the iPhone the gravy or peas?

The iPhone does deserve some attention but agree that Leopard should be main stage.

[psychofreak]

making the iPhone the gravy or peas?

The AppleTV is already the peas...

[glennyboiwpg]

I hope WWDC does not become "developing for iPhone" session though.


I agree... if it does turn into a "developing for iPhone" session then I hope steve gets booed of the stage....

[DaveGee]

Why do I get the feeling that when the person said "small programs written for the Macintosh" what he was really referring to was something akin to (or exactly like) "Dashboard Widgets".

D

[TuffLuffJimmy]

I don't think that they will be able to develop for the iPhone until either next year or version 2, which ever comes first.:)

[iSee]

I agree... if it does turn into a "developing for iPhone" session then I hope steve gets booed of the stage....

Ha, if it does become a "developing for iPhone" session will anyone even notice Leopard has been delayed another six months?

[Kwill]

What, no Adobe CS Master Suite? :eek: How am I going to edit those photos taken with my 2 megapixel camera?

[avalys]

Some Apple executives worry privately that expectations for the one-button phones may be too high and that first-generation buyers will end up disappointed.
I found this puzzling. What could be disappointing? Everyone knows exactly what the phone will do. There are videos of it, and spec sheets.

Unless the phone arrives and it turns out that Apple has been lying for six months, I don't see how anyone can be disappointed.

[Orup70]

Will there be a silent WWDC page for us who prefer watching the official Apple keynote speech video when it is released by Apple?

(please... :o)

[mrkramer]

I found this puzzling. What could be disappointing? Everyone knows exactly what the phone will do. There are videos of it, and spec sheets.

Unless the phone arrives and it turns out that Apple has been lying for six months, I don't see how anyone can be disappointed.

Some people have convinced themselves that there are some unseen features, and when they find out that they are not there they will be very dissapointed.

[RichP]

Well, one of the software "gaps" people complain about is the lack of MS Office support. I would imagine there will be a reader for word and excel by a 3rd party ASAP. PDF support is another, and if it doesnt already exist, should be easy to do a 3rd party reader as well.

I would imagine the development of these apps to be like Widgets. Just look at some of the applications for AppleTV already, and that is a completely closed system. Apple wants apps for the phone as much as we do, they dont want "seem edit" type of modifcations though that make dramatic changes, like seen on howardforums and such.

[xUKHCx]

Will there be a silent WWDC page for us who prefer watching the official Apple keynote speech video when it is released by Apple?

(please... :o)

There was for the last big thing if I remember correctly. It just contained a link to the Video after the event, I'm sure it will happen again, you could always PM Arn or DR Q or someone of appropriate authority.

[sbrownla]

So far, this is an interesting change from the previous "Apple can do no wrong" posts in here.

Hm. Maybe people are just tired and want to see results. I like all the speculation. It's a fun read. Keep it coming.

[odedia]

This has to be widgets they're talking about, right? How else can you convert a regular Mac OS X application to the iPhone? it's a completley different UI. Widgets are the only thing these two opearting systems have in common from a developer's point of view.

[BornAgainMac]

I would like to see a Apple TV developers kit too.

I hope they post their keynote on iTunes like the last one. I bet every frame and word will be completely analyzed on this forum as usual. Apple should post all their keynotes as a postcast from the past on iTunes as well.

[psychofreak]

This has to be widgets they're talking about, right? How else can you convert a regular Mac OS X application to the iPhone? it's a completley different UI. Widgets are the only thing these two opearting systems have in common from a developer's point of view.

What about Skype, Adium, simple text editors, SNES emulators etc. Some apps can look great on that small screen :)

[pgwalsh]

I hope it'll have IAC or Apple Events capability and widgets. That would certainly make it a winner for me. :)

[nagromme]

Sounds great!

Just don't rush 3rd-party apps out the door because I don't want to see them:

a) Crash, as has frustrated users of other "smarthphones." Even if it's hard to bring down the whole Mac OS, having a single app crash (and maybe call for some kind of force quit?) is frustrating enough.

b) Work differently from the built-in apps (and a multitouch iPhone app IS very different from a Mac app) so that the iPhone's consistent UI and ease of use is compromised.

I doubt Apple wants those to happen any more than I do, though.

[mac jones]

I would be a nice to have the OS hardwired so you could just reset the thing back to factory and start over.

All machines should be like that. (can't even count all the times I've had to reinstall an OS-in the millions)

[CrackedButter]

Me and others on this board are still wondering if the phone has a vibrate function. We need to know!

[chabig]

What, no Adobe CS Master Suite? :eek: How am I going to edit those photos taken with my 2 megapixel camera?
You can't, because it doesn't have a keyboard! -- Steve Ballmer

[CJM]

That's awesome! Just what I hoped for.

Adium for iPhone here I come.

[mac jones]

Newton

[Maccus Aurelius]

I checked out the ad for the iPhone yesterday, which showed it doing a few things with a finger this time, not a white circle like on the Apple site. Very slick and it really makes me want to buy it, but alas, too rich for my simple phone blood.

How could this NOT have a vibrator function? That's like one of the most basic features of modern cellular phones. To lack this feature would be a huge blow, as not everyone wants their phones to make noise when there's an incoming call or text message. But a function so basic would not likely be listed on the feature set, since, really, is this a feature worth noting?

One of my concerns is how difficult (or easy) it might be to use that virtual keypad. From what I see it looks rather slick, and I don't mind the lack of tactile feedback so long as it has a pretty intuitive error correction function (as mentioned by Jobs). I like that it doesn't need a stylus, as I'd hate to have to keep track of that superthin pen-filler-sized pointer gizmo.

But I don't see it correcting all errors, since I've seen stuff like "lol u no ths phnz teh seckz rofl" on regular tactile keypads.

[nxent]

hmm,, skype would be an interesting 3rd party app... would almost allow you to use the phone without ATT so long as you were in a hotspot. those NES/SNES emulators would be nice, too.. there's real potential here...

[age234]

hmm,, skype would be an interesting 3rd party app... would almost allow you to use the phone without ATT so long as you were in a hotspot. those NES/SNES emulators would be nice, too.. there's real potential here...

Except WiFi probably won't work without a plan, so there's really no point.

[Maccus Aurelius]

I doubt very much that AT&T will so willingly grant you freedom of WiFi usage (at least without charging you somehow). I could be wrong, and I'll be surprised if I am.

[dernhelm]

hmm,, skype would be an interesting 3rd party app... would almost allow you to use the phone without ATT so long as you were in a hotspot. those NES/SNES emulators would be nice, too.. there's real potential here...

If they can make Skype work flawlessly, I might buy one. Otherwise I'm kind of waiting for an iPod version that doesn't have a phone but does have Wifi.

[yzp]

The more content on the iPhone the more widespread it will become. If it is easy for anyone to build applications for it then i expect it to skyrocket. So much better than a closed system, if i need something on my phone i can write it, brilliant.


Ya! Apple's philoosophy brought to the amazing iPhone!!!

Versiontracker will need a new tab.


"never stop growing n' innovating" thats Jobs' thought! :D

so, I guess that INDEED, versiontracker will need to keep growing ;)

[MadDog31]

Am I missing something but what about a sports score widget that allows for fast retrieval of scores from sports of your choice? I saw that on a Treo of someone I know and it was quite handy...

[Mac-Addict]

Wowwwwww I see skype iPhone version coming soon :D And Slingbox player. And Adium or another chat client.

[rjstanford]

How could this NOT have a vibrator function? That's like one of the most basic features of modern cellular phones.Actually, I'd say that a vibrate function is one of the most basic features. And almost certainly included for that matter. A vibrator function, though... I could see that wearing the batteries down pretty fast, although the smooth, button-less design would certainly make sense...

[a456]

The AppleTV is already the peas...

I just hope it's not the sweetcorn, 'cause I'm not that keen on sweetcorn.

[Lynxpoint]

I like the sounds of where this is going, both for improved simplicity of how things are managed (i am lazy - i don't sync notes to my ipod for example even though it would be useful - i would use notes on an iphone if i edited them directly via the mac when the phone was within range of the computer. The same can be said for finally having a simplified mail solution - no irritating syncronization), and another "switcher" motivator.

[RodThePlod]

Newton

Oh yeah!!! Ha ha. I really love my Newton. But at least I know that when I retire it later this year, it will hopefully have a worthy replacement :o)

I really hope Apple open up development on this thing. Dang I wish I was going to WWDC :mad:

After creating the guide available in my sig I know every session and lab taking place during that week backwards!!!

:D

Rod

[c-Row]

PDF support is another, ...

Given that OS X supports PDF out of the box, that shouldn't be an issue.

[Mgkwho]

I don't like how the NYTimes article says it doesn't have a keyboard...

it does, just not a physical one.

-=|Mgkwho

[sjo]

One of my concerns is how difficult (or easy) it might be to use that virtual keypad. From what I see it looks rather slick, and I don't mind the lack of tactile feedback so long as it has a pretty intuitive error correction function (as mentioned by Jobs). I like that it doesn't need a stylus, as I'd hate to have to keep track of that superthin pen-filler-sized pointer gizmo.

But I don't see it correcting all errors, since I've seen stuff like "lol u no ths phnz teh seckz rofl" on regular tactile keypads.

steve said last week that it would take about a week to get used to the keypad. i guess that gives you some idea of how difficult/easy it's gonna be.

[tgildred]

Just make sure you put it on lock. Don't want to accidentally auto-dial your boss while playing with it. Could be embarassing.

Actually, I'd say that a vibrate function is one of the most basic features. And almost certainly included for that matter. A vibrator function, though... I could see that wearing the batteries down pretty fast, although the smooth, button-less design would certainly make sense...

[BarbaraNP]

unofficial; I was in a local Cingular ?AT&T store yesterday. Couple of folks came in asking about iPhone and switching to Cingular from other vendors.
asked about cost.
The rep in the store spoke of $499 or $599 for phone. Will also need phone service at Cingular's regular rates ( with the rollover feature, etc)+$39/month for data... email , web browse etc.

Do not know if the store rep was sharing official info or if he was talking off the top of his head.

Sharing what I overheard by craning my neck a little.. well, I figured I, too need to know since I hope an Apple phone is in my future by the end of the year.

:)

[dashiel]

keep in mind that widgets can be incredibly powerful. just because the vast majority of them are little more than html/javascript/css, there are a handful of cocoa/obj-c methods that create a bridge between javascript and cocoa.

let's put it this way, i don't think it's a coincidence apple is making such a big deal about xcode3 and dashcode (http://developer.apple.com/tools/dashcode/)

[mac jones]

I agree that it will need a vibrate and bluetooth (if it doesn't have it already)

[puckhead193]

i hope the adium developers are attending. :D

[kainjow]

Versiontracker will need a new tab.

People still use VersionTracker?

MacUpdate (http://www.macupdate.com) ftw :)

[dernhelm]

The iPhone is going to be a part of WWDC but Leopard and new hardware will be the meat & potatoes.

This reminds me of a Billy Collins poem (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/litany/).

[johnee]

of course, why is this a big surprise?

I would be surprised if they didn't offer a dev kit for phone apps

and so begins the "everything iphone" era... :mad:

[nagromme]

of course, why is this a big surprise?

I would be surprised if they didn't offer a dev kit for phone apps

and so begins the "everything iphone" era... :mad:

It's news because Apple once said they would NOT do this, and then softened that stance without specifics.

The "iphone era" will bring a lot of good things to the Mac platform--like switchers galore--so don't fret too much :)

[psychofreak]

It's news because Apple once said they would NOT do this, and then softened that stance without specifics.

The "iphone era" will bring a lot of good things to the Mac platform--like switchers galore--so don't fret too much :)

Hopefully it will make more websites Safari-compatible :)

[ISMPlus]

I just hope it's not the sweetcorn, 'cause I'm not that keen on sweetcorn.

That is so funny!!

Oh yeah!!! Ha ha. I really love my Newton. But at least I know that when I retire it later this year, it will hopefully have a worthy replacement :o)

Rod

Pardon my ignorance, but what's Newton? :confused:

keep in mind that widgets can be incredibly powerful. just because the vast majority of them are little more than html/javascript/css, there are a handful of cocoa/obj-c methods that create a bridge between javascript and cocoa.

let's put it this way, i don't think it's a coincidence apple is making such a big deal about xcode3 and dashcode (http://developer.apple.com/tools/dashcode/)

ITA and I'm glad. They have a lot to cram in into 4gig and 8gig phones. Now I wonder if the 4gig iPhone will have less apps in the package than the 8 gig model?

[kainjow]

Pardon my ignorance, but what's Newton? :confused:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton

[shawnce]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton

/me opens desk drawer, pulls out his old MessagePad 2100, and gives it a gentle pat :D

(still runs great!)

[MrCrowbar]

Pardon my ignorance, but what's Newton? :confused:


It's the predecessor of the iPhone if you want :-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Newton

EDIT: Wow, 3 answers and all we could come up with is a wikipedia link!? Shame on us... :-)

[nagromme]

I'm surprised people aren't stubbornly calling the iPhone the MessagePad 2007 :)

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/messagepad/index.html

I bet some nice Newton wallpapers will show up for iPhone.

[Clive At Five]

Can I just say that I love www.macrumorslive.com? My favorite days are work are the ones spent quickly tabbing between MRL and my "work." I typically do not complete all my duties on "certain" days of the year...

;)

-Clive

[EagerDragon]

I expect that Apple will either provide a development target device, or they will have a way to desable the security of the iphone device with some sort of hardware key so developers can test their software.

I do not expect that Apple will allow software that they have not signed, which would mean that developers have to submit their code to Apple for evaluation and Crypto :eek: signature.

Malware (other than java script) would not run as it would not normaly be signed by Apple. Obviously a defect may still allow execution.

[RodThePlod]

I'm surprised people aren't stubbornly calling the iPhone the MessagePad 2007 :)

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/messagepad/index.html

I bet some nice Newton wallpapers will show up for iPhone.

Yeah - wouldn't it be cool if Apple paid some sort of homage to Newton in their new iPhone!

D'you remember all those Newton easter eggs we used to find? He he I wonder if iPhone will have any? Like a "Switch to Newton UI Emulation mode" :D

Rod

[Stella]

Except WiFi probably won't work without a plan, so there's really no point.


WHy wouldn't WIFI work without a plan?

I have WIFI on my phone and can use it anywhere there is a open access point. How I use my WiFi functionality is none of FIDO's business, and neither can they do anything about it, even if they wanted to ( apart from cancelling my monthly contract ).

No cell phone provider should imped the WiFi functionality of the phone ( aside from disabling it ).

--

For those hoping for VOIP, Apple may choose not to expose the API in the SDKs....

--

Finally, if you think 3rd party software will make your iPhone unstable, dont install any :-) But don't restrict 3rd party software.

[mac jones]

I remember when i bought the Messagepad 2000 .I was in San Jose for a stopover the day it was released and they had one at a Local Macshop for sale. It was $999 I think (not cheap)

what a cool thing it was /is.

Made a weird annoying whining sound from the backlight. Sort of like the weird annoying wining sound my Macbook pro makes as i'm typing this (not as bad though-thank god).

[Clive At Five]

Yeah - wouldn't it be cool if Apple paid some sort of homage to Newton in their new iPhone!

D'you remember all those Newton easter eggs we used to find? He he I wonder if iPhone will have any? Like a "Switch to Newton UI Emulation mode" :D

Rod

Eh, I have a slight feeling that Apple wouldn't attempt to pull anything like this. They know the iPhone will have a much greater market than the Newton and that it will be used by the competent and the incompetent... and what exactly would tech support say when someone calls in saying their iPhone screen turned black and white and was coughing text about egg freckles? "Uh... ignore that... it's a joke. Just hit the 'home' key twice."

I think not.

If 3rd-party development is open, you can be guaranteed that someone will make a newton-esque interface.

-Clive

[xBerserker]

Would it be possible to buy the iPhone and NOT use it as a phone?

I think it would be cool to use it as a photo, music, movie viewer, access the net via wifi. Basically use all the functions of the iPhone minus the phone part.

.... Maybe that's what the next iPod will be like?? I would totally buy that. I personally don't want to join AT&T, sorry.

[Clive At Five]

Would it be possible to buy the iPhone and NOT use it as a phone?

I think it would be cool to use it as a photo, music, movie viewer, access the net via wifi. Basically use all the functions of the iPhone minus the phone part.

.... Maybe that's what the next iPod will be like?? I would totally buy that. I personally don't want to join AT&T, sorry.

There has definitely been a large call for that sort of a device here on MacRumors. I, too, would want a device with (instead of phone parts) an HDD. If it has WiFi too, you can be guaranteed that once 3rd party dev't is opened, that someone will write a VOIP or Skype app.

Soon, my friend, soon.

EDIT: I should probably add that this sort of a device would partially kill the iPhone. I would not be surprised if Apple signed some sort of deal with AT&T preventing the release of a comparable device for a certain amount of time, as to secure the initial iPhone market.

-Clive

[mrpiddly]

I hope they do, and i hope they make it easy to port/simplify mac/darwin apps onto the iphone. I really dont want to have to remake programs just for the iphone but i would be able to strip them down.

Does anyone know the iphones specs? What microprocessor or graphics thing does it have?

[RodThePlod]

Eh, I have a slight feeling that Apple wouldn't attempt to pull anything like this. They know the iPhone will have a much greater market than the Newton and that it will be used by the competent and the incompetent... and what exactly would tech support say when someone calls in saying their iPhone screen turned black and white and was coughing text about egg freckles? "Uh... ignore that... it's a joke. Just hit the 'home' key twice."


Yup - it was said in jest. This is obviously one of the things that Apple is afraid of.

If Apple do allow third parties to create apps for iPhone I guess they will implement a closed system much in the say way as they currently operate for iPod games.

I doubt they'd let any Tom, Dick or RodThePlod loose with an iPhone Dev Kit.

Ahhh..... Egg Freckles....

:)

Rod.

[JloR]

If someone creates a shell program for this thing - or at the very least an SSH client - I'm sold!

That's the only thing I need from a phone (except the obvious: calling-other-people abilities :) ).

[twoodcc]

sounds nice. i just hope i can get an iPhone

[psychofreak]

The next iChat will have built in remote control functions...I'm hoping to control my macbook from far away with an iPhone...

[Macula]

All this is great in its own terms, but if WWDC2007 turns out to be yet another iPhone-centric event, with the gadget overshadowing Macs once again, I will be very disappointed.

[Much Ado]

It 'aint called WWDC for nothing:

Why
We
Dropped
Computer

'07

[Clive At Five]

All this is great in its own terms, but if WWDC2007 turns out to be yet another iPhone-centric event, with the gadget overshadowing Macs once again, I will be very disappointed.

I can almost guarantee that S.Jobs will get boo'ed off the stage if he talks about the iPhone for more than 5 minutes... and doesn't announce eventual 3rd party dev't for it.

I would be more than willing to predict a detailed press release scheduled for June 29th describing again the iPhone's features and functionality including, perhaps a thing or two that wasn't mentioned initially.

It 'aint called WWDC for nothing:

Why
We
Dropped
Computer

'07

Oh, relax. The Mac Pro is still the best "consumer-aimed" pro machine on the market. Apple's Laptops celebrate 15% market share. Leopard is 4 months away. A guaranteed update of .Mac. Rumors of new MBPs tomorrow. Rumors of radical, new iMacs soon. Yeah, there is no reason to believe Apple will still be selling computers in a year's time. Kiss OS X goodbye.

:rolleyes:

-Clive

[Much Ado]

Oh, relax.

{cut}

Yeah, there is no reason to believe Apple will still be selling computers in a year's time. Kiss OS X goodbye.

:rolleyes:

-Clive

Sorry, i just wanted to drop an Acronym ;)

[bdj21ya]

Me and others on this board are still wondering if the phone has a vibrate function. We need to know!

Haven't you been following the iGasm story? Apple does not approve of vibrating functions. :D

[bdj21ya]

I doubt very much that AT&T will so willingly grant you freedom of WiFi usage (at least without charging you somehow). I could be wrong, and I'll be surprised if I am.

I feel quite confident you are wrong, and I wish someone was taking bets on the question; at whatever odds, I'd put money up. The wifi feature will work just fine without a contract (of course you'll have to pay $175 to break the contract first).

In effect you can get a 4gb iPhone without a contract for $675 plus tax. Of course, it still won't work with any other carriers, since it will be locked to work with only AT&T SIM cards.

[shawnce]

It 'aint called WWDC for nothing:

Why
We
Dropped
Computer

'07

Yeah 5+ days of sessions covering Mac OS X, Xcode, Cocoa, Carbon, Core Xxxx, Java, Mac OS X Server, Mac hardware, FW, etc. shows that Apple has no interest in Mac hardware. :confused:

[BarbaraNP]

As posted elsewhere, I overheard clelrk in AT& t(Cingular) store yesterday explain that the phone will cost $499 or $599, there will be need for Cingular phone plan (the usual 950minutes, 1350 minutes etc) AND a $39/Month data fee for email and wifi use.
The latter will be optional for those who want to use internet features.

Dunno if this clerk had the final word , if there are plans as yet unrevealed (had read somewhere of three pricing plans for the phone) but that is what the guy told customers who were inquiring(switchers coming over from other wireless carriers)

[strangelogic]

Hmmm - You know - has it specifically been said if the iPhone will be able to Sync to iTunes via Wi-Fi ? I guess you probably would want to dock it to charge the battery as well, but - it would be nice if it automatically sync'd up as you briefly passed through your home on the way to ... wherever...

And they are doing the Wi-Fi synce with :apple: TV

[Stella]

Hmmm - You know - has it specifically been said if the iPhone will be able to Sync to iTunes via Wi-Fi ? I guess you probably would want to dock it to charge the battery as well, but - it would be nice if it automatically sync'd up as you briefly passed through your home on the way to ... wherever...

And they are doing the Wi-Fi synce with :apple: TV

I believe Apple sources ( official, not rumour related! ) have already said "No".

[kcroy]

Me and others on this board are still wondering if the phone has a vibrate function. We need to know!

Maybe you missed this screenshot?

;) (Okay, I'm no Photoshop whiz. Thought this would be cute.)

[MikeDTyke]

I believe Apple sources ( official, not rumour related! ) have already said "No".

I'm guessing wireless syncing will be a cool v2.0 update around MacWorld 08.

ie. iPhone detects home wireless SSID and finds the computer your itunes is running on, and just syncs.

Point is, you're already getting a load of functionality in 1.0, they gotta save some stuff for the next 2 years that you've shackled yourself to AT&T for.


M. :rolleyes:

[whooleytoo]

Widget development would be the obvious choice.

Widget-like apps are ideally suited to the iPhone, natural Mac apps aren't. How on Earth would you convert any Mac app to work with a screen that size, with the different screen orientation; and without a keyboard?

Sure, you may be able to use much of the back-end code, but the UI would have to be entirely re-written. It's not a trivial task converting a full Mac/PC application to a phone/PDA applet.

Plus the key difference between iPhone '07 and Newton '9x (?) is the iPhone has a pseudo-permanent network connection, and any iPhone applications are likely to leverage this heavily - it's a key feature of the phone from Apple's and AT&T's viewpoint. Widgets are ideally suited for this type of app development.