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An iPhone book app, Stanza [app store],  has been downloaded more times than the number of Kindle units sold by Amazon.

The free Stanza app downloads public-domain books directly to the iPhone. Developer Lexcycle reports 395,000 downloads and growing at a rate of 5,000 per day.

Citigroup predicts that Amazon Kindle will sell 380,000 units in 2008, which is four times longer than Stanza app has been available.  Lexcycle says it is planning commercial book distribution in the new year.

[forbes via macnn]

Apple has finally dropped the iPhone non-disclosure agreement:

To Our Developers

We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.

We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others.

However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.

Thanks to everyone who provided us constructive feedback on this matter.

To view status comments on the new Facebook 2.0 for iPhone, click on your profile, then scroll down (this is the traditional “wall”).  Nifty little icons show you how many comments there are.  The process works pretty much the same way in the “new” Facebook web application. 

Surprising how buried the “wall” is now.

While researching how to get the Firefly Media Server working on iPhone firmware 2.1, I found the answer (yet again) on RupertGee’s iBlog.  This time, he’s included resources for controlling the server with BossPrefs.

iPhone Atlas has an interesting article about iPhone application makeup.  It turns out those .ipa (iPhone application) files are indeed standard packages just like MacOSX .pkg apps- they’re just flat packages so that you can’t open them using the contextual menu in finder.

Using more advanced tools like Pacifist will work fine.  Hack away!

There’s a great new security feature in iPhone 2.1.  It’s located in the “Passcode Lock” section of the Settings app.

This new option let’s you set a default amount of time before the passcode lock is set and can optionally erase all data on the iPhone after 10 failed attempts. 

This sets a nice balance between hardcore security and convenience. Perfect for anyone worried about a lost or stolen iPhone.

Very interesting- Apple includes SD copies of all HD purchased downloads from iTunes.  Then, iTunes 8 automagically syncs the SD copy to the iPhone and iPod for mobile viewing.  No re-encode allowed or even necessary.

AppleInsider points out that this is very similar to Blu-ray and DVD movies which offer the iTunes Digital Copy.  Apple is just taking this concept online.

Steve Jobs: This is the funnest iPod ever.

Jason Snell: And a million English teachers weep openly.

Patrick Crowley posted a comprehensive library of iPhone UI elements in OmniGraffle.  Designing an iPhone app?  Grab a copy today at GraffleTopia.com.

Music Week is reporting that Apple will be launch an a new app to add exclusive content the iPhone and iPod Touch for the upcoming Snow Patrol album.  Many have cited these types of exclusive features as some of the last remaining benefits to physical CDs.  The app will come in the form of an interactive booklet, containing exclusive videos, photos, lyrics and artwork.