Apple Cracking Down on "Cookie Cutter" App Store Applications?

[charlituna]

on topic, apple needs to remember, that no matter what, the developers are the one making money for them,

Pennies most of the time.

Apple takes 30% of the price, if there is a price. But anyone is welcome to sell their app for free. So Apple would get nothing.

The whole App Store thing is really more about pushing their hardware and the crap apps aren't really the things being pushed on that front. The good ones are. So for a fair bit of the public those apps can vanish and it won't matter. Because they still have their facebooks, their twitter apps, words with friends etc

 

[cmaier]

If you don't like the Apple App store, you can jail break your phone. Just don't expect Apple to support the phone afterwords.

What's that have to do with it?

I am just disputing that apple's death grip on iPhone app distribution is an overall benefit to consumers.

 

[charlituna]

If you run a 10 person team for a year to make the best app ever, then when the project is coming close to completion, the rules change, that can induce a bit of fear. (Fear can lead to long run on sentences.)

yes but you knew it might. First line in everything Apple is "we reserve the right to change the terms". So you should be keeping on top of things in regards to the terms and the rumors. and adjusting as you go along

 

[charlituna]

Agreed. Just don't like people spouting incorrect facts.

So how long have you been dealing yourself with the issue of obscenity, in a legal sense. Because you speak like you know the definition, but if you did, you would know that yes indeed some of the sex apps in question were walking that line. Because that line includes the notion of general public opinion. That there were enough complaints to make Apple stand up and take action is the best evidence of this.

 

[cmaier]

So how long have you been dealing yourself with the issue of obscenity, in a legal sense. Because you speak like you know the definition, but if you did, you would know that yes indeed some of the sex apps in question were walking that line. Because that line includes the notion of general public opinion. That there were enough complaints to make Apple stand up and take action is the best evidence of this.

No, the definition of obscenity does not "include the notion of general public opinion." The test includes "contemporary community standards," which is completely different than "public opinion" (I assume you refer to the Miller test). Here's the test - explain to me how all three prongs are met by any app that was removed:

(i) Depict or describe sexual conduct -AND-
(ii) conduct specifically defined by the state law (involving sexual conduct or excretory functions) -AND-
(iii) limited to works which, taken as a whole, appeal to the prurient interest in sex -AND- average person, applying contemporary community standards would find, as a whole, the work appeals to that prurient interest
(iv) which portray sexual conduct in a patently offensive way -AND-
(v) which taken as a whole do not have serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value


Not even most pornography is obscene according to the Supreme Court, and nothing that was removed was even close to pornography.

 

[alent1234]

Yes they changed their minds, that is the point. One minute the apps were good, now they are bad. The apps didn't change, only Apple's mind changed. As and when it suits them they change the rules.

This is not the same as discontinuing a book or a physical item because those cannot be replicated ad infinitum. A shop only has so much space to store its goods and show them to the public. I doubt the app store is close to being full in storage space, and there categories and search to find apps. In any case it is usually due to poor sales that goods are discontinued. That means that it is customer interest deciding what is being discontinued, at least to a certain extent. It isn't usually because someone at the shop changed their minds and decided such and such a product is now a bad product.

If a company made such a big deal of the number of goods it had sold to promote itself, then took a number of goods off the shelf for no other reason than their own whim I wouldn't expect them to adjust their figures, but I would point out the hypocrisy and irony.

most of the nudie apps were nothing more than the simple apps Apple is trying to get rid of. they were given out for free and were just RSS feeds from flickr or a few pictures.

the wifi apps used private API's which were always a no no

the cookie cutter apps are annoying. i gave up on looking for new apps because of all the stupid puzzle games or RSS feed apps coming out daily. how many tip calculators do you need in the app store?

 

[dbaxter]

Cookie Cutter apps

I will be brief.

1. Good comments by most folks.

2. On one hand id say - great, that would cut down on 60% of the apps in the store but on the other hand, its forcing companies out that may well offer "better" services.

From a Canadian perspective - Apple is effectively engaging in predatory practices (Maps, general tools, apps) but it probably wont make any difference to Canadian users.

bye.

dbax
darrick baxter
owner operator
http://www.ipad-release-date.com

 

[Journojulz]

I am just disputing that apple's death grip on iPhone app distribution is an overall benefit to consumers.

Its good to have opinions.

I would look at the other smartphone app stores to see how their customers are benefitting form a more laissez faire attitude.

The examples you gave were either more adolescent content (swimsuit catalogs) or tech apps that deliberately circumvent apples business model (google voice apps, wifi stumblers, podcast streaming)

Apple has always been verging on paranoid on the user experience.
Yet far from suffering - it seems to be thriving.

So, as its working for them - it is unlikely to change.

Fortunately there are other alternatives - 'love or leave' seems to be best option.

 

[cmaier]

Ok, but how are swimsuit catalogs "adolescent content?" E-tailer apps that sell toasters are ok, but a legitimate swimsuit e-tailer is somehow "adolescent?"

Its good to have opinions.

I would look at the other smartphone app stores to see how their customers are benefitting form a more laissez faire attitude.

The examples you gave were either more adolescent content (swimsuit catalogs) or tech apps that deliberately circumvent apples business model (google voice apps, wifi stumblers, podcast streaming)

Apple has always been verging on paranoid on the user experience.
Yet far from suffering - it seems to be thriving.

So, as its working for them - it is unlikely to change.

Fortunately there are other alternatives - 'love or leave' seems to be best option.

 

[Journojulz]

Ok, but how are swimsuit catalogs "adolescent content?"

Nope - you are right to call me out on that one.
They threw the baby out with the bathwater there.

That was a duff decision and I hope it is rectified soon.

 

[DaveSW]

Apple's tight control of the App store prevents things like this from happening.

HTC Phones Pre-installed With Mariposa Bot Client

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/875811/

 

[Terminal.app]

That news is just another reason not to write software for Apple's iGadgets.

For those who haven't read it yet, I think Paul Graham's essay "Apple's mistake" is a must-read on the topic:

http://www.paulgraham.com/apple.html

Censorship and no competition are never a good thing, no matter how much you guys love Apple.

What is it with you being so quick to scream "censorship"? Every single one of your posts, without fail, contains either that word and/or "monopolistic." Getting rid of useless clutter is not censorship, it's just that: getting rid of useless clutter. Troll harder.

Troll on, brother. Troll on.

Based on your logic, you must hate spam filters in email clients because it "censors" you from seeing everything.

I haven't browsed the desktop App Store in God knows how long, doing so gives me a seizure. If there's an app I need, I download it from the mobile app store which has a clean, uncluttered layout. True, the spam apps should never have been approved to begin with, but here we are now, and it's time to clean things up a bit.

 

[BaldiMac]

Ok, but how are swimsuit catalogs "adolescent content?" E-tailer apps that sell toasters are ok, but a legitimate swimsuit e-tailer is somehow "adolescent?"

Nope - you are right to call me out on that one.
They threw the baby out with the bathwater there.

That was a duff decision and I hope it is rectified soon.

That seems to have been an oversight that was corrected within a few days.

http://www.cultofmac.com/apple-quietly-reinstates-banned-bikini-shopping-app/31388

 

[cmaier]

Apple's tight control of the App store prevents things like this from happening.

HTC Phones Pre-installed With Mariposa Bot Client

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/875811/

No it's not. That malware was not downloaded from an uncontrolled app store. It turns out it was a refurb phone, as well.

 

[cmaier]

That seems to have been an oversight that was corrected within a few days.

http://www.cultofmac.com/apple-quietly-reinstates-banned-bikini-shopping-app/31388

Moot. There are countless equally innocuous examples (video games with a main character showing too much leg, etc.)

 

[DaveSW]

No it's not. That malware was not downloaded from an uncontrolled app store. It turns out it was a refurb phone, as well.

prevents or "significantly reduces" the chances of it happening on the iPhone.

it wasn't just 1 phone, there were a few of them.


also i don't see in the article where it says it was a refurb phone?

infact the main article says it was a BRAND NEW phone.

Today one of our colleagues received a brand new Vodafone HTC Magic with Google’s Android OS.

http://research.pandasecurity.com/vodafone-distributes-mariposa/

 

[cmaier]

prevents or "significantly reduces" the chances of it happening on the iPhone.

it wasn't just 1 phone, there were a few of them.


also i don't see in the article where it says it was a refurb phone?

There are countless other articles about it all over the internet. http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=3214742&pagtype=allchandate

All of the articles, by the way, discuss this happening with only a single phone (they usually start by saying "HTC is distributing malware on its phones" but then cite the researching discussing only a single phone.

No amount of app store controls would solve this issue. Additionally, apple does not screen its apps for malware. If the malware doesn't show up in the week it takes apple to review it, apple will never know. Things like the sandbox, the popups when location manager is turned on, etc., are actually what protects us from malware.

 

[cmaier]

infact the main article says it was a BRAND NEW phone.



http://research.pandasecurity.com/vodafone-distributes-mariposa/

The senior Panda researcher disagrees with that characterization:

"It was probably returned to Vodafone and sent to another person without flashing it or restoring the memory of the phone," Bustamante.

 

[LagunaSol]

Moot. There are countless equally innocuous examples (video games with a main character showing too much leg, etc.)

Apple better not be messing with my Chun Li.

 

[ChazUK]

There are countless other articles about it all over the internet. http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=3214742&pagtype=allchandate

<snip>

Interesting read cmaier!

The malware programs were on the phone's 8GB microSD memory card, which mounts as an external drive when plugged into a PC, Bustamante said.

http://androidcommunity.com/vodafone-htc-magic-review-20090515/

In the box there’s the Magic itself, a 1,340mAh battery, 2GB microSD card, AC adapter, USB cable, wired stereo headset, hands-free adapter (for using your own 3.5mm headphones) and a leather-effect pouch.

Where did this 8GB Micro SD card come from?
http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/htc-magic

 

[LagunaSol]

The senior Panda researcher disagrees with that characterization:

"It was probably returned to Vodafone and sent to another person without flashing it or restoring the memory of the phone," Bustamante.

Probably? How...reassuring.

 

[DaveSW]

There are countless other articles about it all over the internet. http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=3214742&pagtype=allchandate

All of the articles, by the way, discuss this happening with only a single phone (they usually start by saying "HTC is distributing malware on its phones" but then cite the researching discussing only a single phone.

No amount of app store controls would solve this issue. Additionally, apple does not screen its apps for malware. If the malware doesn't show up in the week it takes apple to review it, apple will never know. Things like the sandbox, the popups when location manager is turned on, etc., are actually what protects us from malware.

speculation

The senior Panda researcher disagrees with that characterization:

"It was probably returned to Vodafone and sent to another person without flashing it or restoring the memory of the phone," Bustamante.

speculation



the fact is, nothing as severe as this has happened (yet) on the iPhone.

I disagree, the iPhone's software and hardware design (no external devices, etc.) and Apple's tight control of the App Store (the approval and review process, the ability to delete Apps in the app store and remotely on your iPhone,etc.), significantly reduces the chances of things like these from happening.

Also, we both don't know how Apple QA's or reviews the apps. whether they check for malware, etc. we don't know. but I am guessing, based on Apple's strict quality control, that they are.

 

[LagunaSol]

Additionally, apple does not screen its apps for malware.

And you know this...how?

the fact is, nothing as severe as this has happened (yet) on the iPhone.

And the fact that it hasn't happened on an iPhone yet, despite vastly more iPhones than Android devices "in the wild," says a lot.

Android: A Big Bag of Hurt.

 

[cmaier]

speculation



speculation



the fact is, nothing as severe as this has happened (yet) on the iPhone.

I disagree, Apple's tight control of the App Store (the approval and review process, deleting Apps in the app store and remotely on your iPhone,etc.), significantly reduces the chances of things like these from happening.

Also, we both don't know how Apple QA's or reviews the apps. whether they check for malware, etc. we don't know. but I am guessing, based on Apple's strict quality control, that they are.

How come you accept as fact those things on Panda's website that you agree with, but deny as speculation those statements by Panda that don't fit your theory?

As for Apple's QA, they don't have access to the source code for submitted apps. They frequently approve updates within an hour. There is no way Apple can check all that program logic in an hour, without source code, to find well-hidden malware (for example, malware set to trigger at some future date).

As for "nothing as severe," nothing severe has happened on HTC either. Some moron got his phone loaded up with malware, returned it, and it got resold without being wiped (that part is HTC's or the seller's fault, depending on how it happened). The same thing happens with digital picture frames, ipods, etc. As has been pointed out, the malware was loaded onto an SD card, and that size SD card isn't even supplied by HTC.

 

[DaveSW]

And the fact that it hasn't happened on an iPhone yet, despite vastly more iPhones than Android devices "in the wild," says a lot.

Android: A Big Bag of Hurt.

Right.