Previously rejected due to “minimal user functionality”, the KaChing Button app (US$0.99) has been slightly modified to meet Apple’s somewhat mysterious criteria and has now been found to contain enough functionality to enter the App Store.
The app features a large green button with a dollar-sign on the face of the button. When touched, the button makes the cash-register “KaChing” sound enjoyed by many business people and entrepreneurs. Like many novelty apps in the AppStore, the app was designed to amuse and entertain. However, Apple previously declared the app unworthy for iTunes.
As a result, app creator and CEO of Digital Future, Inc. Joel Comm created a video appeal to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The video questioned Apple’s seemingly arbitrary approval process and demonstrated several applications in the AppStore with minimal functionality, such as The Hallelujah Button, The Objection Button and Knock on Wood. All of these apps perform only one function. The video received over 40,000 views, was covered by many leading media sources and blogs, and fostered much discussion on the web related to Apple’s approval process.
The development team at Digital Future opted to add functionality to the app in hopes that it would receive approval, By clicking an options button, users may now choose from four different currency symbols for the face of the KaChing Button. Since the KaChing sound is universal, the app now displays choice of dollar, euro, pound or yen symbol. With this added functionality, The KaChing Button crossed the line of functionality necessary to receive Apple’s approval.
“We are pleased that our simple addition of foreign currency symbols has met with Apple’s approval to allow The KaChing Button into the AppStore,” said Digital Future, Inc.’s CEO Joel Comm. “The video for Steve Jobs was intended to cultivate and encourage open dialogue regarding the mysterious app approval process. I can’t say that our app being approved has removed the mystery, but we are pleased that the public is now able to download our application.”
More info and download link via Apple iTunes App Store here.
Source: Digital Future, Inc.
