“The bi-monthly publication — the Android counterpart to an iPhone magazine Dixon began putting out earlier this year — launched Nov. 11,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune. “‘It’s funny really because I don’t think we would sell many magazines on Android through Apple App Store,’ Dixon told Media Watch. ‘But the question is where this is going.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If you didn’t expect to sell the thing, then why did you submit it? Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines, with which every developer should be familiar, specifically state, “Apps with metadata that mentions the name of any other mobile platform will be rejected.”
This is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to gin up some free publicity at Apple’s expense. Pure douchebaggery, plain and simple. The old “get it rejected and then run to the media like a whiny little bitch” is an unsound business plan.
Apple ought to kick his iPhone magazine out of their, emphasis their, App Store, too.
Apple did the right thing.
Well put bluejay.
Android app – MDN asks why ..?
Obvious, to get the publicity you’ve just given them.
Why can’t you get any magazine on an iPhone? Seems they’re just going to eventually have to reverse this ruling too.
Apple relented on Google Voice and this one is even less essential to keep off the phone. If someone on an iPhone wants to get an App about what’s happening in the Android world, they should be able to. I shouldn’t have to have blinders to the world just because I bought an iPhone. There’s no loyalty oath I signed at purchase. I should be free at least to READ what I want.
Apple, let Android be. There isn’t much risk that some magazine app is going to catch fire on an iPhone and somehow usurp Apple from within.
Stupid Apple. I have other iDevices. My carrier doesn’t carry your precious iPhone, and I won’t move to ATT.
@MDN,
Yea, but Apple fell for it. They (Apple) should have known better.
Apple’s rules clearly prohibit mention of competing protected trade-marks and OS — so people knew before hand but just wanted to do a PR trick.
While Apple has every right to do this, I don’t think they should’ve exercised that right. What harm could it have done to have this “magazine” in their store? I guess any reference to “Android” in the store would muddy the waters too much.
That’s kinda censorship in my opinion. If I want to read about android on my iPad or iPhone, I shouls have the ability and the right too.
“For Apple to succeed in the long run, Jobs has to go.”
LMAOTF! This got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard off from a human being! But then again, it is also exactly what I’d expect from an HemoDroid lover! What a fracking nitwit.
“Censorship is important to control a population”
It isn’t censorship. They are perfectly free to create, sell and promote their magazine. Free speech does not mean that others are forced to use their resources to help spread your message.
This is a slippery slope. If Apple doesn’t want to carry Android apps on their App Store fine, it is their Store, but it is also MY iPad. Apple should allow me to sync with other App Stores of my chosing.
This is like buying a Chevy and then GM only ALLOWING me to use their parts and no parts by competitors. This is where Apple crosses the line. I love Apple products, in fact I’m a fan boy, but I do know right from wrong. This is my iPad and my iPhone, I paid for it, I pay my phone bill, I don’t want anybody trying to restrict what I can read!
HAHAHA! keep your android smut outta the app store!
There is browser on the iPhone one can use to find anything about Android or porn. Apps are only needed when it provide inexperience unmatched by the browser. To call Apple controlling because it deems frivolous ads a wate of space in the AppStore is just ignorant. Is allowing 1000 magazine apps all about Android a real service to Apple customers? How about an app of a picture of my middle finger? Is that really worth listing? Really?
s Apple going to ban ebooks about Android or Windows from their IBookstore too? Is Safari going to block sites of manufacturers that compete with Apple? Will a tech mag be banned if it doesnt have any Apple products in it? Where will the slippery slope end?
And what’s next? Google going to ban Apple magazine apps somehow? M$ blocking Apple and Google stuff? Apple adding M$ to their ban list? Are we all sure this is the right path?
No matter how you slice and dice it, censorship is just that, censorship. If one perceives a good reason for censoring, then that is what will make you do it, but it doesnt make it any less censorship.
If you wan’t your app store and ebookstore to be world platforms to be embraced by all, censorship isn’t the way that will get you there.
Totally disagree with Apple on this. I buy, use and develop on Macs but need to keep abreast of other platforms. It should be MY decision on whether to buy the app or not (I will not).
I also listen to FLOSS and Windows Weekly to keep up with the Linux and MS industries. These have not been excluded from iTunes podcasts.
@quadCore
By your definition of censorship, China for example isn’t censoring anything either, since by getting your way around internet search blockades you can still get the info you want.
Since the app store is the only way to get magazine apps on MY (!) iPad, to my mind blocking some magazine apps amounts to censorship. There is no alternative way to get magazine apps on MY iPad (if there were, the story would be different).
So to me that is censorship, right there in front of me.
Why, if I were so inclined, should it not be possible for me to read an Android mag app (or Zune or whatever) on MY iPad. Am I not the only person who should make that determination?
@ ballmer
Articulate to the end! You give good credit to this fine blog
Everyday more and more people are bragging how much better Android is. They say because its open yet they have no clue what it really means. lol
@MacBliss
Thank you for the intellegent counterpoints and not resulting to a grade-school rebuttal. Oh wait …
“Apple has barred an Android magazine app, telling a Danish publisher he can’t sell a magazine about Google’s OS in Apple’s App Store.
Notice how is doesn’t say WHY it was rejected? It could be for a thousand different reasons, including it was not a stable program.
@goddess – The full article (linked) states…
“You know… your magazine,” replied the Apple rep, who identified himself only as Richard. “It’s just about Android…. we can’t have that in our App Store.”
@ goddess:
“Notice how is doesn’t say WHY it was rejected?”
THis is yet one more reason why Apple needs to make the process more transparent. The masses hear “Apple censorship” but don’t hear or have access to the reality. It’s like the news programs that spin all the content to fit their political viewpoint. Here no one but Apple can say why this happened.
I was thinking just yesterday that there weren’t enough reports to inflame the iOS and Android passions.
Glad to see things are getting back to normal … with lots of people foaming at the mouth.
I suppose that with tech zombies it’s all about who bit you initially.
@Jubei
You CAN download Android source, compile it, install it. You can change it too. Normal users will never do that, but there are communities that will.
You can also install whatever app you want from the Android market, another market, directly from a developer website (like the Audible beta that I participated in). You can also create your own apps and install them directly.
You can choose to run Flash, or not, but the choice is yours.
For more and more people, the definition of open is changing to mean it is not Steve Jobs’ decision, but it’s mine.
The comments on this thread are written by a bunch of morons who have nothing better to do, and are making a big stink over absolutely nothing. Get a life.