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Apple Launching App Store Beta Program

washingtonpost.com — Apple is finally going to start rolling out a new beta program in the next few days. Details are slim, but it seems like Apple is capping the total number of beta participants at 100 per app. In order to download a beta app, users will need to submit their iPhone's SN to the developer, who will then need to flag its eligibility in the store itself.

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  • louiebaur, on 07/23/2008, -9/+6That beta program sounds like it is going to solve some problems for sure!
    • sockpuppets, on 07/24/2008, -3/+22Here's a template for the rest of your time on digg. Enjoy your stay.

      That ___________ sounds like it is going to _____ some _______ for sure!
      • TremorX, on 07/24/2008, -6/+27That IPHONE sounds like it is going to RON PAUL some OBAMA for sure!
      • noogymmij, on 07/24/2008, -6/+1I'm fairly sure he was mocking Apple's pathetic attempt to cover up the limitations of signed-code schemes.
      • placidified, on 07/24/2008, -0/+2That phone sounds like it is going to win some fanboys for sure
  • Genecalypse, on 07/24/2008, -6/+2Why hasn't this come out yet!?
    • nellyspageli, on 07/24/2008, -4/+1cuz it sucks
    • HaSatan, on 07/24/2008, -3/+2You mean like doing beta tests BEFORE release???? Thats ***** insane talk right there!
    • dako, on 07/24/2008, -1/+4Because they're beta testing their beta testing program :D
    • ozid, on 07/24/2008, -0/+1App store hasn't even been out for a month yet. Calm down.
  • ileftfark, on 07/24/2008, -14/+9So it's 'closed open source'?

    Another Apple innovation.
    • Protoss, on 07/24/2008, -4/+8What? It's a beta testing program for the apps in the app store. One of the complaints about the App Store is the devs can't beta test their software and this solves it.
      Nothing to do with open source. If the dev wanted to make their app open source, they could release the source code.
    • zaffir, on 07/24/2008, -5/+3This has nothing to do with open source, nimrod. It is Apple pulling their heads half an inch closer to being outside of their asses and letting iPhone devs test their apps (somewhat) properly.
    • leamanc, on 07/24/2008, -0/+1Apple already invented 'closed open source' with Mac OS X. The Power of Unix, the Simplicity of Macintosh=open source core with a totally proprietary system on top. Now, I'm one of the biggest Mac fans out there, but you can't deny that Apple uses F/OSS for its own interests without giving much back.
  • leontes, on 07/24/2008, -3/+10I think this is a clever idea. A lot of apps are buggy and this a nice compromise to keep the gatekeeper effect while at the same time letting developers do their thing.
  • theaverageidiot, on 07/24/2008, -5/+8So they cap the amount of beta testers at 100 per app. But that wasn't good enough. His Steveness said, "How can we make it more painful for our sheep?" And they found a solution: require a lengthy process of REQUESTING and being approved to be one of the 100 of a selected app.
    • hobbitaussie, on 07/24/2008, -0/+2Do you think most private betas are up to the discretion of the user? No. Most of them require some sort of request, signing an NDA, and so on.

      This isn't that different - the developer is in charge.
    • yabos, on 07/24/2008, -0/+2Uhh, it's the same as every other beta program. Get with it.
  • robodork, on 07/24/2008, -11/+31jailbreaking lets you have unlimited beta testers
    • hobbitaussie, on 07/24/2008, -6/+3And hardly any customers.
    • s0l0s0ul, on 07/24/2008, -1/+1i cant seem to find a good answer to this question, but maybe someone here can help.
      I have been thinking about jail breaking my phone, but does this mean i have to unlock it too? Unlocking is what bricked all those 1.0 iPhones in the beginning right? Or was it Jailbreaking that bricked them? If I jailbreak my phone can i still get future apple updates? and If i ever decide that I want my phone to be stock again, is it possible to restore or "un-jailbreak" it?

      my computer skills lie in the realm of animation, and definitely not in hacking, so any and all advice is appreciated.
  • Protoss, on 07/24/2008, -3/+4Seems like a nice idea. Didn't one of the developers say that if they could pass the app around to just a few of their friends they'd be able to work out most of the kinks?
  • peaceninja, on 07/24/2008, -14/+5i wanted a gps device so i went to go buy an iphone today. i gave all my information to the apple rep who was so blindingly happy to sell me this device. as i looked at his overly cheery smile i realized i was entering a very scary world, a world where its boundaries are controlled by the whims of apple. i then told him i needed to leave and I was no longer interested in the phone and he asked why, and i said it's because i think i don't see any difference between microsoft of the 90s versus apple of today. maybe i am crazy and maybe apple appeals to the majority of the population but why cant the apple sdk tap more deep into the iphone hardware? i applaud apple for launching this beta program but apple is still not really doing a whole lot to make me want to really want to buy one.
    • placidified, on 07/24/2008, -1/+1the amount of tangents you went off on in your comment hurts my brain...
    • IanPR, on 07/24/2008, -1/+2Ka... BOOM!
  • MrTito, on 07/24/2008, -10/+2Alright! Another iPhone story!
  • Mailboxhead, on 07/24/2008, -9/+1gotsmartz is so awesome.
  • Dylson, on 07/24/2008, -12/+1***** ***** ***** *****!! Hi.
  • admanimal, on 07/24/2008, -7/+1This "beta program" is nothing more than the Ad Hoc distribution method that was announced at WWDC and has been available to iPhone Devs for a week or so now.
  • DelMonte, on 07/24/2008, -2/+15Let's all test if the "Report it" button actually does something on digg.... If it does work, gotsmartz should be banned soon, and rightfully.
    • IanPR, on 07/24/2008, -5/+2You know those buttons don't do *****.
      Not on Digg, not on Xbox Live, nowhere.
    • tian2992, on 07/24/2008, -0/+3i think it worked...
      • gavroche, on 07/24/2008, -0/+2Yes well now I cant see what this is all about :-(
  • serif69, on 07/24/2008, -0/+6Well. Now that we have THAT out of our system...

    Ad Hoc distribution is already available if you submit your UDID to the developer. In fact, this was announced during the WWDC Keynote. This is not news. If anything, it's the Washington Post clamoring so they don't run out of iPhone stories.
  • digjam, on 07/24/2008, -2/+6Apples behaving like a crazy over possesive bitch who doesnt want to share anything with anyone..!! In this world of open source...this ***** will not work for long...as soon as google or some other comp announces a cheaper and better product..Apple's gonna lick its toes! It better learn soon.
  • loconet, on 07/24/2008, -1/+7I feel like I'm back in 1996 in IRC
    • toast24, on 07/24/2008, -0/+2Dug for IRC reference.
    • DelMonte, on 07/24/2008, -0/+211:56 PM: *** Mode change "+b *!*@*proxy*" on #digg by DiggBot
      11:56 PM: *** gotsmartz has been kicked off channel #digg by DiggBot (banned: flood)
  • encrypter, on 07/24/2008, -2/+11***** you gotsmartz
  • Mailboxhead, on 07/24/2008, -5/+12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . __________
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./ gotsmartz
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _,,,--~~~~~~~~--,_ . . . | should burn
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ : : : :::: :::: :: : : : : :º ‘-, . .___________/
    . . . . . . . . . . . . .,-‘ :: : : :::: :::: :::: :::: : : :o : ‘-, / . . . . . . . . .
    . . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ :: ::: :: : : :: :::: :::: :: : : : : :O ‘-, . . . . . . . . .
    . . . . . . . . . .,-‘ : :: :: :: :: :: : : : : : , : : :º :::: :::: ::’; . . . . . . . .
    . . . . . . . . .,-‘ / / : :: :: :: :: : : :::: :::-, ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ; . . . . . . . .
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    . . . . . . . /,’,-‘ :: :: :: :: :: :: :: : ::_,-~~,_’-, ;; ;; ;; ;; | . . . . . . .
    . . . . . _/ :,’ :/ :: :: :: : : :: :: _,-‘/ : ,-‘;’-‘’’’’~-, ;; ;; ;;,’ . . . . . . . .
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    . . . :/,, : : : _,-‘ --,,_ : : : ||/ /,-‘-‘x### :: ;;/ . . . . . . . . . .
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  • wildsnake, on 07/24/2008, -1/+8So let me get this straight. People rather spam the Apple stories than use the filter page to filter out Apple stories out. This is why I hardly come to digg anymore.
  • tjallen, on 07/24/2008, -1/+3With the current crashiness of some programs, I feel like I'm already part of the beta. Hooray for the constant updates. Hopefully this beta program will smooth things out further. But what's wrong with letting everyone get the newest apps? I add and drop different programs every day based on how I feel and how they're working. Why not let everyone in? We'll do it live.
  • lupinglade, on 07/24/2008, -0/+42 words. Ad Hoc.
  • digichris, on 07/24/2008, -0/+4They need to allow more than 100 beta testers per app.
  • sibergoth, on 07/24/2008, -1/+0erm, whats the problem here? you can already do this!! have been able to since the start... !
  • irwanbee, on 07/24/2008, -0/+2it's hard to get know about apple. i still prefer PC
  •  

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