And so it begins. With WWDC and presumably the release of iPhone OS 3.0 just around the corner, Apple has deemed it time to begin stress-testing their Push Notification servers. We just received a letter from a (very) trusted source, in which Apple invited them to download a pre-release version of the Associated Press iPhone application, specifically tuned to make a high number of background push requests.
Upon adding the application, an iPhone-wide “Notifications” toggle is added to the iPhone OS 3.0 Settings screen, along with the option to toggle Notifications on an app-by-app basis. Screenshots and the full text of the letter available after the jump.
As a developer actively working with iPhone OS 3.0 beta, we would like your help in testing the Apple Push Notification service. We have selected a pre-release version of the Associated Press app for iPhone OS 3.0 to create a high-volume test environment for our servers.
To participate, we ask that you follow these steps:
1.
Download the pre-release version of the Associated Press app for iPhone OS 3.0 from the iTunes Store via your desktop by entering this unique redemption code in the ‘Redeem’ section of iTunes, found under the ‘Quick Links’ section:
[CODE REMOVED]
This unique redemption code and the functionality of the application will expire in seven days.
2.
Install the application on a development device running iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5 by synching it to iTunes. Make sure to accept notifications when prompted after installation. This application can only be installed on devices running iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5.
3.
When you first run the app, choose U.S. English as your region when prompted. The U.S. English region will receive alerts, the Canadian English region will not. For purposes of the test, AP will be sending a high-volume of real news alerts.
4.
If you do not receive notifications from the app within 48 hours after installation, let us know.
Can’t wait! Hope this is just the harbinger for true push.
This is a good thing, though I hope it doesn’t strain an already strained 3G network further.
Glad to see the notifications will be granular — per app and even within each app as well. That will be very handy for shutting off annoying notifications. Looking forward to testing these soon.
I just got the email :)
I’m looking forward to the potential that push could allow for the Skype iPhone app… as it stands right now, the app has to be open and running to receive Skype calls.
This is going to add a whole new dimension to a lot of apps!
This wouldn’t help receive skype calls. At most it would let you know you received a voicemail.
Installed the app and currently waiting for my first push notification.
Im sure it will be AMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAZING [/apple fan boism]
Wow this is exciting!! I can imagine their servers are going to see an unbelievable amount of traffic. Luckily, they should only be sending VERY simple and lightweight data back and forth. Plus, there’s not really much computation involved, its mostly just the ability to handle loads of connections at once.
I really hope Apple is ready to pass every one of the worlds tweets, emails, facebook updates, etc… through their servers. This has to be some kind of record?
Consider though that the service has to be willing to do the leg work of sending Apple the messages. Unlike pull requests, this could be some serious overhead, which I think will limit how many apps use this feature, at least in free apps.
Consider, as a small developer, can I pay for notification messages to be sent (indefinitely) to someone that’s downloading my free app, or even an app they’ve paid 99 cents for?
Got my AP alert push notification. Felt like a txt alert to be honest. I fee like unlocking my phone should have taken me to the app or at least to the page the app is on.
does it feel underwelming to you?
finally background running is coming!
um, no app is running in the background just apps that connects to the net can receive notifications from the web….there’s really nothing about multi-tasking on the phone. which just seems way too limited.
so if someone is on yahoo and an aim nofication comes in, I would have to sign out of yahoo then sign into aim to see the message? the message doesn’t popup on screen? and when I’m done with aim and want to go back to yahoo I’d have to sign back out of aim and then sign back into yahoo? are you serious?
this all seems like a whole big hoopla about nothing.
Well, what wouldn’t you do for the one that you love?
I’ve already received two notifications. It seems that it works similarly to text messages: if you unlock the phone right after receiving it, it automatically launches the app that sent the notification. However, if you wait a while before unlocking the phone, it does not automatically launch the app, and you will just see the numbered badge on the app’s icon.
Here in Canada it doesn’t look like we get the notifications menu. So they can regionalize the turning on of push notifications.
The AP app is fairly handy though.