My App Rejection #3, Now Apple Forbids Mentioning iPhone 3.0 In Help File May 12, 2009

After two bouts of cutting features based on a complaint of first "ridiculing public figures" and then "objectionable content" (namely John Hancock), now I get a call telling me that I can't mention iPhone 3.0 in my help file.

Like it isn't all over the internet and Apple's Website. All I said was that I would add features to the email part of the app when 3.0 ships in the summer.

WTF????

Now I get to resubmit and go back to the back of the bus. The first submission took 7 days, the second 9, the third 12 and I'm guessing the next will be 2 weeks. All for a $0.99 app that lets you put your picture on high-denomination fake money.

I guess not being a famous rock star is a serious drawback here - Trent Reznor's NiN app was approved 3 days after the initial rejection after the huge public outcry.

In addition, now I have to test with iPhone 3.0 Beta, which is tough since I only have one iPhone (running 2.2.1) and one iPod Touch (running 3.0 beta). I can't fully test the app since the Touch has no camera, so I am effectively stymied. If I submit it again with only the help file altered and without a full iPhone test, it might get rejected for some camera issue.

I'm beginning to think this app won't ship until the day when there are real $1 Trillion Dollar bills. Meanwhile I am making no money. My next app, Quantum Pool is almost ready; at the rate things are approved it might be a long time before I see any income and it's not a pretty thing.

Maybe writing for OSX is a better idea after all. Harder to market and lower volume but higher paying per copy, and no approvals needed.

I never thought this would become a soap opera. Argh is becoming my favorite word lately.