program manager

Location-finding applications that give iPhone users information about weather, restaurants or traffic are fine. But if they give information to third parties for targeted advertising, the deal is off.

That's the message Apple sent to developers this week. The computer giant posted a message on its Developer Connection blog encouraging its partners to use the core location framework, but only for programs that provide "beneficial information," such as the weather forecast or where to find ATMs.

Back to the Drawing Board

AT&T is poised to launch a new Motorola handset later this month that is expressly designed to deliver mobile socializing capabilities. Called the Karma, the 3G handset with QWERTY keyboard -- which will retail for $79.99 after the mail-in rebate -- combines text messaging and instant messaging with one-click Facebook and MySpace icons on the device's home screen.