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iPhone OS 4.0 Brings Multitasking, Ad Framework For Apps

Low Ranked Craig writes "Apple had an event today to show off the next major update to the iPhone OS. iPhone OS 4.0 should arrive this summer (presumably with a new iPhone) for iPhone and iPod Touch, and in the fall for the iPad. According to Apple the update has more than 1,500 new APIs and 100 new features including the sorely missed multitasking. Other highlights include unified inbox, improved security, support for multiple Exchange accounts, application folders, iBooks, and iAd, an advertising framework for developers to put ads in their applications. The official word from Steve on Flash and Java remains a simple 'No.'" Updated 20100408 22:09 GMT by timothy: Read on for more information, including some bad news if you want to program for the iPhone in C# or Flash CS5. alphadogg points out some what he calls surprise capabilities targeted at enterprise users and IT departments, including e-mail encryption and "mobile device management."

And CWmike adds more infomation at MacWorld about iAd, which he considers the biggest news in today’s announcement, writing that one way to look at the new advertising hooks "is that Apple can now leverage the App Store/iTunes ‘ecosystem’ lock-in in effect, and deliver to advertisers a huge captive audience."

Finally, binarylarry writes with a look from Daring Fireball at the new user agreement that goes along with 4.0: "Looks like Adobe's release of CS5 with the Flash-to-native compiler has been nixed by Apple's new user agreement: '3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs.'"

2 of 983 comments (clear)

  1. Re:LOL! Apple Hipster Douchebag Fanboys by WilyCoder · · Score: 1, Troll

    Nice straw man.

    I never said multitasking was unneeded. Nor did I ever said Apple invented multitasking.

    The anti-apple people like you are as bad as the 'hipster douchbags' you mentioned.

    Its a phone, get over it and go back to digg.

  2. Protected functions on Smartphones by krischik · · Score: 1, Troll

    The iPhone did have multitasking - only it was a protected function up until now. Just like Symbian protects the All-File function. Just as restrictive but no one no one speaks about that.