iLounge

1

Why is it every time my iPhone starts lagging, and I’m tempted to remove the jailbreak and restore back to the stock firmware, Apple gets all hinky and does something like this?

Posted by Paul on March 4, 2010 at 1:43 PM (PST)

2

Before jumping to conclusions, it would be interesting to hear them clarify what they mean by “private framework”...

Posted by Ron R on March 5, 2010 at 5:18 AM (PST)

3

“Private framework” generally refers to parts of the iPhone OS that are not published for use by developers in the SDK.  The SDK agreement specifically prohibits developers from using private or unpublished API calls as Apple makes no guarantees that these calls will remain the same in future OS versions.

Technically none of these apps should have been approved in the first place if they were using private frameworks, however they obviously slipped through.  The fact that Apple is choosing to enforce the use of this particular framework at this point may be an indication of changes to come in the 3.2 OS for the iPad, or a future general iPhone OS release.

Posted by Jesse Hollington in Toronto on March 5, 2010 at 9:45 AM (PST)

4

to add a bit to Jesse’s very good comment:

Apple does this (restricts API calls, and sometimes retroactively disapproves apps) in order to ensure future compatability between iphone and iphone apps.  Some might see this restrictiveness as needlessly (aka, over-) restrictive, some might see it as averting problems.  Personally, I find the restrictions too restrictive for my own personal use (and so I jailbreak), but I would not recommend jailbreaking for the vast majority of iPhone users.  I’m willing to go in and fix problems when they come up because of new firmware updates—whereas some people just wouldn’t know how to do that, or even want to do it, so the basic iPhone firmware is great for them.

To ensure that great basic iPhone firmware, there is a very tightly controlled list of API calls.  Apple is, in a sense, delineating a tight region of the phone’s firmware that apps can work with.  Jailbreak software works outside that tight region—giving jailbreakers more freedom, but also more responsibility, and increased risk.  If an ‘approved’ app is calling outside its tight region of approved calls, that’s just a headache waiting to happen for apple, subsequently leading to reduced phone satisfaction.  Apple can’t afford this, and I appreciate their restrictions (as should all jailbreakers), so long as I can voluntarily choose to work outside the bounds, assuming the extra risk and freeriding on a huge installed-user-base to drive adoption and profit opportunities for developers working inside and outside the “tight region” of approved API calls.

Posted by shawn on March 5, 2010 at 4:40 PM (PST)

5

Im not happy with apple removing such invaluale applications from the app store. I have been travelling lately and found that the built in wifi finder on the g3 iphone simply didnt work very well or at all (ie simply could not find valid networks) in many cases in locations across canada us argentina and chile,

So I hope Apple is going to significantly improve their built in wifi network ‘finder’. They sure need to.

Juts a a sidelight, my very old Palm T!X had no trouble.. to why does apple?

Posted by Marcus Wigan on March 5, 2010 at 7:48 PM (PST)

6

This is exactly why I jailbroke and used RockBox on my ViPod. Apple is always turning around and doin’ somethin’ stupid to prevent usefulness in their products.

Posted by Joe Kirsch on March 5, 2010 at 11:14 PM (PST)

7

Looks like what they removed was whatb I thought was the best finder and that is WiFiTrak.

Posted by RV on March 7, 2010 at 11:22 AM (PST)