• The Associated Press/SF Gate, Thursday, October 2, 2008 11 AM

Succumbing to programmer complaints, Apple has dropped its requirement that anyone developing applications for the iPhone--even those that are rejected--sign non-disclosure agreements promising not to discuss the technology with anyone, even other programmers. The decision comes one week after the debut of "The Google Phone," which uses an open-source operating system.

The secrecy pledge was self-defeating, said critics, because it prevented developers from sharing best practices and helping one another fix common problems. Sharing information will help programmers produce and fix applications faster, they said. Apple had imposed the ban as a way to protect its technology secrets.

The change to the policy brings it in line with the agreements the Curpertino, Calif-based company makes software programmers for its Macintosh computer system. Still, programmers who are working with unreleased test versions of new iPhone software will still be bound by a non-disclosure agreement.

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