App Store roundup: Vonage approved, BitTorrent controller rejected
One high-profile App Store submission was approved by Apple this week, as the Vonage voice over IP software for the iPhone and iPod touch was reportedly given the green light. Vonage announced the news this week with a press release, though the software is not yet available for download. The company said the application is currently undergoing a beta test and that general availability will be announced later.
The press release did not shed any light on what the Vonage app will do. However, if it allows users to place and receive phone calls, it is virtually assured that the capability is only available via Wi-Fi. Existing VOIP applications like Skype have been held to this standard, and Apple has stated that its terms of service with AT&T prohibit the use of VOIP over the 3G mobile broadband network.
Unsurprisingly, though, an application intended to allow users to control the desktop file-sharing service uTorrent was rejected. uMonitor was denied access to the App Store by Apple, according to TorrentFreak, because BitTorrent clients are banned. While BitTorrent can be used for legal purposes such as sharing of Linux distributions, it is most commonly associated with piracy of music and movies.
The press release did not shed any light on what the Vonage app will do. However, if it allows users to place and receive phone calls, it is virtually assured that the capability is only available via Wi-Fi. Existing VOIP applications like Skype have been held to this standard, and Apple has stated that its terms of service with AT&T prohibit the use of VOIP over the 3G mobile broadband network.
Unsurprisingly, though, an application intended to allow users to control the desktop file-sharing service uTorrent was rejected. uMonitor was denied access to the App Store by Apple, according to TorrentFreak, because BitTorrent clients are banned. While BitTorrent can be used for legal purposes such as sharing of Linux distributions, it is most commonly associated with piracy of music and movies.