Gizmodo first posted Pastebud’s video. Currently, the service doesn’t require anything extra to be installed. It avoids Apple’s App Store by using two bookmarks in Safari. “One prepares and loads the page you are viewing, ready to select text at the touch of a finger. From there, you can copy any text you want and create a new mail message with that text in it. In addition to that, you will be able to copy and paste in the text field of a different web page,” Giz explains.

Unlike other approaches, it works with the two apps that matter most, Mail and Safari, and gets around Apple’s onerous App Store terms through a clever combination of javascript bookmarks and web services.

Seeing as how Apple hasn’t delivered copy and paste directly, these workaround solutions are welcomed, for the time being. As we’ve previously explained, not until copy/paste is delivered straight from Apple and baked directly into the iPhone SDK will it be official.

For some more reading regarding Apple, Copy and Paste, and what’s holding this back:
READ → – Copy-and-Paste still missing in iPhone; Blame Apple’s Obsessive Nature
READ → – iPhone “Copy-and-Paste” A Low Priority
READ → – Pending App “MagicPad” Ultilizes Cut-and-Paste
READ → – OpenClip.org Offers Up System Wide iPhone Copy-and-Paste
READ → – True Copy-and-Paste Should and Will Only Come From Apple

Related posts:

1. [Video] OpenClip.org Offers Up System Wide iPhone Copy-and-Paste
2. [Feature] True Copy-and-Paste Should and Will Only Come From Apple
3. iPhone Copy-and-Paste, Maybe Next Time

The following video is a demo that Ars Technica’s Erica Sadun, and Freeverse, makers of Moto Chaser, have collaborated to produce. It’s a tech demo showing off what is capable when applying some of the iPhone SDK’s hidden features. The iPhone’s accelerometer is used for input, which routes the game video output through a connected video cable into the television. Additionally, correlating with an article run by Touch Arcade, Freeverse was able to confirm that the program ran best on a second-generation iPod touch (The new iPod touch utilizes a 532MHz CPU versus the iPhone’s 412MHz).

“I got in touch with Freeverse, makers of Moto Chaser, one of the top iPhone games in App Store. After a few back and forth e-mails, they agreed to try applying the MPTVOutWindow class to Moto Chaser (iTunes) to create a TV version of their game,” Sadun explains.

Bruce Morris from Freeverse was adamant about the fact that TV-enabled Moto Chaser would not be showing up in the App Store in the near future. “We only use approved Apple methods and approved frameworks in our programs,” he states. One of the coding classes used, while public, is technically unpublished. “Among other reasons, we don’t want our software to break,” he said, “and we have been very happy with our relationship with Apple. We’re going to continue to follow Apple’s lead. It’s been great for us.” If Freeverse is able to share this working demo with Apple, than they may be inclined to expand the SDK to open TV output for developers.

They are still working to improve the frame rate of the gameplay to enhance the overall experience, noting that they would not release a final product that could not exceed 20 frames/second. “Our video methods have room to improve,” Morris stated, “and we’re positive we can bring up that frame rate with time and work. But we won’t release anything at 20 frames per second. Right now, we see this as a tech demo. If we have the chance to grow it and improve the user experience, we will.”

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3. iPhone games will sell for $25 each.

19 year old software developer Steven Troughton-Smith explains how to enable Emoji icons system-wide. If you aren’t familiar with editing code, or do not dabble in iPhone development, it’s not recommended that you try this.

Smith explains: You need to edit the file /User/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Preferences.plist on the device -> whether you use a jailbreak to achieve this or merely some iTunes backup editor is up to you.

Add the following boolean key as ‘true’: KeyboardEmojiEverywhere

Then merely go to the Keyboards section of the Settings app, hit Japanese, and turn on Emoji. Will work for any text field/view in the OS, including on websites, AND including the titles of items on SpringBoard (e.g. if you save a bookmark to the home screen).

As you can see from an Apple discussion thread, customers outside of Japan are pretty confused as to why Apple would leave the Emoji icons out of the update for everyone else. Emoji literally means “Picture Character” and in Japan, they are a staple of text messaging culture. Without the Emoji (emoticons), Apple’s iPhone would have not even been considered by a large group of potential customers.

[left most emoji screenshot via macrumors]

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1. Survey suggests that iPhone is the most sought after smartphone in Japan.
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3. Japan and iPhone: Afraid to Commit

According to research done by John Gruber (Daring Fireball) and Erica Sadun (Ars Technica), the Google Mobile App that has recently been embraced with open arms, is using technology and tapping into API’s that officially break Apple’s iPhone SDK rules, that most other developers have to live by.

One clear way they found Google was violating the SDK was with the use of the iPhone’s proximity sensor. Aside from manipulating the sensor to turn on and off when near your face (as is permitted in the SDK), nothing else is allowed. However, Google is activating the proximity sensor for other commands, such as speaking into the application, as well as delivering an audible prompt to your search terms. The only way this is possible, according to Gruber, is with the use of private API’s that Apple has not offered in the iPhone SDK.

So, (a) Google Mobile is using a private API, and (b) to my knowledge, there is no way to duplicate the behavior of Google Mobile’s “just lift the phone to your ear to trigger the voice prompt” feature using only the public APIs in the iPhone SDK. Needless to say, using private APIs violates the iPhone SDK Guidelines. A developer that plays by the rules cannot do what Google is doing, Gruber explains.

If this were any other company or development group, there is a fair chance Apple would have never approved the application to begin with. Although it seemed like Google’s app was initially being treated like all the others, the use unpublished API’s and private frameworks proves otherwise.

Surprisingly enough, Google appears to use both dynamic linking and calling unpublished APIs…As you’ll see with unpublished APIs, using private APIs can mean that your code may break without notice as Apple updates its libraries. Worse, should your application be found to be using said libraries, it can be kicked out of the App Store without recourse; you will not be able to update that application and resubmit it…If linking to private frameworks is unacceptable, unpublished APIs play the role of a minor jaywalking, Sadun explains.

It’s not shocking that this application got approved. Apple can do whatever it pleases with the App Store. As we’ve harshly seen in the past, the App Store is not very consistent with what makes the cut or not. It’s important to remember that this application was developed for users and to enhance the search experience for users. The application is free for download and has been a joy to use, so it’s difficult to say whether Google is doing anything Apple will find “against the rules.” As we’ve mentioned in the past, until Apple releases a clear set of App Store Development Guidelines (which could be the best holiday gift this year), the App Store will remain inconsistent, and prove to be a gamble in getting applications approved.

Related posts:

1. Google Admits to Knowingly Breaking App Store Rules
2. All I Want For The Holidays Are App Store Development Guidelines
3. Weekly Recap: Google, App Store, Rumors, Updates & Delays

Since launching the iPhone SDK, Apple was under tremendous heat by the development community for its long-withstanding NDA. “Under the NDA developers haven’t been able to openly discuss or write books/blog posts on the iPhone SDK and development practices. Because Apple had kept this NDA in place, they were pretty much sewing developer’s lips shut, and telling them they can’t talk about anything. Some sly developers were paying each other small amounts of money so they could call each other sub-contractors, and discuss development,” MacBlogz previously explained.

We are pleased to announce the Apple Developer Forums—a new benefit for developers in the iPhone Developer Standard Program, Enterprise Program, and University Program.

Currently in beta, the Apple Developer Forums provide a collaborative environment to post iPhone development topics and questions for an open discussion with other iPhone developers and Apple engineers.

Having finally dropped the NDA and its developer-shackling contract, Apple has made a giant leap forward by allowing the community to interact and exchange ideas in a safe, secure environment. If you don’t have an ADC account, you can choose your program and get started here. The Apple Developer Forums Beta can be found here.

Related posts:

1. Apple Has Finally Dropped the iPhone (NDA) Non Disclosure Agreement
2. Apple Releases iPhone OS 2.1 Beta 3 to Developers
3. iPhone 2.1 Beta 4 Seeded by Apple; Push Notification Service Pulled

In the new firmware, Apple has enabled full Google Street View, public transit and walking directions. But still core features like MMS and copy-and-paste are absent. Surely Google is excited to enhance the mapping experience on the iPhone, and Apple is definitely not going to complain when it comes to feature-stacking the T-Mobile G1. But what about the much anticipated and heavily debated copy-and-paste? As new iPhone firmware versions are released, there is perhaps a momentary lapse in time when developers pray to discover the added functionality, only to be let down.

Speculation has quickly become frustration for many iPhone users and developers alike. Applications are suffering, and dare if I say it, so is the entire user experience. Aside from the few moments when a new firmware is released and they find themselves praying, a handful of the most experienced developers I know have nearly written it off from showing up at all. “I thought I understood why they hadn’t addressed copy-and-paste yet, but so many new features are being released… I fear they [Apple] have become comfortable with its absence,” a colleague of mine (well adversed with iPhone development) explains.

I went on to ask 12 developers to rate the importance of copy-and-paste functionality, on a scale from 1-10. One being very little importance, and ten being absolute insanity that it’s still missing. Here are some of the results:

“I give it an 8 — not only should it be developed into the SDK for everyone to use, it’s just as important as a keyboard for the iPhone OS.”

“A ten doesn’t seem out of line here. Either there is something massive holding this up, or I am living in the twilight zone.”

“The only reason I give this a 9 and not a 10 is because background push notifications are huge. Without those, my ideas are near useless.”

“No ’saving-to-clipboard’ or cloud-storing workaround is going to work. This needs to come from Apple, be built directly into the SDK and developers need to be able to use it, just like everything else. It should be as ubiquitous as an input field, or any other interface/OS element we can use.”

“I give it a 10, and I give the necessity of landscape keyboards an 8.”

Every response I got was higher than an eight. Granted these aren’t official results from a metrics company, and neither was the scale used to determine the results. These are direct responses from the community, and iPhone developers, unfiltered. While there are various reasons, and rather understandable issues pointing to the absence of copy-and-paste, developers and users alike are frustrated about the missing functionality. It is still heavily demanded.

Comparing the iPhone’s missing functionality to other phones with that same functionality, doesn’t lend itself well to a good argument. There is simply no way to compare the iPhone’s UI and OS consistency to that of a Blackberry with a full tactile keyboard and entirely different operational work-flow.

Perhaps as many hopefuls (like myself) believe, Apple hasn’t released this yet because they haven’t perfected it, not because they believe it’s a low priority. Whether it be in the form of a quiet update, new firmware release, or video on Apple.com explaining how they reinvented ‘copy-and-paste’ — the functionality needs to come soon, and it needs to come straight from Apple.

Image Credit

Related posts:

1. [Video] OpenClip.org Offers Up System Wide iPhone Copy-and-Paste
2. [Feature] True Copy-and-Paste Should and Will Only Come From Apple
3. Pastebud Brings Copy and Paste to iPhone Between Mail and Safari

While previous versions of iPhone Firmware 2.2 (Beta 1) hinted at Google Street View support, it had not been enabled.

Adversely, the first official phone running Android, T-Mobile’s G1 with Google, has support for full Google Street View as well. This functionality being added to the iPhone is not a surprise, seeing as how the native mapping application on the iPhone is powered by Google’s mapping back-end.

Apple has begun seeding iPhone 2.2 Firmware Beta 2 to developers tonight.

Update: A gallery can be found here. Thanx to iPhoneYap.

Related posts:

1. Apple Releases iPhone Software 2.2, Email Improvements and Street View
2. iPhone Firmware 2.2 Coming In Less Than 10 Days?
3. iPhone 2.1 Firmware with GPS Features Seeded; Update on the Horizon

Don’t miss this unique opportunity. The event is free, but space is limited.
Apple technology evangelists and engineers will soon be traveling the globe bringing iPhone development expertise to a city near you. Learn about the tools and technologies you’ll use to create great iPhone applications, then work with the experts to optimize your code, refine your user interface, and apply the knowledge you gain from the sessions to enhance the capabilities of your iPhone application.

Be sure to visit Apple’s Developer Website for more information and class specifics.

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Up until now developers haven’t been able to openly discuss or write books/blog posts on the iPhone SDK and development practices. Because Apple had kept this NDA in place, they were pretty much sewing developer’s lips shut, and telling them they can’t talk about anything. Some sly developers were paying each other small amounts of money so they could call each other sub-contractors, and discuss development.

A new version of the NDA should be released next week, which will still be in place for unreleased third-party software and features.

[MacRumors]

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Apple has been under harsh criticism for pulling various apps from the app store. Which some say are making it turn out to be a software “boutique” hand chosen by Apple. Google, on the other hand, is taking a different approach. They are planning an “open and unobstructed” environment where apps are not banned for legal content, functions, or stupidity. The store itself will still be hosted by Google (like Apple’s App Store), and the overall concept is the same… To give third-party developers neutral ground to share, distribute and sell their applications easily, and securely. Although without a screening process, Google will surely get caught up in legal content battles one way or another. It would make sense for them to at least moderate the applications being distributed in the Android Market.

The Android Market has a star-based rating system, similar to everything else you’ve seen on the web (think Youtube ratings). The data is also intended to help developers track the success of a certain application over time. Google is no stranger to extremely large amounts of data. It certainly seems plausible for Google to release a product similar to Google Analytics for developers to use, that develop applications on the Android platform.

The Android Market will be available as a beta first, and will come preloaded on to new devices that will only allow for free applications to be downloaded. “A system to handle paid apps and with streamlined upgrades, support for different device profiles, and other details should be available shortly after the first device is available this fall,” electronista reports.

Google thrives on open-source software, and encourages its engineers to work on personal projects. Apple on the other hand, shuns the idea. It all goes back to “controlling the whole widget.” By optimizing the hardware for the software, and the software for the hardware, the end user gets the best available user experience. Apple doesn’t want to share its code, or share its hardware. It wants to control the entire environment so that things don’t get muggy (alá Windows Mobile).

The Android Market will give developers access to parts of Android’s operating system that aren’t available through Apple and the iPhone SDK, specifically the media player software. So as a developer, both sides of the pendulum have strong arguments. By developing for the iPhone, you always know what hardware will be running your software. Therefore allowing you to optimize it, to its full potential. By developing for Google’s Android, you run the risk of spreading your software too thin, hoping to support many devices, only to cut out important features. However, by developing for Android, you are surely signing up to engage in a well-balanced, experienced and interactive community. With Apple, the environment is a little more harsh. Signing strict NDA’s and being forced to stay tight-lipped, results in an agitated development community biting their nails to share development secrets and code.

It’s up to you, more code and more options? Or a better platform with amazing hardware and the best mobile OS around?

[via electronista]

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