BitCoin iphone app

[mlouca]

What if I were to create a BitCoin application for iphone users to be able to access their bitcoin "bank account" and do an exchange via the app through a friendslist or through a search engine.

[cloud9]

That would be great for all the iphone users!!!  There must be a lot! I would say if you focus on simple - user friendly - clicking no typing, i might even get an iphone myself to make use of it.

[grue]

https://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=5550

[kidgorgeous]

You would essentially have to port the bitcoin application to the iphone (downloading the block chain and all, probably over wifi the first time, you can skip the generation feature).

However I don't think 95% of iphone users are ready for bitcoin, not to mention manually typing in case sensitive addresses will be a pain, you better include some QR code reading.

[cloud9]

https://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=5550

That's for the technically inclined - the average iphone user will just want to click on their friends name (like dialing him to phone him), choose or type a quick amount and press send.  No addresses, mining, etc. etc. Just balance, transfer thats it.

[mlouca]

Yes that is what i am talking about. The way paypal is, simple clean and fast!

[LegitBit]

The QR suggestion is excellent.. though just think about getting that through the App Store Approval process... most likely it will be rejected, especially since official app store apps are DRM protected, this would likely violate the open source license. See the case of VLC for iPhone = http://www.tipb.com/2011/01/08/vlc-officially-pulled-app-store/

Most likely you will have to submit as a jailbreak app.. in which case, evaluate if there are actually enough users to justify the project.

[casascius]

The idea of the Bitcoin block chain going to iPhone seems like silly overkill.

If there were a MYBITCOIN app that allowed MYBITCOIN transactions to be kicked off from an iPhone (and confirmed instantly on MYBITCOIN's books), this would make a whole lot more sense.  Won't be long before the Bitcoin transaction volume alone can't fit into a typical monthly data plan anyway, and also, it would be silly to have to wait for your phone to catch up on the block chain to send coins.  Decentralized doesn't mean trust absolutely no one.  We can trust a MYBITCOIN or equivalent with the amount of BTC we're willing to carry in our pockets.

[casascius]

... DRM protected, this would likely violate the open source license. ...

The MIT license says nothing about DRM, and this isn't even DRM to begin with.  It's code signing.  The iPhone wants to run signed binaries.  This isn't against any reasonable license agreement.

[cloud9]

Does mybitcoin.com have a standalone application not requiring web addresses to be entered/browse?  I know you can associate an address with a name on mybitcoin.com easily.  Accessing it through a browser is a bit of a hurdle for the lazy folks out there - but I suppose you can create a shortcut link to there website address - but then most non-technical people don't bother with that either.  I like the idea of integrating into facebook.  Most ordinary people know how to access facebook and its app plug-ins.  facebook can be accessed from most devices.  The bitcoin app plug-in for facebook however does not seem to exist?

[SgtSpike]

I thought there was a "lite" version of the client that didn't require downloading the block chain?

[LegitBit]

... DRM protected, this would likely violate the open source license. ...

The MIT license says nothing about DRM, and this isn't even DRM to begin with.  It's code signing.  The iPhone wants to run signed binaries.  This isn't against any reasonable license agreement.

iPhone Apps are linked to appleid accounts.. otherwise I could just copy applications freely between any iDevice owned by anyone without purchasing more than once. This is Copy Protection.. otherwise DRM. Apps do have DRM applied if they are in the App Store.


GNU Public License had a problem with it from what I heard. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-11/01/vlc-could-be-pulled

Thanks for the clarification on the MIT license though.

[BookofNick]

Please, do it. I am an iPhone user and not technically-inclined (oxymoron, right?) and would love to be able to use my phone as a BTC wallet. I prefer not to use a 3rd party (ie mybitcoin) unless I had to.

[twmz]

It has been attempted.  Apple rejected the app because they don't allow apps that deal with alternate currencies. Or something like that. Rejected in any case.

[grue]

Please, do it. I am an iPhone user and not technically-inclined (oxymoron, right?) and would love to be able to use my phone as a BTC wallet. I prefer not to use a 3rd party (ie mybitcoin) unless I had to.

jailbreak, and install the .ipa using itunes.

[CoinMan]

Looks like we have an official iPhone app now, I hope they continue to develop it:
http://t.co/qp1UXca

[broker11]

Most likely you will have to submit as a jailbreak app.. in which case, evaluate if there are actually enough users to justify the project.

There are currently 110 million iPhones and 10% of those are jailbroken.  So 11 million is a pretty big market.

[acamus]

If mybitcoin.com added a mobile web wallet feature with a qr reader to get and send addresses they would do quite well IMO. That would work for iphone and android devices also

[pyetras]

It has been attempted.  Apple rejected the app because they don't allow apps that deal with alternate currencies. Or something like that. Rejected in any case.

Source?

[grue]

Looks like we have an official iPhone app now, I hope they continue to develop it:
http://t.co/qp1UXca

nope, that's just a bitcoin market monitor.