the appstore is obviously intended to create a free market. Sure apple has some veto power, but they are not engaging in tactics that eliminate small and upstart developers. There is a reason not not many independent developers write for a ps3 or nintendo. The barrier to entry is too high. ... They rarely compromise or play favorites with big business. ... In sony's or microsoft's case, playing favorites with game publishers eliminates the small guys...
I am really starting to get aggravated with what Apple is doing with the App store. They got to stop tying to be the iPhone Nanny and let the market decide what's useful. I have no problem with them dumping the Overtly Sexual Apps in fact I applaud them for doing so. For them to decide that an App isn't useful enough shouldn't be their call. It wouldn't be a problem if they weren't the only game in town. They gotta stop trying to be the Nanny of the Computer World and decide what is best for us.
What really has me riled is the removal of WiFi scanner Apps. These are extremely useful when you go to a hotel and are having problems getting decent WiFi reception. A quick walk down the hall can help determine what rooms will get good reception and using the same thing inside the room can help determine the best place to use your laptop. Sometimes just moving a few feet makes all the difference. I just recomended yFy Network Finder to a client that sends Photographers to shoot in FL in the winter and was having WiFi problems in the hotel to upload them to our servers at night. A WiFi scanner app in the iPhone can really help them out. I'm an RV person and using it to find what areas of the campground have decent WiFi is extremely useful to me. Thankfully I already bought my App but I can now only tell my clients to use Android phones for getting hotel rooms with a decent WiFi signal.
I am really going to have to think hard about an iPad. Really, an Android Tablet like Notion Ink blows it away and I don't have to worry about Apple dictating what can and can't be run on it.
I have spoken to a developer who had his app removed.
Basically a private/non public API was used. I was informed that there were official/supported APIs available and that a replacement app would be available shortly.
So - Its unsupported APIs, that can be replaced by supported ones. It does not seem to be a 'limited functionality' issue - maybe thats just generic wording.
Whilst i agree that there's a lot of junk in the app store, why does apple approve these apps in the first place if they have minimal functionality? Also, there's a ton of more useless, waste of time apps on the app store than wifi finders. When will it end? Will they start removing apps whose interface they don't like or they disagree with the colour palette used? Why don't they cull some of their own useless apps, like Stocks and focus on making the iPhone work properly rather than removing apps that they approved in the first place. \
"I find it quite ironic that Apple removes these very handy, very useful apps from the app store when there are so many useless gimick apps that just pollute the App Store pages," the developer wrote.
"But the software also brought resulted in criticism of the level of quality of the software..."
As a long time devotee to this site, it disturbs me to see this growing trend here at AppleInsider. ...so much so that I find it difficult to remain silent on this any longer. I understand no one is fond of "Grammar Policing" but doesn't anyone proof read anymore?!?!
Come on AppleInsider, your reputation far exceeds this level of publishing!
Thanks for raising this. AppleInsider runs some great stories, but the legibility and grammar of the majority of articles is very poor. A lot of similar tech sites have this issue. Perhaps it's because product experts are preferred over writing experts. Either way, it's now obvious that the written quality of even the lowest tabloid newspaper reads much better than what might be expected here.
It's a shame because we like you guys but would like to see some focus on quality.
It's almost always a question of right and wrong in anything. Maybe there are issues at play like the API may change for 4.0. Even still, Apple never even told these devs that their apps were being removed. Taken at face value, since Apple is never forthcoming about anything while they should be about this, Apple is in the wrong. It is wrong to take a dump on the same devs whom you want to make apps for the iPad. At this point, the App Store is the main advantage that Apple has over it's competitors (at least until OS 4.0 comes out).
Why don't you spend the $99 and get the SDK and read the Agreement that all developers are apprised to? Or do you think that developers are too stupid to understand it?
If you are so concerned then take Apple to court. I am sure that there are more than a handful of lawyers who would gladly take your money.
Interesting that so few, if any, complaints are coming directly from the developer community.
Would you not agree that if Apple's removal process was so contentious that the developers of the 5,000+ apps that have been removed in the past week or so, more than a couple of the most affected persons involved would be more forth coming?
Take note: Apple is not dumping on its developers. You are; as in your tirade to attempt to make us all appear stupid.
When you purchase a house, you purchase ahouse. It's your to do with as you please.
Burn it down but you'll still owe a mortgage and will likely go to jail for endangerment or something.
In many populated areas, you have zoning laws or similar restrictions to contend with, because there's only so much weird stuff you can do to your house and property before you start dragging down the value of your neighbor's house.
if they wanted to, they could. It is their browser. Of course, if you did not like that, then you could either use a different browser or buy a different phone.
No, it's MY browser and MY phone. I paid for it, it's mine. That is something which Apple seem no longer to understand.
If your kids like the phone to sound like animals why not just create the "See & Say" app. I still have the mechanical version in this room I'm in. An electronic version would no doubt be recognizable and not be removed from the app store as it would be put into a "child development" category. But a button that makes a (insert sound here) sound, that's lame. Might ass well get a drum machine app and load your own sounds to the pads.
For all you kid owners:
If you're kids like the sounds of animals and you're mad because they stole your duck this is for you.
It's the See and Say app from the App Store. It cost a whole $0.00
So if your mad and can't afford $0.00 I apologize for the inconvenience of having all your animal sounds in ONE app. A legitimate app that will be staying on the App Store.
If you're mad because you can't locate wifi. Be mad at the developers that used PRIVATE APIs to create those apps. The one's that they aren't supposed to be using in the first place. Yeah maybe they shouldn't have been approved in the first place, but mistakes are there to be corrected.
I previously used WiFinder, but it looks like the author has given up developing iPhone apps. Shame.
He released the code (briefly), but he also said that the reason he'd stopped developing was because it used private APIs.. That sounds rather prescient.
Independent of the issue of whether Apple's action is justified or not, what do these apps give you regarding the list of available wifi in the area that you could not get from 'Settings' --> 'Wifi' --> 'Choose a network'?
Well, they provide more information (usually), such as a better indication of signal strength, the type of encryption, and show the presence of unadvertised SSIDs. (Which is probably why they have to use unpublished APIs to do it, at the moment.)
Not useful for someone wanting to connect to a WiFi hotspot, as (AFAICS) they've still got to go to Settings to join it, but useful for geeks like me wanting to check out nearby networks and make sure they're not leaking too far. YMMV.
Comments
the appstore is obviously intended to create a free market. Sure apple has some veto power, but they are not engaging in tactics that eliminate small and upstart developers. There is a reason not not many independent developers write for a ps3 or nintendo. The barrier to entry is too high. ... They rarely compromise or play favorites with big business. ... In sony's or microsoft's case, playing favorites with game publishers eliminates the small guys...
+1.....
I am really starting to get aggravated with what Apple is doing with the App store. They got to stop tying to be the iPhone Nanny and let the market decide what's useful. I have no problem with them dumping the Overtly Sexual Apps in fact I applaud them for doing so. For them to decide that an App isn't useful enough shouldn't be their call. It wouldn't be a problem if they weren't the only game in town. They gotta stop trying to be the Nanny of the Computer World and decide what is best for us.
What really has me riled is the removal of WiFi scanner Apps. These are extremely useful when you go to a hotel and are having problems getting decent WiFi reception. A quick walk down the hall can help determine what rooms will get good reception and using the same thing inside the room can help determine the best place to use your laptop. Sometimes just moving a few feet makes all the difference. I just recomended yFy Network Finder to a client that sends Photographers to shoot in FL in the winter and was having WiFi problems in the hotel to upload them to our servers at night. A WiFi scanner app in the iPhone can really help them out. I'm an RV person and using it to find what areas of the campground have decent WiFi is extremely useful to me. Thankfully I already bought my App but I can now only tell my clients to use Android phones for getting hotel rooms with a decent WiFi signal.
I am really going to have to think hard about an iPad. Really, an Android Tablet like Notion Ink blows it away and I don't have to worry about Apple dictating what can and can't be run on it.
read the posts about the APIs
it states the wifi apps were taken down for using undocumented APIs. then immediately starts drawing comparisons to apps of limited usefulness.
why not write an article detailing what it means for an app to use undocumented API? and then a separate article about limited usefulness apps.
I've used WifiTrak since day one with my iPod touch on almost a daily basis as I move around the town.
Why kill such useful apps? Apple I am -issed!
Me too!
the built in wifi finder on my 3g doesn't even find my own network if I leave the room!
I use wifitrack constantly at home let alone when I am out and about...
The built in is definitely BELOW "minimum functionality".
Basically a private/non public API was used. I was informed that there were official/supported APIs available and that a replacement app would be available shortly.
So - Its unsupported APIs, that can be replaced by supported ones. It does not seem to be a 'limited functionality' issue - maybe thats just generic wording.
"I find it quite ironic that Apple removes these very handy, very useful apps from the app store when there are so many useless gimick apps that just pollute the App Store pages," the developer wrote.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
So wait...how is it ironic?
PS: I thought they added an App Genius feature in iTunes 9, but I can't seem to find it. Was that just a rumour?
Its a feature on the app store application on my iPhone...
What an impenetrable statement. I hope you know what it means, because I'm pretty sure nobody else does.
Tried. Too tired. Gave up. Thanks for confirming.
Edit: addabox, noble effort.
..."but its not hard to see that this trend."
"But the software also brought resulted in criticism of the level of quality of the software..."
As a long time devotee to this site, it disturbs me to see this growing trend here at AppleInsider. ...so much so that I find it difficult to remain silent on this any longer. I understand no one is fond of "Grammar Policing" but doesn't anyone proof read anymore?!?!
Come on AppleInsider, your reputation far exceeds this level of publishing!
Thanks for raising this. AppleInsider runs some great stories, but the legibility and grammar of the majority of articles is very poor. A lot of similar tech sites have this issue. Perhaps it's because product experts are preferred over writing experts. Either way, it's now obvious that the written quality of even the lowest tabloid newspaper reads much better than what might be expected here.
It's a shame because we like you guys but would like to see some focus on quality.
It's almost always a question of right and wrong in anything. Maybe there are issues at play like the API may change for 4.0. Even still, Apple never even told these devs that their apps were being removed. Taken at face value, since Apple is never forthcoming about anything while they should be about this, Apple is in the wrong. It is wrong to take a dump on the same devs whom you want to make apps for the iPad. At this point, the App Store is the main advantage that Apple has over it's competitors (at least until OS 4.0 comes out).
Why don't you spend the $99 and get the SDK and read the Agreement that all developers are apprised to? Or do you think that developers are too stupid to understand it?
If you are so concerned then take Apple to court. I am sure that there are more than a handful of lawyers who would gladly take your money.
Interesting that so few, if any, complaints are coming directly from the developer community.
Would you not agree that if Apple's removal process was so contentious that the developers of the 5,000+ apps that have been removed in the past week or so, more than a couple of the most affected persons involved would be more forth coming?
Take note: Apple is not dumping on its developers. You are; as in your tirade to attempt to make us all appear stupid.
No, why?
When you purchase a house, you purchase ahouse. It's your to do with as you please.
Burn it down but you'll still owe a mortgage and will likely go to jail for endangerment or something.
In many populated areas, you have zoning laws or similar restrictions to contend with, because there's only so much weird stuff you can do to your house and property before you start dragging down the value of your neighbor's house.
This article seems to be written very poorly.
it states the wifi apps were taken down for using undocumented APIs. then immediately starts drawing comparisons to apps of limited usefulness.
why not write an article detailing what it means for an app to use undocumented API? and then a separate article about limited usefulness apps.
So then all this moaning is for nothing . . .
if they wanted to, they could. It is their browser. Of course, if you did not like that, then you could either use a different browser or buy a different phone.
No, it's MY browser and MY phone. I paid for it, it's mine. That is something which Apple seem no longer to understand.
For all you kid owners:
If you're kids like the sounds of animals and you're mad because they stole your duck this is for you.
http://www.uquery.com/apps/324530265...-game-for-kids
It's the See and Say app from the App Store. It cost a whole $0.00
So if your mad and can't afford $0.00 I apologize for the inconvenience of having all your animal sounds in ONE app. A legitimate app that will be staying on the App Store.
If you're mad because you can't locate wifi. Be mad at the developers that used PRIVATE APIs to create those apps. The one's that they aren't supposed to be using in the first place. Yeah maybe they shouldn't have been approved in the first place, but mistakes are there to be corrected.
So then all this moaning is for nothing . . .
stirring up the pot of people who pay just enough attention to complain without actually understanding anything? to know just enough to be dangerous?
i wouldn't call that nothing. I call that FUN.
perhaps appleinsider calls it WEBSITE HITS
I previously used WiFinder, but it looks like the author has given up developing iPhone apps. Shame.
He released the code (briefly), but he also said that the reason he'd stopped developing was because it used private APIs.. That sounds rather prescient.
Independent of the issue of whether Apple's action is justified or not, what do these apps give you regarding the list of available wifi in the area that you could not get from 'Settings' --> 'Wifi' --> 'Choose a network'?
Well, they provide more information (usually), such as a better indication of signal strength, the type of encryption, and show the presence of unadvertised SSIDs. (Which is probably why they have to use unpublished APIs to do it, at the moment.)
Not useful for someone wanting to connect to a WiFi hotspot, as (AFAICS) they've still got to go to Settings to join it, but useful for geeks like me wanting to check out nearby networks and make sure they're not leaking too far. YMMV.
This is ludacris