• Venture Beat, Thursday, October 9, 2008 11:45 AM

Developers and opponents of fascism everywhere rejoiced earlier this month when Apple suddenly and inexplicably decided to drop its requirement that anyone working on iPhone apps sign a non-disclosure agreement preventing them from discussing the technology with anyone. At the time, the company said the move was done to allow greater collaboration and mutual assistance among its developers--a suspiciously altruistic move for the famously secretive tech company. Now, the real reason seems to have emerged.

Apple is planning a world tour of iPhone app developers, and as Venture Beat puts it, "It would be a shame if they had nothing to talk about." The tour, which includes cities such as San Francisco, Stockholm, and Sweden, will offer a chance for aspiring developers to learn the tools and technologies required to create great iPhone apps.

The good news for consumers is this may mean less buggy first-generation iPhone apps in the near future, as new developers can learn from the mistakes of older ones. The events will be free, but registration is necessary because space is limited. The tour runs from October through December.

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