Popular iPhone camera app pulled over "Easter egg" shutter button

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  • Reply 21 of 188
    diddydiddy Posts: 282member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by KangaMoJo View Post


    The harm, especially now with multi-tasking is that when I want to change my volume I expect the volume buttons to work. If I'm listening to music and go to take a picture I don't want to keep track of what applications have remapped whatever buttons ad hoc.



    Or worse having a program like camera plus operate in situations where you *don't* want pictures taken at the wrong time.



    Quote:

    The numbnuts are the devs who raked in half a mil in two months, were told previously not to do it and yet went ahead and publicized it anyway. Would or do you raise your kids that way? And now they're losing $850-ish everyday. Someone there needs to take a basic business class or get themselves a real Product Manager.



    They actually submitted it twice and were rejected twice - they believed that it would work twice. Whoever thought it was a good idea to do this is stupid. And the idea that taptaptap can just stonewall everyone and not comment on this (camera plus is constantly crashing on me right now) is just really disappointing.
  • Reply 22 of 188
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nagromme View Post


    (Also, why would I want a clicky button that makes the camera jerk and blur, when the current soft-tap shutter makes my iPhone a more stable and sharp camera than my “real” camera?



    We tried to have a complete stranger take a picture of us last winter at the summit of a ski slope; between the glare and the "click on this area of the screen" shutter button that's impossible to see with strong light from behind the photographer, we never did get a usable picture. Camera+ would've been a nice alternative that day.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Why the giant advertisement for "Camera+"???



    Your even promoting this deceitful nonsense by pointing out how much money these guys made by scamming the app store and screwing over their customers.



    I wouldn't worry about "free advertising" for the app as I believe their sales just went to zero.



    Their customers aren't screwed over unless and until they need an upgrade to the app; the existing version still works for those who bought it before it got pulled from the app store.
  • Reply 23 of 188
    rob55rob55 Posts: 1,291member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nagromme View Post


    (Also, why would I want a clicky button that makes the camera jerk and blur, when the current soft-tap shutter makes my iPhone a more stable and sharp camera than my “real” camera? To each his own, of course.



    My experience is exactly the opposite. I find that I have to retake some photos on my iP4 because the act of physically tapping the screen will move the phone ever so slightly. Enough to cause blur in the picture. And no, I don't have a shaky hand and I'm tapping or touching the shutter release button ever so slightly. On my Nikon D-SLR, I've got my right index finger on the shutter, I push it down halfway to lock in the focus and exposure and then the rest of the way to snap the pic. The extra mass of my D-SLR and lens provide extra stability that the light and compact iPhone can't provide. Obviously, I'm not expecting the iPhone to be a replacement for a D-SLR. Personally, having a volume button act as a shutter release while this app is running would have been a good thing, but, to each his own and all that.
  • Reply 24 of 188
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nagromme View Post


    I agree, not allowing the use of volume buttons for other purposes is rule that does real harm: it?s something you can?t do!



    Let us remember, however, that this rule ALSO has benefits, and not pretend it?s a one-sided move of pure evil. The positive: the volume buttons on your device always work I think it?s a rule that does more harm than good. And Android has rules too, much as people like to think otherwise. If you want pure anarchy, you?re going to have to hack something?an iPhone or otherwise.



    (Also, why would I want a clicky button that makes the camera jerk and blur, when the current soft-tap shutter makes my iPhone a more stable and sharp camera than my ?real? camera? To each his own, of course. This is a good example to use when asking, ?exactly what is it that Apple won?t allow that you need to have Android for?? If a small UI function like this is important to you, then it?s good that the Android choice exists. You will, however, find OTHER problems with camera operation and general UI on Android?there?s no free lunch )



    I do like the apps (which Apple DOES allow) that give you a full-screen shutter button for tapping without having to look. It?s a good idea?although I manage to ?feel? the existing shutter button pretty well anyway?it?s right above the physical Home button.



    It doesn't matter. If that's the rule, then that's it. If developers aren't happy, then if enough care, they can protest it. So can users. This app sold very well without this use. As you mention, there are other, and better ways to do this that are allowed.



    It gets tiring reading some people here being happy about the concept of "sticking it to the man" for no good reason. The app store is what it is, if developers don't like that, they don't have to develop. If they want to develop, then they have to stick to the rules.



    And that doesn't mean that I agree with all the rules, but they are what they are. Over time, Apple has loosened some, and tightened others. Despite what some might think, it isn't that much better with Android, unless you're writing malware apparently.
  • Reply 25 of 188
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by John.B View Post


    ... Their customers aren't screwed over unless and until they need an upgrade to the app; the existing version still works for those who bought it before it got pulled from the app store.



    They screwed over their customers by means of producing an app they never intended to support and by taking an approach to app sales that basically says: "Milk em for every dime they got then pull up stakes and disappear." These kind of hijinks also puts a chilling effect on all the other apps in the store.



    It's dumb, it's deceitful, and the needs of the actual customer is the furthest thing from the minds of people like this. The fact that they are now crowing to everyone who will listen about how much money they made off of this stunt is the proof of what their real intentions were.
  • Reply 26 of 188
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Postulant View Post


    It opens the Camera+ app... should you be worried? I dunno, but I'm not.



    That's not what the article says. It says that the URL enables the feature. The remapping of the button feature. Is the article wrong?



    Also, when the volume button is remapped, is it permanent or just while using the Camera+ app?
  • Reply 27 of 188
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PaulMJohnson View Post


    No shock that they pulled it, but I admire this company for what they did.



    Seems to be in the hacker spirit that Apple was initially based on......



    You admire the schoolboy fashion they tried to sneak this in? Cheating is never good. If they were that stupid to not realize that Apple would find out and remove the app, I can't see anything good about this. Now they have to remove the feature to get back into the store. So what good did it do?
  • Reply 28 of 188
    Everybody was screaming for multi tasking- these rules are in place to allow that. If you are running the iPod or Pandora how would you be able to change volume if you needed to while using this app?
  • Reply 29 of 188
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rob55 View Post


    My experience is exactly the opposite. I find that I have to retake some photos on my iP4 because the act of physically tapping the screen will move the phone ever so slightly.



    I use to have the same problem until I realized that you could "hold down" the shutter button and when you want to take the picture, you release it. That caused much less shake from actually tapping the button.
  • Reply 30 of 188
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    You admire the schoolboy fashion they tried to sneak this in? Cheating is never good. If they were that stupid to not realize that Apple would find out and remove the app, I can't see anything good about this. Now they have to remove the feature to get back into the store. So what good did it do?



    It got them a lot of attention and it showed that they could do it. If everyone just slavishly follows the rules life becomes a little dull. Jobs himself said it was better to be a pirate than join the navy - stretching what authority says you can do is fun.
  • Reply 31 of 188
    postulantpostulant Posts: 1,272member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JupiterOne View Post


    That's not what the article says. It says that the URL enables the feature. The remapping of the button feature. Is the article wrong?



    Also, when the volume button is remapped, is it permanent or just while using the Camera+ app?



    It's only for the Camera+ app.





    "camplus://enablevolumesnap" - that's the URL
  • Reply 32 of 188
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Postulant View Post


    It's only for the Camera+ app.



    So it gets "unmapped" when the app is closed or suspended?



    Also, what about my original comment about the article stating that visiting a URL remaps the button. If visiting a URL in a browser can change the functionality of physical button on the iPhone, doesn't that seem like a security risk?



    Quote:

    "camplus://enablevolumesnap"



    I see you added this. So does this mean it's only accessing the local software and not the internet?
  • Reply 33 of 188
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cnocbui View Post


    Didn't you know that using a device in a non-standard way, violates the first law of 'think different'?



    It does when you're ignorant.
  • Reply 34 of 188
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PaulMJohnson View Post


    It got them a lot of attention and it showed that they could do it. If everyone just slavishly follows the rules life becomes a little dull. Jobs himself said it was better to be a pirate than join the navy - stretching what authority says you can do is fun.



    Please go murder someone and I'll lament how you made my life anything but dull.
  • Reply 35 of 188
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post


    Please go murder someone and I'll lament how you made my life anything but dull.



    Oh for crying out loud people on this board are ridiculous at times. I don't have a problem with people who stretch the rules hence I like murder?



    These people have done no harm to anyone. They've had a bash at something, got their 15 minutes of fame and will no doubt be laughing about what they did.
  • Reply 36 of 188
    postulantpostulant Posts: 1,272member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JupiterOne View Post








    I see you added this. So does this mean it's only accessing the local software and not the internet?



    Yes.........
  • Reply 37 of 188
    malaxmalax Posts: 1,598member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Postulant View Post


    Yes.........



    Moreover, it's not even accessing the browser. It's not a security risk.
  • Reply 38 of 188
    My question is this: Why does a device that shuns buttons (i.e. a keyboard) have buttons to begin with? Why not a tap on the screen to open the window that opens anyway and have a slider to adjust the volume? I have always wondered that. Everything else on the phone (control wise anyway) is done by sliding. The phone would only have a on / off button, and the mute function could be added to a profile function accessed from the home button. Double click and hold the home button, get a profile drop down, select the style of ringer you want, and done. The notion of the "buttonless" phone is not being fully explored here. The fact that the screen can be whatever you want on it is amazing. The fact that Apple thinks the millions of iPhone buyers are just too dumb to figure out these things is just stupid. The bottom line of this is that it gave you the OPTION of using the button, and, ONLY in this app. If Grandma is more at ease tapping the screen, fine. She wouldn't have bought this app in the first place. Score ANOTHER one for BlackBerry. On THEIR phones, you can make the buttons do what you want. Guess what Jobs is saying is that BB owners are smarter?
  • Reply 39 of 188
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PaulMJohnson View Post


    Oh for crying out loud people on this board are ridiculous at times. I don't have a problem with people who stretch the rules hence I like murder?



    These people have done no harm to anyone. They've had a bash at something, got their 15 minutes of fame and will no doubt be laughing about what they did.



    Welcome to my world on this forum. We go from a camera app to murder on the on the first page.....lol
  • Reply 40 of 188
    I don't think I agree with this app pull. I understand that they need to draw a line, but when the default mode of the App follows Apple's human interface guidelines that should be enough. This feels more like they are setting an example because the developer didn't ask for permission first. Instead of the URL enabler, I bet Apple would allow it in the App settings as long as it wasn't the default option.



    EDIT: I stand corrected. I didn't realize they spelled out that Volume Controls couldn't be repurposed in the dev agreement. I thought this was just an issue with easter eggs and unexpected default application behavior. I'm not sure if this is a quote from the agreement or a rejection letter though.



    "Your application cannot be added to the App Store because it uses iPhone volume buttons in a non-standard way, potentially resulting in user confusion. Changing the behavior of iPhone external hardware buttons is a violation of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement. Applications must adhere to the iPhone Human Interface Guidelines as outlined in the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement section 3.3.7"



    (Thanks to Postulant for looking this up)
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