NetShare Tethering App Reappears on App Store

[Snide]

Originally Posted by coachvic

In an effort to teach Apple Computer Inc. a marketshare lesson, I encourage all potential iTunes store customers to BOYCOTT the store until Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. allow for the distibution and purchase of Nullriver's NetShare application.

[snip]

Let NetShare be available! Until then, BOYCOTT the iTunes store altogether and I am certain that Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. will see the light...

Yeah! That'll teach 'em a lesson they'll never forget!

[janey]

Originally Posted by coachvic

In an effort to teach Apple Computer Inc. a marketshare lesson, I encourage all potential iTunes store customers to BOYCOTT the store...This is non-sensical since I, an AT&T and Apple Computer customer have been unsing my AT&T Tilt phone's Internet Share application for over a year! Not once has AT&T said that I could not use this application or that I am violating any agreement. I can also say that all of the employees for the company I work for have been doing the same!

Can you people not read or what?

Your Tilt falls under the same problem as tethering on the iPhone does, unless you explicitly get a tethering plan from AT&T. Just because such an application exists on your phone without you paying for a tethering plan doesn't mean AT&T is saying "okay you can tether, we won't charge you".

The only difference is that you could have purchased a plan that includes tethering usage for the Tilt. No such plan is currently available for the iPhone.

[pitouthestar]

Originally Posted by janey

It is certainly legal. You are licensing the application. Just like any other software. They can make this app stop working on your phone (short of, say, you never syncing and upgrading your phone ever). Also I said signed, not DRM. DRM is meaningless here, signed code can have their certs revoked. This is like the whole point of the iPhone developer program.

Except that the French terms and conditions clearly say that if Apple deletes an App, it has no effect the other apps I already have a licence for (quoted it earlier). So what happens then ?

[janey]

Originally Posted by pitouthestar

Except that the French terms and conditions clearly say that if Apple deletes an App, it has no effect the other apps I already have a licence for (quoted it earlier). So what happens then ?

What else are you expecting? You're purchasing individual licenses, why should one app being pulled have an effect on another completely different one on your phone?

[pitouthestar]

Originally Posted by janey

Can you people not read or what?

Your Tilt falls under the same problem as tethering on the iPhone does, unless you explicitly get a tethering plan from AT&T. Just because such an application exists on your phone without you paying for a tethering plan doesn't mean AT&T is saying "okay you can tether, we won't charge you".

The only difference is that you could have purchased a plan that includes tethering usage for the Tilt. No such plan is currently available for the iPhone.

In some countries, plans like this exist for the iPhone apparently (in Sweden at least).
And do the carriers have any way to know that we're using our phone as a proxy ? I don't think so... I tried the app yesterday to watch like... 4 videos on Youtube and I don't have any extra charge (checked online)
I know that it violates the agreement and I understand why they deleted it (but in this case I just don't get the point of making it available and pulling it twice in 24hrs). Just to be sure that we don't risk an incredible extra charge for this.

[FleurDuMal]

Originally Posted by coachvic

In an effort to teach Apple Computer Inc. a marketshare lesson, I encourage all potential iTunes store customers to BOYCOTT the store until Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. allow for the distibution and purchase of Nullriver's NetShare application.

Said application would allow iPhone users to access the internet with their notebook and laptop computers.

Nullriver claims that Apple has said that this app is not legal to sell in the US.

This is non-sensical since I, an AT&T and Apple Computer customer have been unsing my AT&T Tilt phone's Internet Share application for over a year! Not once has AT&T said that I could not use this application or that I am violating any agreement. I can also say that all of the employees for the company I work for have been doing the same!

Let NetShare be available! Until then, BOYCOTT the iTunes store altogether and I am certain that Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. will see the light...

*cringe*

[janey]

Originally Posted by pitouthestar

In some countries, plans like this exist for the iPhone apparently (in Sweden at least).

That's been beaten to death here. The app may not violate a TOS of a different iPhone carrier, but in the US it does violate AT&T's TOS. Apple has separate app stores for the countries. It looks like it's an Apple ****up selling it in the US app store.

Originally Posted by pitouthestar

And do the carriers have any way to know that we're using our phone as a proxy ? I don't think so... I tried the app yesterday to watch like... 4 videos on Youtube and I don't have any extra charge (checked online)

Like I said, I've tethered my iPhone before and I've never been charged. As long as you're not using a lot of bandwidth, I doubt AT&T will really care or even notice. But no matter what, it's against TOS, some people have never been billed, others have. Just be reasonable but know that you don't have much of a legal leg to stand on when they do decide to bill you for it.

(I might add youtube might be a big flag if they were looking for people using iPhones to tether, especially since you can't watch videos on the youtube site itself on the iPhone..)

[severe]

Originally Posted by coachvic

In an effort to teach Apple Computer Inc. a marketshare lesson, I encourage all potential iTunes store customers to BOYCOTT the store until Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. allow for the distibution and purchase of Nullriver's NetShare application...

...Let NetShare be available! Until then, BOYCOTT the iTunes store altogether and I am certain that Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. will see the light...

You didn't happen to ride off on a horse after posting this, didja? Right arm waving a fist and *****?

Let me know how that goes.

[rlt54]

Originally Posted by gcmexico

*
ur right I haven't received the email yet...but I have been charged, if you go to your itunes acct, it should be under your purchase history, mine is with the order#, so I did buy it!

I looked at my purchase history, and not a charge yet. Hmm...

[pitouthestar]

Originally Posted by janey

What else are you expecting? You're purchasing individual licenses, why should one app being pulled have an effect on another completely different one on your phone?

No sorry, that's not what I meant.
What I was actually trying to say is that Apple deleting a product from the "service" cannot have any effect on what I already bought (not my words, I translated).

[janey]

Originally Posted by pitouthestar

No sorry, that's not what I meant.
What I was actually trying to say is that Apple deleting a product from the "service" cannot have any effect on what I already bought (not my words, I translated).

Sorry, I now understand what you were talking about (I guess I also remembered more high school French than I thought). That's very odd, because no such statement is in the US store TOS. In fact, we have this little gem:

b. Removal of Apple Content or Other Materials. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, Apple and its licensors reserve the right to change, suspend, remove, or disable access to any Products, content, or other materials comprising a part of the Service at any time without notice. In no event will Apple be liable for the removal of or disabling of access to any such Products, content or materials under this Agreement. Apple may also impose limits on the use of or access to certain features or portions of the Service, in any case and without notice or liability.

I figure it may depend on the country and the country's applicable laws too, like you have mentioned.

Despite what the TOS outlines, it is still theoretically (but perhaps not legally) possible for Apple to do what I've mentioned anyway.

[bacaramac]

I received my weekly iTunes statement the day I downloaded it and it shows on there and I am sure they have already charged my credit card.

[BklynKid]

Well I bought mine as soon as it became available again. I didn't buy it because I needed it but I bought because I knew one day it would become useful and somehow I expected the app to be pulled again at some point.

So... I win. I can haz cookie?

[tacomahunter]

Well, still using it! Jumped on it the second time it was online, I as well dont really need it but I will be able to use it in case of emergencies. I did sync again with Itunes and the app did NOT go away. I have checked my Itunes account it is not showing a charge yet, but my card was charged yesterday when I made the purchase. Hope this comes back online again soon for all that did not get it.

[rockinrocker]

Originally Posted by janey

But no matter what, it's against TOS, some people have never been billed, others have. Just be reasonable but know that you don't have much of a legal leg to stand on when they do decide to bill you for it.

so can we hear from someone who's actually been charged for tethering? (or "tethering"), jailbroken or otherwise?

[biketire]

Originally Posted by rlt54

I get "bills" for $0 when downloading the free apps within minutes. So far, I have had NetShare for 24 hours and have not received a bill yet. Something tells me when I sync up soon it will magically go away.

Has anyone gotten a receipt from iTunes yet?

yeah I got the email receipt

[The Tall One]

Something fishy is going on...

[Shannighan]

i just read at&t's ToS.
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/me...al-notices.jsp

it doesn't say anything about not allowing tethering, all it says is stuff about P2P & other things like that.

[tweaks]

Originally Posted by coachvic

In an effort to teach Apple Computer Inc. a marketshare lesson, I encourage all potential iTunes store customers to BOYCOTT the store until Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. allow for the distibution and purchase of Nullriver's NetShare application.

Let NetShare be available! Until then, BOYCOTT the iTunes store altogether and I am certain that Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. will see the light...

Well at least give me an opportunity to buy the app and then they can take it off again.

[jbrandonf]

just so everybody knows what happened to my phone while I used this app:

This app burns battery faster than the phone can charge (from a USB port). I had it plugged into my laptop and the phone was hotter than I'd ever felt it. I was getting good speeds, as fast a a slow DSL connection with only a couple bars in my house, but as I kept using it (couple YouTube videos while keeping an eye on my usage meter) I got the 20% battery notification, then the 10% notification a couple minutes later. Be near a wall outlet or you might only last an hour or so, much less if you don't plug it in

Next, my phone was so hot that it would not recharge for five minutes, until I had let it cool down. Use this app sparingly for two reasons: AT&T monitors network usage, and you don't want to overheat and damage the phone.

Besides that and the difficult setup, this app works wonders.

[macaddict0501]

Originally Posted by jbrandonf

just so everybody knows what happened to my phone while I used this app:

This app burns battery faster than the phone can charge (from a USB port). I had it plugged into my laptop and the phone was hotter than I'd ever felt it. I was getting good speeds, as fast a a slow DSL connection with only a couple bars in my house, but as I kept using it (couple YouTube videos while keeping an eye on my usage meter) I got the 20% battery notification, then the 10% notification a couple minutes later. Be near a wall outlet or you might only last an hour or so, much less if you don't plug it in

Next, my phone was so hot that it would not recharge for five minutes, until I had let it cool down. Use this app sparingly for two reasons: AT&T monitors network usage, and you don't want to overheat and damage the phone.

Besides that and the difficult setup, this app works wonders.

Depends what laptop you are using. If you were using a macbook the battery is not powerful enough to power the notebook and your iphone at the same time, unless the notebook is plugged to the wall outlet. If you are using a macbook pro you should not have any problems since the batteries are more powerful.

[kobefan234]

has at&T found out about anybody yet?

[rworne]

Originally Posted by coachvic

In an effort to teach Apple Computer Inc. a marketshare lesson, I encourage all potential iTunes store customers to BOYCOTT the store until Apple Computer Inc. and AT&T Inc. allow for the distibution and purchase of Nullriver's NetShare application.

Do you know what this means to AT&T?

Absoultely nothing.

AT&T does not care if you use the App Store or not, in fact, they would prefer it if you do not use your iPhone at all and just pay the bills. They get paid no matter what you do at this point.

The only people who would have any sway over this are people considering buying an iPhone and not locked into a contract. Since the iPhone is currently selling faster than they can ship them, these people also don't mean squat to AT&T either.

Currently, there's nothing in the way of consumer pressure to get AT&T to change their mind except to bitch and moan a lot.

[macaddict0501]

Steve is the only one who can help us. Apple might persuade AT&T to allow tethering on the IPhone to compete even more with the BlackBerry.

[KBK]

Originally Posted by macaddict0501

Steve is the only one who can help us. Apple might persuade AT&T to allow tethering on the IPhone to compete even more with the BlackBerry.

Why not have a ****youatt.com? It worked for the folks in Canada with Rogers. Just a thought...