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Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

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Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#201
post #30

This is good in my opinion. The more the rejection, the more the developers will tend to flee away from arrogant Marketplaces like that of Apple's. It will also, in a way, probably force developers to try out other marketplaces like the Windows Phone Marketplace and the Google Play store. Now, I do understand 500px is trying to create a uni-platform experience for its users, but now that 500px isn't allowed to publis…

Maybe 500px should think about making a great web app, to avoid being pulled out of the Apple Store. Everytime I'm fascinated by beautiful web apps with a great responsive UX. Something like Sun: http://pattern.dk/sun/

I think the 500px app shouldn't be too complicated running as a web app. As far as I can see, there's no big usage of iPhone hardware sensors which couldn't be easily implemented in a web app.

So maybe this is a way to go.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#202
Here are the facts:

The app had a +4 rating which apple defines as "Apps in this category contain no objectionable material." Did 500px honor this rating? No.

Also, they shouldn't have been surprised. The review right on their iTunes page lists a complaint about nudity. I think if the app was properly rated Apple should put the app back up.

http://i.imgur.com/GESYvRs.jpg

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#203
post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just set my age restrictions to "4+", and was still able to open Chrome, Twitter, Flipboard, etc. What I want is to be able to lock down certain apps so I can hand my device to my 4-year-old and know that he's not going to get into anything except the few games I have for him. Is that not possible?

When doing MDM (which is the vast majority of my experience with this), they disappear after a couple minutes or a restart. Did some apps disappear? They reappear after you up the rating again (and annoying lose folder position, which is why I didn't just turn it back on). If Restrictions are less powerful than MDM, then you can STILL delete the apps on a child's device.

Chrome persisted through a full reboot of the device, despite App Restrictions being set to 4+. I was able to see it and open it after a full reboot. I'm testing on an iPod Touch running iOS 6.0.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#204
post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get that, and it's a source of much frustration. The idea of buying an iPhone for your four-year old strikes me as lunacy. These things are marvelous at keeping kids entertained and quiet when you're waiting at a restaurant or checking out at the grocery store, and expecting that there will only be one user of the device ever is annoyingly myopic. It also occurs to me that if you're going to gate it at install time…

My above comment might get you there. That said: I dislike the single user nature of the devices as well. I understand WHY they do it, but dislike it personally. Also: iPodTouch costs about $200, which is the same as a handheld gaming handset from the likes of nintendo, etc, especially when looking at the different costs of games. The password is not good enough, because multiple iTunes accounts can be on one device,…

The multiple accounts thing is a good point. I hadn't considered that, but it makes the "single user device" seem even sillier - why can I attach multiple accounts to a device that is otherwise completely inappropriate for multiple people to use at the same time?

I'm aware that the Touch is less expensive, but my argument is that "Just buy a separate device for your 4-year-old" is an insane line of reasoning, whether it's a $200 iPod or a $600 iPhone.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#205
post #27

A quick look shows any number 500px browsing apps still on the store. But they're all rated 12+ or 17+. Which makes me wonder if 500px didn't mark their app accordingly? Or perhaps they used to, but then switched it to a lower rating thinking their 'safe search' toggle was sufficient?

It was marked 12+, as the default experience for any new users is "Safe".

http://i.imgur.com/GESYvRs.jpg shows 4+ and a reviewer who said it wasn't safe.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like Apple's draconian policy. Not all of their policy, but sometimes it's just appropriate for them to keep developers in line. For example, about two years ago we released an app for a running event in our state. It used background GPS events to record the runners' locations on a map. Gave them stats and all that. Apple rejected it because we didn't prominently warn users that background GPS could affect their ba…

I disagree with you here rgarding Apple Policy and GPS - one area that Apple has absolutely been failing for the last couple years is in their horrible policy regarding background GPS draining of the battery. Almost every time my battery goes to zero (in fact, I actually think it IS every time) - it is because of background GPS lighting up the radio and draining my battery. Lots of apps do this, and it is a blight on…

Like I said, I think Apple should be more strict with their policy.

I just thought it was nice that they actually checked our app, and told us to clearly warn our users about background GPS.

They've done this sort of thing a lot to our apps. One game we had still had placeholder art. They found it, rejected it, and told us to fix the placeholder art.

I also like that they reject outright if your app crashes during the review process.

Sadly, I think they have been getting more and more lenient as the sheer volume of App submissions increases.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not going to argue about whether what they did was right or wrong but I am going to argue about why they make the decisions they do. A company with a 475B market cap doesn't just do things to be "elitest and a d*ck". I often see these arguments that Apple does things just to be mean or evil but frankly, I think these are emotional responses. There is a more objective reasoning behind why they do the things they d…

Or searching in safari. The fact that there is an actual web browser on there is what makes these removals so ridiculous.

Parents can disable Safari (and other browsers all have 17+ rating).

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's your app?

This is a fair question, and not downvotable imo, especially considering that john/megablast's profile is out of date. There's a history of people who produce Android versions of their software which aren't anywhere near as polished as the iOS one. If that's the case, then of course nobody's going to pay for it. If you have two versions which are more or less identical, that's different.

Oh, my Android apps are not as good as my iPhone apps, but they have about 70% of the functionality, and cost the lowest price you can set in the Android store, whereas the iPhone apps go for about $4 to $5.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds more accurate to me: Depictions of sex have little to no effect on all but the most borderline of individuals. Depictions of violence have little to no effect on all but the most borderline of individuals.

This can be a lesson in learning not to trust your instincts then: http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500368_162-1464262.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_effects_of_pornography http://www.poetv.com/video.php?vid=106880

Interestingly enough maybe you should read your own links before drawing what you think are exact conclusions in your original post. From the wikipedia article:

Pornography's effects on crime and domestic violence have been inconclusive. Some studies support the contention that the viewing of pornographic material may increase rates of sexual crimes whereas others either suggest no effect, or conclude the liberalization of porn in society may be associated with decreased rape and sexual violence rates.

It loos like that, like violent video games, some people are simply predisposed to being effected from an external source. The hard thing is knowing whether the effected people would have presented the effects outside of any external influence. How's that for a lesson in learning?

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#210
post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When doing MDM (which is the vast majority of my experience with this), they disappear after a couple minutes or a restart. Did some apps disappear? They reappear after you up the rating again (and annoying lose folder position, which is why I didn't just turn it back on). If Restrictions are less powerful than MDM, then you can STILL delete the apps on a child's device.

Chrome persisted through a full reboot of the device, despite App Restrictions being set to 4+. I was able to see it and open it after a full reboot. I'm testing on an iPod Touch running iOS 6.0.

I see Chrome appear and disappear for me (fresh install of chrome). I wonder what's up there.
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