iPhone says "Hello World," here come the 3rd party apps

If there wasn't a vast, cold expanse of internet in the way, we could just hug those iPhone Dev Wiki folks. Apparently a particularly dedicated hacker who goes by "Nightwatch" has compiled and launched the iPhone's very first independent "Hello World" application, paving the way for 3rd party applications to run on the heretofore closed device. Of course, user implications are a long ways away, but Nightwatch has built a pre-alpha ARM/Mach-O Toolchain for other hackers to follow his example, and other folks should be able to get 3rd party code running on the iPhone before long. Exciting times indeed.

[Thanks, Adam]

[mingistech @ Jul 19th 2007 11:36PM]

Wow... nice!

I really love some of the Web 2.0 apps released for the iPhone already.... but this is great news.

Hopefully Apple will take note of how bad people want actual apps running on the iPhone and open up the platform with a nice SDK. :)

[Andrew @ Jul 20th 2007 9:22AM]

I've come to realize that too many common features are missing, REAL 3rd party apps, MMS, 3G, etc, etc. It's very obvious that Apple was capable of all of these features, and has simply left them out on purpose to get $500 from everyone now, then release another phone that has all those features and charge all those people $500 again. It's pretty crappy but hey, the sheep follow Apple and will buy it, so hell, I guess they're doing the smart thing and making tons of money from it.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 20th 2007 9:42AM]

Yea thats cute and all, but how's that SIM Unlock coming?

[farukates @ Jul 20th 2007 9:58AM]

Andrew, you're not seeing the real value of the iPhone: Apple can add all those features via free software upgrades, which they've announced to do regularly. Rather than force people to buy a new hardware phone and see so many old ones become obsolete, the value of an iPhone simply increases over time as features get added for free, right on the unit you already have.

mingistech:
"Hopefully Apple will take note of how bad people want actual apps running on the iPhone and open up the platform with a nice SDK. :)"

I'm sure Apple's been aware of how bad people want 3rd Party Apps (and how bad the developers want to make them) since before they even announced the thing. Can't imagine that a perceived lack of interest would be why they've not opened it up (yet).

[Mike @ Jul 20th 2007 6:00PM]

"Andrew, you're not seeing the real value of the iPhone: Apple can add all those features via free software upgrades, which they've announced to do regularly."

Other smart phones have support for software upgrades AND already have those features. You act like a gimped phone that might eventually become usable at some point in the future is better than having a good phone to begin with.

[residual @ Jul 23rd 2007 7:34AM]

Anyone else notice in Minority Report there is an iPhone sound everytime one of the doors opens in the PreCog lab?

[Shane @ Jul 22nd 2007 11:30AM]

Apple needs to just keep doing what they are doing and keep making the money. If they can get you guys to buy 2 or 3 different phones from them, great! I own their stock and it is doing nothing but going up, up, up! I don't, however, own any of their products.

[Jim @ Jul 19th 2007 11:38PM]

here come the drooling fanboys

[Ryhan @ Jul 19th 2007 11:51PM]

Silent in their fan-less procession, they march until they finally melt in their own smoldering heat...

MS/Linux/(insert name here)-Fanboys Unite! (Ua-ha-ha-ha, may the criticismn begin...)

[gpd209 @ Jul 20th 2007 9:27PM]

here come the comments about "fanboys", which serve as a substitute for thinking up anything meaningful

[Fatima @ Jul 19th 2007 11:37PM]

I want apple to release quailty updates, I don't care about these hack jobs. I've learned my lesson about the quality of 3rd party hacked software on the PSP. Gimme genuine stuff.

[Ryhan @ Jul 19th 2007 11:43PM]

Not all 3rd party software is crap; many spring form neccesity, and become VERY handy... (Hopefully the iPhone can become more like the cowon d2 wen it comes to 3rd party softwrae)

But I get your point; however, "quality" updates seem to be a far way off...

[lettcco @ Jul 20th 2007 2:12AM]

Please don't bash the 3rd party AKA "homebrew" software for your own inability to discriminate the quality of the software. I have downgraded and installed custom firmware on my own PSP AFTER CAREFULLY following instructions provided and they work perfectly fine. There are plenty of disclaimer that came with the software, so if you brick your PSP is your own damn fault.

[Jason @ Jul 20th 2007 8:35AM]

Wow... here, folks, we have someone who not only expects access to the free, underground dev scene, but wants it pre-digested for his noob-cake stomach, too.

[Jake @ Jul 19th 2007 11:38PM]

How long before Apple closes this breakthrough thru a firmware update?

[Daniel Smith @ Jul 20th 2007 1:45AM]

IDK but it's gonna happen. It's gonna be the new cat and mouse game like it is with the PSP. I wonder if they'll force you to update your iphone, like downloading the update over EDGE and you wouldn't be able to use your iPhone for any other capabilities besides just being a phone until you install the update. If I were steve that's what I'd do. Not that I agree with the closed platform that is the iPhone.

[charlie @ Jul 20th 2007 2:55AM]

Thats the problem with these very publically done hacking attempts, all they're doing is QA'ing apples security, they'll lock up each hole found, same as the psp which has had a lot of firmware updates. Granted new doors will be found, but they're just waiting for the hard work to be done, a fix will be made and issued, and back to square one.

Of course a lot of it has more to do with bragging rights than making 3rd party software.

[paloooz @ Jul 20th 2007 12:39PM]

That was hardly their stance when we started hacking the AppleTV.

Remember? "It's your hardware, do with it what you please."

[cibyr @ Jul 19th 2007 11:38PM]

Wow, great link you've got there...

Would it really be that hard to link to the website that the story is about?

[Ryhan @ Jul 19th 2007 11:47PM]

"At the request of the iPhone Dev Wiki team, we aren't including the link. Google is your friend."

Jeesh, would it kill you to read the link! :)

[Sean Cooper @ Jul 20th 2007 3:10PM]

Delete ;) and yeah, that was the link.

[Blake @ Jul 19th 2007 11:47PM]

His will be done.

[sschwend @ Jul 20th 2007 12:08AM]

Yay more iPhone nonsense. When will the Kaiser come out with touchflo so i can pwn these iPhone fux.

[I.M. Yerpappy @ Jul 20th 2007 12:08AM]

So this indicates what? The beginning of the end for all the other high-end smartphones. I thought that fact was already obvious. Full OSX running in a gigabyte of memory as opposed to WM6 running in some paltry 256 megabytes. Boy, that's cramped. Big effin apps need some room to breathe. Damn. Microsoft Office 2008 running on an iPhone. Who'da thunk it.

[stoneymonster @ Jul 20th 2007 12:29AM]

What makes you think the iPhone has 1gb of ram? It's got 128mb. LOL.

[Ryhan @ Jul 20th 2007 12:35AM]

"Full OSX"? iPhone dosen't run the full OSX no matter what the jobness sayz. I don't get what he's getting at, thinking that some people are so gullible; oh right, macfans!

Screw smartphones; I'm getting meself a UMPC with the full Vista (and if I want, which I don't, OSX for that matter). Fully capable portable device thats actually worth the extravagant price...

*grumbles under breath*

[Ryhan @ Jul 20th 2007 12:38AM]

@stoneymonster
LOL!
I think he meant that the (the "full") OSX roughly takes up 1 gig.
*choking from laughter*

*rolling on the ground in a fit of laughter*

[Archietype @ Jul 20th 2007 4:24AM]

It's kind of ironic to see Microsoft being laughed at for running an OS which is smaller than the competition for once.

[joe @ Jul 20th 2007 12:13AM]

iPhone for the win!!

[John Doe @ Jul 20th 2007 2:25PM]

"iPhone for the win!!"

Maybe in the special Olympics but in the real world....I think not.

[joe @ Jul 20th 2007 2:52PM]

@ John Doe - Sad bastards like you have your own take on the world. I understand that you hate positive leaps forward in human evolution. But most NORMAL people look at the iPhone and say wow that's a cool product!! Don't bring your pissy anti iPhone whining to my comments. I think mobile phones are fantastic, Just the iPhone is coolest one out there. Just like the rest of the world. This is "engadget" not "trashapple".

[Ian @ Jul 20th 2007 1:12AM]

LOL. You know what I do to get my code to run on my MDA? I build it in dev studio.

Man, apple sucks. You poor iPhone users. The thing is like a "future" phone from five years ago.

[Sam @ Jul 20th 2007 1:41AM]

Yeah totally, you are so totally correct in your assessment of the iPhone. I drool at the sight of a Windows Mobile phone from 5 years ago (or from today for that matter, as not much has changed). SO advanced, so well integrated, so revolutionary. I suppose you're using that phone that's super advanced beyond the iPhone...what was the name of it? Oh yeah! It doesn't exist. Although, MS has a gorgeous thing that does most of what the iPhone does, it's just that it's a huge coffee table.

[Kyle @ Jul 20th 2007 2:07AM]

Hey wanna know something cool?

My little flip phone Samsung m500 can do MMS.

:D

iPhone cannot.

Also, it does everything all these fancy gadgets can do (granted you are using 3rd party apps ;) ) without the touch screen.

Waste of money.

All of them.

[densone @ Jul 20th 2007 1:54AM]

Lot of M$ fanboys on the prowl tonight.

[JAmerican @ Jul 20th 2007 2:48AM]

Not really. Just because you can hack it so that an application can be installed does not mean that it will be like that forever. Remember the PSP. Its the same idea. Update will patch the holes that allow for third party applications and make it difficult to reinstall those apps. If a regular person does not want to deal with installing simple and supported Windows Mobile or Palm OS third-party applications, I doubt they will go through the complex steps to get a hacked app on their iPhone.

JA

[joe @ Jul 20th 2007 3:04PM]

Yeh i noticed too. All the M$ fanboys come on here and whine about iPhone in a desperate attempt to convince themselves that the iPhone isn't as good as the rest of the world think it is.

Isn't it a shame how they trash talk Apple. When all Apple tries to do is push technology and design forward. Microshaft just want to control everything and strangle you with mass produced piles of imitation shit.

[densone @ Jul 20th 2007 3:13PM]

I used to trash Apple, until I used one. I thought it was just hardware for metrosexuals, but the OS is such a great step beyond M$ Winshit. However, I will say that its only a matter of time until the Linux desktops take over, especially with tools like Beryl and other developments.

[eas @ Jul 20th 2007 3:34AM]

Yeah, but no want wants to check out your symbian phone. :)

[whiny-bitch-police @ Jul 20th 2007 3:35AM]

When did engadget become the haven for so many tools??? What a bunch of !@#$%^ whiny cry-babies. Could every hater out there be more insecure about their toys? The iPhone ain't no Jesus-device, but neither is anything else on the market. And fer christ sake, the term 'pwn' or 'pwned' was played out 5 years ago -- what are you, fucking twelve-year-olds? Did you just pick up an outdated copy of "Leet-Speak for Dummies" with all that glorious cash you think you saved by not buying some new toy that, god-forbid, someone other than yourself finds interesting?

Do you really feel compelled to waste your time reading articles about every device you don't like just so you can piss on it and the people who own them in the hopes that some other miscreant might think you are 'teh-coolest' alternative dude in the room for a minute until the article drops off the bottom of the page? It must be really soul-crushing when the iPhone articles make their way to the 'next page' and you have to wait eagerly for another morsel to get posted so you can prop up your sorry self-image for another brief moment...

I am so glad your toy can do *whatever* -- give us a fucking break -- we don't care -- never will -- and god knows I would never go reading about toys that I don't have an interest in only to post insults to those who do care for them...

Use some of your saved up dollars and go buy yourselves a fucking clue.

Can I get a Hallelujah?

[Mike Klein @ Jul 20th 2007 4:34AM]

Dude you're on engadget...wtf are you expecting?...intelligent comments?

Nobody is pissing on your treasured toy...merely pointing out the obvious...that the emperor has no clothes.

Many other phones far surpass the iphone in functionality...wtf do I care if it's 6 clicks to switch from 3g to wfi instead of 1...at least I have 3g.

[Warhorse @ Jul 20th 2007 9:42AM]

Wow, whiny-bitch-police just *pwned* us all.

[Neeko @ Jul 20th 2007 8:08AM]

Why havent we seen official sales numbers for the iphone?

anyway geez everyone gets soo touchy over their toys these days.. I think if you buy a product you should be able to hack the ish outta it. Iam glad those guys are doing the hacking there gonna end up giving people there moneys worth after they bought that overpriced cool iphone.

ok everyone HATE AWAY NOW.

[jilie @ Jul 20th 2007 8:09AM]

bye bye Ifiasco!

[Jason @ Jul 20th 2007 8:35AM]

And we all know that once Hello World runs, Doom is only inevitable...

[Caleb @ Jul 20th 2007 5:57PM]

I have one thing to say...OpenMoko.

[Abe @ Jul 20th 2007 9:15AM]

This is slightly off topic, but iPhone related.

Did anyone notice their lock screen (when you hit the home button after it goes the screen kicks out) having some mysterious words right under the time. It would be where the date is normally shown. Mine read "It could be anything" for a whole sunday and then it went back to the normal time setting the next day. I've never seen it do anything different since. I thought my girlfriend did something goofy with my phone, but I haven't found a way to change the text on the lock screen. So now I'm wondering if it's something Apple can push to our phones, maybe to let people know when a new update is out?

You guys can tell me I'm crazy if you want, but I'd like to hear if anyone else can verify this.

[Jon @ Jul 20th 2007 9:28AM]

Was it just the most recent item you played in the iPod app? The lock screen shows what's currently playing, if anything. Maybe it just got stuck on that. Does it change for you if you start playing a song/movie?

[Addicted2HD @ Jul 20th 2007 9:51AM]

Exactly, it's the current song that's playing. If it's paused then it will show up for a while. At least that's been my experience.

[Abe @ Jul 20th 2007 9:38AM]

Ok, I tried that and it kinda did what I saw. The name of the song that was playing showed up along with the album art. When I saw it, it was my normal background art showing up, so I'm guessing it was maybe a song playing in the background with no art available. Or possibly some other application did it. Thanks for the heads up! I feel like I learn something new about my phone every day