iPhone "Hacks" will be on the Up and Up

This is it, the moment iPhone users have been waiting for. Steve Jobs just announced that third party programming will be allowed for the iPhone as well as the iPod touch, according to The Associated Press. "We are excited about creating a vibrant third-party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users," Jobs said in the posting.

Currently the super-phone only works with AT&T service, but that hasn't stopped hackers from creating special modifications so the it would work with other providers. These "unlocked" devices caused some controversy when Apple released an update to the phone which would unintentionally render it useless. Jobs is releasing a software kit in February that will allow programmers to create new applications for their phones. It is fairly easy to obtain new programs for the iPhone online, but since they are not covered in the warranty it is very risky. There is no word yet on whether this decision was made because of the hacking surge.