eComm Christopher Allen has some questions for Steve Jobs.

Speaking this afternoon at eComm in Mountain View, the man behind iPhoneWebDev.com (http://iPhoneWebDev.com), billed as the largest iPhone developer support community, raised three issues that Apple's chief executive failed to address when unveiling the Official Jesus Phone SDK (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/07/iphone_sdk_debuts/) last week. And you know that if a question isn't answered during an official Apple press event, you won't get an answer until the next official Apple press event.

One: just how restrictive will Apple be when it comes to third-party iPhone apps? Yes, the company says it won't allow unwholesome things like porn (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/09/iphone_sdk/) or Java (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/10/iphone_jvm_pipe_dream/). And it won't allow apps sure to annoy AT&T, like Voice over IP over cellular. But what about something as simple as instant messaging?

Jobs makes it clear that running apps in the Jesus Phone background is verboten. Doesn't this take the instant out of instant messaging? "The iPhone guidelines require apps to terminate when a phone call is received and not go into the background," Allen said. "Obviously, there are all sorts of social apps that you want running while the phone call is going."

"The API appears to allow for that kind of functionality. But they're still saying 'No. Don't do this.'"

Two: will developers have the power to load their own audio or video codecs? Divx? Flv? "At this point, the answers seems to be no."

And three: will Jobs deign to grant developers access to Bluetooth? Can third parties offer external keyboards, headphones, or internet tethering? "You have to wonder if you'll be able to walk around and 'touch' someone's phone and transfer a message," Allen continued. "Or what if I want to provide an internet connection to my MacBook."

Internet to a laptop over the EDGE network? That's one thing we don't want. ®

Related stories

Sun backs Java-on-iPhone 'quick fix' (23 April 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/23/java_micro_edition_iphone/
Behind the scenes with Apple's media browser (22 April 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/22/mac_secrets_media_browser/
Dilemma meets opportunity: iPhone beta SDKs in review (14 April 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/14/iphone_sdk_beta_2_3_review/
Apple rewards developers with bricked iPhone (9 April 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/09/iphone_cut_off/
Apple ignores Jesus Phone life raft (2 April 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/02/logmein_mobile_rescue_hits_symbian/
Apple grants Windows PCs the right to run Safari for Windows (27 March 2008)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/03/27/apple_updates_safari_eula/
Heartless Apple form letter 'confuses' Jesus Phone disciples (15 March 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/15/apple_iphone_developer_form_letter/
iPhone emulator firmware jailbroken (12 March 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/03/12/iphone_firmware_jailbreak/
Triple play puts iPhone ahead of Android (12 March 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/12/rethinking_the_iphone/
Sun dreams the impossible Java on Jesus Phone dream (10 March 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/10/iphone_jvm_pipe_dream/
Cometh the hour, cometh the iPhone SDK (9 March 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/09/iphone_sdk/
Snap Sun decision launches Java at iPhone (8 March 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/08/jvm_for_the_iphone/
Steve Jobs unveils plans to dominate RIM BlackBerry, Life, the Universe, and Everything (7 March 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/07/iphone_sdk_debuts/