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Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,972
1,468
Washington DC
Hidden Apps

I really think Apple should make a new category of 'hidden' apps. Things they put on the store, but that don't show up in any category or listing.

So for example, that company can make their website with tons of links like this:
Call Amanda
that would link to that application in the iTunes store.

But that's ALL they get: The page for the app. It doesn't show up in any categories. It doesn't show up in the 'top-25' lists. It doesn't show up ANYWHERE in iTunes unless you follow that dirrect link. It's that company's problem on how to advertise those links.

Then they can make 10,000 of these things and you can browse their site for the one you want but it doesn't mess up the iTunes store for other users.
 

MacToddB

macrumors 6502a
Aug 21, 2007
926
0
Rochester, NY
Maybe Apple should charge either a $10 processing fee for each app (especially if it could expedite approval)?

Then again, did this guy do anything wrong? If he sold apps on his own site, it'd be fine. This is Apple's system. Don't hate the playa... hate the game.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,972
1,468
Washington DC
If he sold apps on his own site, it'd be fine. This is Apple's system. Don't hate the playa... hate the game.

Exactly. I really don't care if these programs exist. I just think they should be moved off to the side somehow. That's Apple's job to figure that out, not this developer's.
 

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
Clearly this guy is out for a cash grab. These are worse than the fart apps. We do need a new category; my vote is for "The Garbage Pail."
 

kwjohns

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 4, 2007
700
12
I agree. Almost as stupid as including an inline picture of a list of all of them. :rolleyes:

The picture was to represent how ridiculous it is by being long. I'm sorry for your poor wuttle finger if you had to scroll a page more than you anticipated. Maybe someone will kiss it for you and make it all better? :rolleyes:
 

DuFFy

macrumors regular
Dec 8, 2007
221
0
Phila
it is ridiculous. but it made me think, why cant apple do this themselves. pull all those stupid call "name" apps and add this as standard functionality. like being able to put a bookmark on your home screen, why not have the option to add a shortcut to a contact number to the homescreen, and the icon would just be the little picture in the corner or a standard phone icon of a certain color. kinda stupid to let this developer bog down the App store with the same app with a different name.
 

DreamPod

macrumors 65816
Mar 15, 2008
1,265
188
Yeah, the developer did nothing wrong - it's annoying, sure, but think about it. Apps cannot change the name that is displayed on the screen, so if you want to have a shortcut that says "Call XXXXX", you need an app with that specific name. It would be best if Apple would do that contacts-shortcut idea.
 

LiveForever

macrumors 6502
Dec 13, 2007
281
0
Yeah, the developer did nothing wrong - it's annoying, sure, but think about it. Apps cannot change the name that is displayed on the screen, so if you want to have a shortcut that says "Call XXXXX", you need an app with that specific name. It would be best if Apple would do that contacts-shortcut idea.

WRONG!

The excellent onetapdial allows you to select your own photo of the contact (or anything you choose) or even one of the provided symbols as well as add your own name under the icon.

The icon then goes directly on the home screen. So you just tap it to dial. You can create any number as well and even set them up to start text conversations.

If you couldn't rename icons then maybe fair enough to allow this app but you definetly can with onetapdial so why is it allowed? What has happened to apples much vaunted quality control??
.
I honestly have no connection to the developer of onetap dial but I can report that its easy to use and works 100%.


The first post in the thread is totally justified to show the picture of the app and all the names. A picture tells a 1000 words.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=295990153&mt=8
 

admanimal

macrumors 68040
Apr 22, 2005
3,531
2
WRONG!

The excellent onetapdial allows you to select your own photo of the contact (or anything you choose) or even one of the provided symbols as well as add your own name under the icon.

The icon then goes directly on the home screen. So you just tap it to dial. You can create any number as well and even set them up to start text conversations.

If you couldn't rename icons then maybe fair enough to allow this app but you definetly can with onetapdial so why is it allowed? What has happened to apples much vaunted quality control??
.

Technically, DreamPod is correct.

I have not used One Tap Dial myself, but I am 99% sure I know how it works based on the app's description and FAQ page. It does not change the icon or text associated with the One Tap Dial app itself on your phone/iPod. It uploads your contact's photo and contact info to a website, which is then used to create a web clip or whatever they are called on your home screen just like you can from within Mobile Safari. It is effective enough but it requires an internet connection to create the contacts, and the icons it creates are web links (which do not require an internet connection to open, since they are phone numbers) not bona-fide apps.
 

LiveForever

macrumors 6502
Dec 13, 2007
281
0
OK it needs an internet connection to create the icon but once it is set up it does not need to be connected to the internet to work.

It is very effective and a brilliant way to get an editable icon if you think about it.
 

akacaj

macrumors regular
Dec 21, 2008
227
0
NY
it is ridiculous. but it made me think, why cant apple do this themselves. pull all those stupid call "name" apps and add this as standard functionality. like being able to put a bookmark on your home screen, why not have the option to add a shortcut to a contact number to the homescreen, and the icon would just be the little picture in the corner or a standard phone icon of a certain color. kinda stupid to let this developer bog down the App store with the same app with a different name.

You can actually dial a number from safari by typing tel://2125551234 in the address bar but there is no way to save it to your desktop.
 

Jonnyfive

macrumors regular
Feb 28, 2007
204
0
British Columbia
All these "one touch dialer apps" that end up in the app store is STUPID. Not only did it become ridiculous when it was different family members or different icons, but now names!


WOW that is ridiculous! I havent seen those in the apple store but that's getting carried away
 

pogochamp113

macrumors member
Dec 19, 2008
45
0
I know people were excited that apple is going to allow apps like pull my finger and this, but it's actually bad. No the app store is flooded with this crap, and its even harder to find a good app! :confused:
 
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