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Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

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Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#211

Post by allwein »

gmlk wrote: post #185

I don't think this actually changes anything? Apple still bans under section 1 and I think 10.1 any app that don't have a consistent iOS look and feel and behavior. The requirement to only use native widgets is still enforced. So, either the app developer gives the app a native user experience; Or the middleware developer makes it so that any app using his middleware is always conform the guidelines? As far as I can…

You are incorrect. You are not required to use native widgets. What it does enforce, however, is that if you use the native widgets, you have to use them in a way that's consistent with the HIG. As a quick example, you shouldn't use a tab bar controller where the tab buttons perform an action on the current view(like save, or cancel). A tab bar controller is only for switching between views.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#212

Post by ams6110 »

lurch_mojoff wrote: post #27
jacquesm wrote: post #21

So, how about all those people that were supporting apples' right to run their app store the way they see fit and who said that there is no point complaining about it? I think this proves that complaining about stuff like this is well worth the effort, assuming that that - and not some backroom pressure - is what caused them to back off. They mention it in their release so I figure it must have been a major factor. e…

The thing is most of the complaining about this was not the constructive "hey, Apple have you considered so-and-so", but rather the whiny "waaaa... Apple are Nazis" kind. And as you point out there is no evidence that it is the complaining that made Apple reconsider. It could very well be something entirely different, e.g. the FTC probe.

My guess is that Apple thought they saw a problem on the horizon, threw out some very restrictive language to be sure they had as many known AND UNKNOWN bases covered, then after some more thoughtful consideration decided that they didn't need to be so strict after all, and relaxed the terms. This sort of pattern happens a lot: go overboard at first, then pull back as you get more comfortable with things.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#213

Post by GrandMasterBirt »

jacquesm wrote: post #21

So, how about all those people that were supporting apples' right to run their app store the way they see fit and who said that there is no point complaining about it? I think this proves that complaining about stuff like this is well worth the effort, assuming that that - and not some backroom pressure - is what caused them to back off. They mention it in their release so I figure it must have been a major factor. e…

Complaining does not work. Competition does. Apple finally has some so they are making developers happy before they all leave for android. Android is getting damn well polished.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#214

Post by gte910h »

tptacek wrote: post #194
gte910h wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is another store for which normal people can buy software for iOS devices? "would its customers be unable to acquire reasonable substitutes." If you look at the class "iOS software" which is only legitimately sold by one vendor, the very definition of a monopoly. If Apple raised the price of all iPhone apps to 200k tomorrow, there would be no reasonable substitute for software for the device. They do not have a…

You are hopping between two arguments to avoid having to deal with the weaknesses of either of them. On the one hand, you point out that Apple has a 100% monopoly on iOS applications. Of course, Twitter also has a 100% monopoly on Twitter apps. Surely nobody thinks Twitter has a monopoly. On the other hand, you point to profit share in the wider market of smartphone apps. But of course the problem there is that Apple…

I'm not hopping between 2 arguments, I'm explaining how they meet the 55% bar, (85% of all paid app sales for all mobile phones are sold on the Apple AppStore, so they clearly are meeting marketshare requirements if the government wants to prosecute), and how they do actually have pricing power, which is merely responding to your arguments.

So you're saying if Toyota only ran on gas with a certain additive, and 85% of all gas sales were for Toyota cars, the company who had control of the additive wouldn't be possibly considered a monopoly?

The cost of the phone and the contract which locks you into a carrier makes this a much bigger deal then you think it is, and very possibly does give the FTC pause (among restraint of trade arguments as well).

I mean, this case was sustained past summary judgement: http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/2010/07/iphone-A...

And people in Washington were talking about investigating (although not necessarily on AT basis).http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/an_antitrust_app_buvCW...

You're trying to argue they're not a monopoly, and I'm saying it's at least close enough that could become a finding of fact for the judge/jury in a court case to decide, which is likely close enough to make the company back off its more onerous behaviors to avoid the expense of that sort of case.

I honestly think the restraint of trade issues are much bigger than the AT ones, but that wasn't what this thread was about.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#215

Post by kes »

jrockway wrote: post #76
appie wrote: post #61

Here they are: http://pastie.org/1148102 ("Use Pastie for good, not evil." - I think this is for good)

Thanks for posting these. Still too many rules for my taste. (Google also has too many rules, FWIW.)

I think the number of rules reflects the ultimate simplicity of it. Rather than referencing 9 things to see if it's legal, simply go down it as you would a checklist.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#216

Post by benologist »

I make Flash games, about 5 months ago I asked http://www.oneappatatime.com/ to port one of my games, just before the shit hit the fan.

It actually got approved today too!

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/square-there/id367085960?mt=8

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#218

Post by wslh »

jrockway wrote: post #73
ra88it wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently Javascript is given an explicit exception.

What about, say, Haskell compiled to JavaScript?

Why not a Python interpreter written in Ruby running under Silverlight?

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#219

Post by duskwuff »

jrockway wrote: post #201
cardinal23 wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instead of just saying too many rules, do you have points in the list that you object to? One of the problems with rejection until now was the lack of specific guidelines about what would be rejected. It seems to me that a comprehensive document would unavoidably have many rules, and the prohibitions that I read seemed reasonable.

The tipping point was "no card counting". While card counting may be against the rules at a particular casino, it's not illegal in general and does not belong in the "legal" section. Whenever Apple is confronted with a situation where the user could use a feature or tool for something that's "against the rules", they tend to disable the feature. See, for example, iTunes' inability to import music from an iPod. It cou…

> I stopped using Apple products about 5 years ago when they added PT_DENY_ATTACH.

You mean the ptrace() flag that's trivial to bypass? Been a while since I dealt with it, but ISTR it's as simple as:

    br ptrace
    commands
    ret
    cont
    end

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#220

Post by andreyf »

jacquesm wrote: post #21

So, how about all those people that were supporting apples' right to run their app store the way they see fit and who said that there is no point complaining about it? I think this proves that complaining about stuff like this is well worth the effort, assuming that that - and not some backroom pressure - is what caused them to back off. They mention it in their release so I figure it must have been a major factor. e…

I think this proves that complaining about stuff like this is well worth the effort, assuming that that - and not some backroom pressure - is what caused them to back off. They mention it in their release so I figure it must have been a major factor.

Their mentioning it is nothing but a PR excuse. This had nothing to do with you or me and everything to do with Adobe's lawyers.

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