Facebook, along with a massive number of social networking users, is waiting patiently for Apple to approve the new version of its native iPhone application. Well, perhaps not all that patiently.
Code guru and developer of the iPhone Facebook application Joe Hewitt has added his voice to the increasingly long list of software people who feel stifled by Apple's opaque App Store submissions system.
"I never forget how deeply Apple cares about making their users happy," says Hewitt in a recent blog post. "Having said that, I have only one major complaint with the App Store, and I can state it quite simply: the review process needs to be eliminated completely."
He goes on to pre-empt Apple's counter argument that the process is there to protect users and their devices.
"Oh, but you say that iPhone apps are different, because they run native code and can do scary things that web pages can't? Again, you're wrong, because iPhone apps are sandboxed and have scarcely any more privileges than a web app.
"About the only scary thing they can do outside the sandbox is access your address book, but Apple can easily fix that by requiring they ask permission first, just like they must do to track your location."
The core of his complaint is one we're hearing more and more - that Apple doesn't have the means or resources to perform the kind of quality assurance it proclaims, which is leading to delays and approval anomalies serious enough to gain the attention of upper management such as Phil Schiller.
It is highly unlikely that Apple is going to abandon its approval procedures, though it seems a significant revamp is very much in order.
Top Stories
News
May 31st, 2024
Week in Views - Squad Busters goes global, broken app stores, and Hill Climb Racing gets the LEGO treatment
News
May 31st, 2024
Mobile Movers: All the latest appointments and job moves from around the industry
Events
Indie Game Fest & Indie Campus 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
Indie Craft K-Game Festival 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
BostonFig Online 2024 | Jun 1st | |
GameSummit Summer 2024 | Jun 1st | |
Gotland Game Conference 2024 | Nordic | Jun 3rd |
Games Mental Health Summit 2024 | Europe | Jun 3rd |
Dev Play Conference 2024 | Europe | Jun 3rd |
Tribeca Games Festival 2024 | North America | Jun 5th |