The iPhone: Apple’s Magic Wand?

And all of this will eventually be opened up to a growing network of developers, big and small. The latest example comes from Phil Asmundson, vice chairman and national managing partner for Deloitte Consulting's technology, media, and telecommunications practices. Asmundson reports that networking giant Cisco is developing software that creates a real-time link between the iPhone and your computer. The result: A user could simply aim his iPhone at his computer and "sweep" the file to it with a finger flick, sending the file to the desktop over the phone's built in wi-fi connection.

That's only a half-step beyond what Apple and its partners are already publicly showing off. In March, Apple showcased a wide range of applications its partners had stealthily developed for the phone. One of the most impressive demos was Sega's version of its game "Super Monkey Ball" for the iPhone. Players will be able to maneuver a monkey through a three-dimensional landscape by tilting the iPhone.

Expect more to come, with Apple opening up the ability to write applications for the iPhone to outside software developers. Developers were previously limited to working with the Web browser built into the phone. Now developers will be able to use tools familiar to any OS X developer, such as Instruments, Xcode and Interface builder, alongside a new tool, the iPhone simulator, to craft applications. That means the iPhone, as well as the iPod Touch, will be moving in unexpected new directions, even as Apple's Steve Jobs works on a few surprises of his own.

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