Steve Jobs Phones Developer of Rejected iPad Application

[AtariKee]

The micro-managing Steve does probably drives many in the company nutz. While I agree he is very smart and has great concepts, and I love apple products, with all respect the guy "comes across" as a complete ego maniac control freak.

And this affects you... how...?

 

[mathematician]

I got a call from Steve too...

A couple of month ago I got a call from Apple too. "Hello, this is Steve from Apple" (or s.th. like this).

In my app (Mailer) I used an iOS UI element in a specific way which was in conflict with the human interface guideline.
However, it was disputable. It was clear, that it was the best thing to do. So there were a couple of mails between me and the App store review team.

On the phone, Steve and I found a compromise.

Although I did not asked him, I am quite sure that this was not Steve Jobs. CEOs are not that involved in these details. Really.

I assume that

a) There are a lot of people called Steve at Apple, and sometimes they just make a joke. (Note that the guiy on the phone with "Ram" did not say, "Hello this is Steve Jobs from Apple" (which is what Steve Jobs usually says). It was Ram asking about him being Steve Jobs... probably he answered joking "Yes, sure...". (My "Steve" was also quite funny and joking a bit).

b) Maybe there is some joke at Apple that all people phoning Developers use the name "Steve"

I really doubt that Steve made this call...

 

[kironin]

Not a developer here....however, I do have some experience with staff hierarchies. My guess is that someone flagged the email for Jobs. Maybe at the same time brought in an Apple developer to look at the app - perhaps the same one who is/will be looking at the supposed bug.

Jobs would have been briefed by the Apple developer, who would have made themselves familiar with the proposed app. They likely would have pointed out the workaround - and Jobs would have then called the app's developer, explained company policy, and then mentioned the suggested workaround.

Jobs does not need to know how every single thing at Apple works, but he will have a really good briefing before venturing into anything.

I wonder if the app is considered to be otherwise a shining example of what Apple would like to see, so that extra effort was made to keep the developer happy.

+1

Finally! someone points out the reality. Jobs is hardly sitting by himself with no resources to call on.

 

[dejo]

(Note that the guiy on the phone with "Ram" did not say, "Hello this is Steve Jobs from Apple" (which is what Steve Jobs usually says).

How do we know what he usually does?

 

[mathematician]

How do we know what he usually does?

Of course we don't know.... but when ever I read about Steve calling it was that way. Just for fun: Take it to the Google test:

Hi, this is Steve Jobs from Apple: 41 Results
http://www.google.com/search?source...e+Jobs+from+Apple"&btnG=Google-Suche&aq=f&oq=

Hi, this is Steve from Apple: 6 Results
http://www.google.com/search?source...+Steve+from+Apple"&btnG=Google-Suche&aq=f&oq=



I don't care if it was Steve Jobs or not. I've been called by some Steve from Apple too and I just don't see why he would be involved here and wy Gruber and MacRumors are so excited about it...

 

[PowerGamerX]

Ahm, sir, I don't know anyone who goes by the name of The.. bye.

Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves... but one thing we do know, he is

THE STIG!

(thus your argument is invalid)

 

[zonta]

WTF are you talking about? The app sucks? It looks great to me, just too complicated for you, judging by your grammar.

I have the app; it has a terrible design with useless information. Worst $3 i spent. Just terrible, haha.

 

[emw]

What exactly is the bug?

Aside from the aforementioned stuck keyboard situation (which I've never personally encountered), there is also a potential security issue in how iOS learns what you mean to type and updates it's dictionary. That is, there is a log kept of just about everything you type on your iPad (or iPhone, for that matter), meaning that there is a potential that your confidential data could be accessed.

I don't know that it's ever actually happened, but using a private API for the keyboard could eliminate this possibility. Of course, it could also open up a host of other issues...