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Apple eases developer restrictions, opens path to Flash

Apple Inc. knows that much of the success of the iPhone comes thanks to the creative apps that developers have brought to the iPhone experience. In yet another attempt to keep developers in its good graces, the company announced today that it is making some changes to its iOS Developer Program license “to relax some restrictions” it put in place earlier this year.
“We have listened to our developers and taken much of their feedback to heart,” the company wrote.
What comes as the biggest surprise in Apple’s changes is an apparent about-face on restrictions covering development tools used to create iOS apps. Apple says it is “relaxing all restrictions” on this front “as long as the resulting apps do not download any code. This should give developers the flexibility they want, while preserving the security we need.”
In effect, this could open up the iOS platform to Adobe Systems Inc.’s Flash for the first time ever.
Upon analyzing the changes, John Gruber at Daring Fireball wrote: “I believe that tools such as Adobe’s Flash cross-compiler are no longer banned from use. If you can produce a binary that complies with the guidelines, how you produced it doesn’t matter.”
This move could prompt Adobe to breathe new life into its currently-dead-in-the-water Packager for iPhone.
As promised when it first imposed the new restrictions last June, Apple has removed language in its developer agreement that banned third-party ad networks like Google Inc.’s AdMob.
Finally, Apple is also publishing App Store Review Guidelines in an effort to give developers a more clear picture of the general app review process at Apple. “We hope it will make us more transparent and help our developers create even more successful apps for the App Store,” the company wrote.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Matt Kapko
Matt Kapko
Former Feature writer for RCR Wireless NewsCurrently writing for CIOhttp://www.CIO.com/ Matt Kapko specializes in the convergence of social media, mobility, digital marketing and technology. As a senior writer at CIO.com, Matt covers social media and enterprise collaboration. Matt is a former editor and reporter for ClickZ, RCR Wireless News, paidContent and mocoNews, iMedia Connection, Bay City News Service, the Half Moon Bay Review, and several other Web and print publications. Matt lives in a nearly century-old craftsman in Long Beach, Calif. He enjoys traveling and hitting the road with his wife, going to shows, rooting for the 49ers, gardening and reading.