We’ve been trying to grasp why Apple keeps blacklisting useful apps. For example, the latest app blacklisted that we find extremely useful is Podcaster.

Now, Podcaster was built exactly to the SDK specifications and actually allows you to download and manage any podcast you would like on the fly. Sounds really useful, doesn’t it?

Well Apple decided that it shouldn’t be on the App Store for the following reason: “Since Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes.”

Think about it for a second. As David Chartier from ArsTechnica made clear, there are a clear abundance of calculator and stopwatch apps for the iPhone. Doesn’t the iPhone do that on it’s own already?

The developers are doing their best to keep this app alive by providing it Ad Hoc for a donation of $9.99. While Apple can shut that down at any point, the developers claim to be trying their hardest to keep everything together for at least one year. Check out their website for more info.

Tags: ad hoc, app store, arstechnica, iphone, ipod touch, itunes, podcaster

T-Mobile hasn’t been keeping much about their new App Store inspired program out of the lime light. While the news came as a bit of a surprise last month that they would go as far as including Android and Sidekick in this launch, the plans have apparently changed quite a bit.

T-Mobile has now confirmed that they’ll be leaving the Andorid and Sidekick for the second round of this plan. What’s worse is that the API won’t be open enough to allow developers to throw ads in there to reduce the costs or offer a free ad supported option.

The goal is to make this available and working on day one. After that they’ll start conquering the rest of the markets, or so they hope. Expect the T-Mobile app store to launch on their Java, RIM, and Windows Mobile phones by the end of this year.

Tags: app store, apple, google android, java, rim, sidekick, t-mobile, windows mobile

After we unfortunately (but voluntarily) lost Phonesaber from the App Store, THQ Wireless promised to make their own version to replace the void that a lack of Phonesaber left us with. Well we’re getting closer to seeing the final product of what they call LightSaber Unleashed.

Apparently the game is going to tie directly into the upcoming LucasArts Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game. But this iPhone app is going to have a lot more to it then what we’re use to. First off, you can actually choose between characters from the Force Unleashed. What makes it even better is that you will also be able to load up actual Star Wars dueling music when you start wildly swinging your light saber/iPhone around.

To keep everyone happy, THQ Wireless has also decided to release this app for free!

Tags: app store, force unleashed, iphone, iphone app, lucasarts, star wars, thq wireless

iPhone and iPod Touch users are going to have quite the bit of extras on their hands in the coming months. The first of many interactive album applications has officially been dated for release! What this means for you is that future albums that you download to your iPhone or iPod Touch will come packed with a digital booklet, extra videos, lyrics, images, behind the scenes footage, and artwork. You’ll essentially have the limited edition junk you always wanted right on your iPhone.

The first band to go through with this is Snow Patrol. So check out their latest album release due out next month if this is your kinda thing.

Tags: app store, interactive album applications, iphone, ipod touch, itunes, itunes 8

The Google Android Developers Challenge has officially ended! Out of all the developers who entered this first annual event, only fifty made it through to the final round. Out of those fifty, the top ten were awarded $275,000 each and contestants 11-20 received $100,000 each.

Most of the winning finalists took advantage of the location based aspects of the Google Android platform, such as the grand prize winner, Locale. Unlike the iPhone, these apps can run in the background, allowing for Locale to help you set multiple profiles and automatically switch to them depending on where you physically are.

The list of winners will no become the list of apps we’ll all be downloading on launch day. This developers challenge definitely seems like the best idea yet that Google has had for the Android developers.

Tags: android, android market, app store, apps, google, google android, google android developers challenge, iphone

More information regarding Google’s soon to be released mobile operating system have come to light. Today on the Google Android Developers Blog we had a chance to learn a little bit more about how the apps are going to work with Android and what we have to look forward to.

Instead of a store, Google will offer the Android Market, a place where any and all developers can list their apps for use with Google Android immediately and without approval. There will be plenty of measures taken to make sure that you won’t be able to load the wrong version of the app onto your Android based phone (as not all Android capable phones can do the same thing) and of course make the distinction between free and paid (paid apps won’t be in Android Market 1.0, fyi).

We’re nearing the launch of Google Android, so stay tuned for more up to the minute information from your favorite tech blog.

Tags: android market, app store, apps, developers, google, google android, iphone, itunes, sdk

With the App Store breaking over 2,000 apps available for download, we’ve already seen several issues arise from rights holders asking for apps to be removed and way over priced apps being banned. But just recently, Microsoft has made a decision to let developers make apps that integrate with their Xbox Live service under the condition that they do so for free. Right now there are three apps that handle this, and one of them has decided to turn a deaf ear to Microsofts demands. iLive, the worst out of all the Xbox Live iPhone apps is still charging $1.99!

We’ll have to wait and see what Microsoft does about this, considering they’re the ones providing the information for this app to pull from.

Tags: app store, ilive, iphone, microsoft, xbox live

It’s only been one short month since the launch of the iTunes App Store adn we’re already seeing that the projected number of downloades (including free and paid apps) have reached over 60 million. That figure also comes with an estimation that Apple has earned over $30 million from the sale of iPhone and iPod Touch apps in this short period of time. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs felt encouraged enough by these figures to say that “[the app store] will be a $1 billion marketplace at some point in time.”.

Jobs has high hopes of future apps being the customization that people need to make their phone unique enough to be their own in the same fashion that newer models and different physical styles had done for past phones. Only time will tell if this theory will catch on.

Tags: app store, apple, iphone, ipod touch, itunes, steve jobs

While several iPhone apps sit in limbo waiting for the app they developed to actually be listed on the official App Store, there are plenty of junk apps sneaking through the filter. We’ve already seen perfectly fine and more than useful apps get sent back just for bad grammar in their description, so how is it possible that an app like Armin Heinrich’s “I Am Rich” or the clearly copyright infringing PhoneSaber manage to make it through?

“I Am Rich” cost users $999.99 for an icon that did nothing more than display an image with sound. The joke/appeal would be that only the richest could afford it. After several complaints, that application went down.

Read the rest of this entry…

Tags: app store, apple, i am rich, iphone, mobileme, phonesaber

Interested in actually tethering your iPhone to your MacB ook or netbook? Well, while Apple has yet to pair the function with the 3G iPhone launch, they didn’t cut out the ability from the hardware itself.

For those of you who unlocked your iPhone, there have been plenty of methods to make it happen. But for those of you a little too legit to jailbreak (har har), the launch of the NetShare app on the App Store (then off, then on, then??).

While many have had issues configuring this app themselves, the good ole folks over at Apple Insider have put together this nifty little guide to help you get everything set up (unfortunately just on your Mac right now, this isn’t iPhone Insider after all).

Post about your experience with this method in the comments!

Source: Apple Insider

Tags: app store, apple, apple insider, iphone, Mac, macbook, netshare