One of the biggest problems that developers and end users alike have had with the iPhone SDK is the reported limitations with regards to background processes. By limitations, we mean that the original SDK guidelines specified that third-party applications were simply not permitted to run processes in the background. This would have been a huge problem. Hoards of potential applications would be rendered useless by these restrictions. Examples include IM apps, profile implementation and scheduling apps, theft recovery applications and thousands of other possibilities. While it still may be a problem, the latest word on the street is that the new iPhone SDK beta that has just been released may have changed the rules in this department. An anonymous developer who recently analyzed the latest SDK made some interesting findings:
There are definitely some very interesting methods added to UIApplication’s delegate, including methods for badging the Springboard icon, and methods related to gaining and resigning “active” status – seems like background apps may be permitted somehow.
Apple seems to be making a habit of not only listening to internet outcry, but responding to it as well. That, people, is a very good thing.
