Saddled with mounting complaints from parents that their kids were running up big iTunes bills Apple changed its app purchasing policies. Now parents, or kids using their parent's iPhone or iPad, will have to re-enter an iTunes password when making a purchase within an existing iOS application (called an in-app purchase).

The new policy was delivered to Apple devices this week as part of a iOS 4.3 update that added several tweaks to the iOS platform. Previously, purchasing something on the App Store (and entering your iTunes account password) opened a 15-minute window, during which you (or your child) were able to make additional in-app purchases without re-entering your password.

According to The Washington Post , parents complained that, in this 15-minute period, their children had managed to rack up hundreds of dollars worth of in-app purchases on games such as Smurfs' Village and Tap Zoo. While both of these applications are free to download, their in-app purchases cost as much as $100.

More: http://www.pcworld.com/article/221903/