iOS 4.3 Brings Lower Credit Card Bills

     Along with the iPad 2, Apple announced iOS 4.3. Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, had said that 4.3 would be available on the same day as the iPad launch, March 11, but it came unexpectedly a few days before. I immediately downloaded 4.3 for my iPod Touch, and really, I didn't see much difference. Apparently parents with kids who spend thousands of dollars on in-app purchases will.
     There was a recent request for investigation of Apple from the FTC due to the fact that kids were charging their parents credit cards hundreds of dollars buying FarmVille cash, or really any other in-app purchase.

     There is a 15 minute time period before you have to enter your password again for buying anything through Apple ID. Without that period, it would be extremely annoying to have to enter your password six times when buying six songs or TV shows, but apps with in-app purchases have been taking advantage of that by offering in-app purchases soon into the launch of the app, hoping that kids will go for it, and not have to enter their parent's password.
     With iOS 4.3, a separate period of time can be set for in-app purchases. This means that you still will be able  to buy movies or songs within that 15 minute period, but in-app purchases would need a password.
     This mostly seems like Apple trying to get out of any FTC investigations, but it should make parents happy. Until they see that their kid spent $50 on Weird Al Yankovic music videos.

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