iPhone Atlas is reporting that Apple is apparently hurrying to sign up individuals into the exclusive $99 iPhone Developer Program prior to the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco next week, where Apple is expected to present the iPhone 2nd Generation.
iPhone Atlas apparently received info from a developers registered for WWDC who have only received acceptance letters in the past few days, although they had applied to the program a while back.
When Apple first started the program, they allowed only a few developers into the program, sending disconcerting letters that were taken as rejection letters to most applicants. But acceptance increased within the last couple months, and it now appears to be expanding even more.