iPhone to accept third-party apps: Jobs changes course ahead of product’s release

The Wizard of Oz can change his mind, it seems.
Apple Inc. said that its forthcoming iPhone product will run applications created with Web 2.0 standards, opening the device to extended capabilities from third-party suppliers-a change in direction from the company’s initial product announcement in January.
According to CEO Steve Jobs, who made the announcement during his keynote address at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, the use of Web 2.0 standards will open the device to applications written by third parties while maintaining the gadget’s security and reliability.
The move appears to be a compromise that gives Apple control over the device, but opens up the market for additional applications beyond those supplied by Apple. The announcement is likely to please application developers eager to have a hand in designing applications for the much-touted device, which is set to launch June 29 with unprecedented publicity.
However, Apple’s announcement falls short of providing developers with a software development kit-an offering widely employed by other handset vendors to encourage and facilitate third-party applications for their smartphone offerings.