Within the veritable sea of applications flooding the App Store these days, some more useful than others and some mere replicas of native apps that come standard on the iPhone, Apple has made the decision to deny Podcaster, an application that allows users to download podcasts on the fly.
Developed by Al Sokirynsky, Podcaster is an iPhone version of the popular Podcaster.fm, a web application that streams podcasts over WiFi and EDGE networks. The idea behind the iPhone application would be to allow users the ability to not only stream podcasts but also be able to download them to listen to at a later time. The die hard podcast listener would be able to to hear their favorite podcasts without having to be near their main iTunes computer.
Sokirynsky maintains that he designed every element of the application to fit within Apple’s guidelines as to not be in violation of the App Store Prime Directive. Nonetheless, Apple has rejected Podcaster’s entry to the App store citing that “since Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes.” Once again, Apple’s flawed application approval process has come to light. Given that a rejection on these grounds is certainly promoting “anti-competitve” behavior, why are none of the numerous calculator, weather and stock ticker apps subjected to the same scrutiny?
At any rate, unless we see some sort of appeals process in the near future, Podcaster will be distributed for a donation of $9.99 through the iTunes Store’s ad-hoc system. If interested, click here to sign up and await further instruction.
[via Ars Technica]
3 Comments to “‘Podcaster’ Application Unfortunately Denied From App Store”
This is ridiculous. Honestly, it has gotten ridiculous. How can they ban this app (or any app) — after months of development, and not in the beginning of production.
It’s just so backwards. I mean, developers are spending so much time developing applications and then Apple just bans them? For the sake of the iPhone mobile platform, and attracting more and more developers to it. Apple needs to formulate some plans, rules and an order in which people can abide by.
Developers NEED TO KNOW that their entire concept (for an application) isn’t going to work BEFORE they begin developing it.
Come on Apple. You’ve got the #1 mobile platform in the world. Don’t screw this up.
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Your absolutely right, and what a Shame. I was really looking forward to this one too. I would of gladly paid 10 bucks for this. Apple’s entire approval process is totally F’d up.
That really sucks for the developers who after months of work are just SOL.
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There just isn’t good Podcast management on the iPhone. This app could’ve fixed that.
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