In a certain sense, that claim is valid. How many RSS readers are available on the App Store? Ranging from free to several dollars in price, these kind of apps allow users to subscribe to liberal websites like The Huffington Post, or its right-wing counterparts. iSinglePayer’s creator pushes the Drudge Report app as an example of this alleged inconsistency.

To be honest I haven’t read what Apple publicizes as criteria for getting an app approved for the App Store. What’s clear for me though is the company’s consistent stance that they exercise control over the App Store to protect the users’ experience, to keep them from using apps that may severely affect the iPhone’s operation from a user-friendliness standpoint.

So what does that have to do with refusing an app on the grounds that it’s “politically charged”? Perhaps the availability of iSinglePayer on the app store may offend some of health care reform’s opponents, but how is that related to user-friendliness? There are also Bible apps officially available for the iPhone and iPod touch; using the same logic behind iSinglePayer’s disapproval, shouldn’t these be disallowed, on the grounds that they’re “politically charged” for atheists?

Again, the App Store is Apple’s creation, and they’re free to do what they want with it. But this whole issue (or “issue”, depending on how you look at it) is another situation that has left observers scratching their heads—and future iPhone developers wary of investing time and money into the App Store ecosystem. What do you think?

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Screenshot of the Baby Shaker App

The video basically features the iPhone BAC Reader, Dial 911, and the infamous Baby Shaker app, showing how they’re perfect for that “romantic” date. And because some of you may be too lazy to click through the video link in the first paragraph, and I have nothing better to do, here’s the complete copy:

Say you’re at a party, and you need to find out if the chick you want to rail is drunk enough. Well… there’s an app for that.

Or you’re worried the next morning coz the chick you railed is no longer breathing. There’s an app for that.

Or, nine months later, you have a little mistake that needs to be fixed. There’s an app for that too.

Yup, there’s an app for just about anything. Only on the iPhone

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The game in question, “Baby Shaker”—which is definitely outrageous—isn’t even revolutionary nor interesting. What’s so engaging about shaking a virtual baby until it stops crying? What’s so visually-catching about line-art drawings of a baby, when the game’s developer Sikalosoft simply puts red X’s over the virtual babe’s eyes to represent death?

Now, why would Apple allow this kind of game to show on the App Store? Had Sikalosoft found a way to trick the certifiers at Apple? Or was someone within the App Store team basically running on automatic, deciding that the game met all of Apple’s criteria for certification, without realizing what kind commotion a shaken baby would cause.

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At least, that’s how the official seller line goes. The best part is, at barely below the dollar, those who want to tread the iPhone development waters can do so with less financial pain. They’ll still be able to pay for the coffee they’ll need to stay awake while figuring things out.

Another great thing: any iPhone Apps for Dummies book that comes out in the future will have to be really awesome to compete with How to Make Your First iPhone App’s low low price.

(image is screenshot of said app)

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Having a hard time looking for an iPhone or iPod touch app that suits your category and price-point needs? Stored Apps attempts to catalog all the apps in the iTunes Store and make available as a searchable and filterable database. Search results provide a direct link to each app’s iTunes Store page.

Looking for free apps? Games? Just click on the filter tabs on top. Problem is, the site isn’t working properly; some features are not quite 100%. So here’s to hoping that the people behind the site, from somewhere in the Philippines, get their act together soon. And of course, I wonder how Apple will react to this.

Post from: The Gadget Blog

The free application, which allows iPhone owners to use the Google search engine with their voice, mistook the word iPhone for “sex”, “Einstein” and “kitchen sink,” … “Awesome job google. only problem is every time I say the word ‘fish’ it registers as sex,” wrote one, identified as Kevin.

Check out the app page here.

Post from: The Gadget Blog