Polygon Bike Has Integrated iPod Charger

I don’t know what to say about the Polygon Bike, a concept that has an iPod-compatible charger powered by yourself. On one side, the bike-dock combo is just way too much. On the other, it may be actually useful for those days that you forget to charge it at home. The bike also has other useful features. Read the rest of this entry

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iPhone App rejected for “Limited Utility”

When a developer submits a “Pull My Finger” application, you’ve kind of got to expect it’s going to be rejected. iFartz was rejected. Ibrate was rejected — and that one was even raising money for breast cancer research. Today, over at Mac Rumors, I read about “Pull My Finger”’s rejection for limited utility. Right at the bottom of the rejection letter was the name “Victor Wang”.

Mr. Wang has become a near legend for his rejection letters, usually long, delayed (I suspect he’s second- or third-tier in the review process) and for aesthetic reasons that leave developers blinking with surprise. While “Pull My Finger” would probably not meet “Koi Pond” levels of user reach (here’s our look at Koi Pond), it could have a solid audience. It’s a simple, stupid joke app (notice how I’m not pulling punches here) but it’s the kind of simple, stupid joke app that a lot of people would download and use because people like simple, stupid joke apps.

I’ve complained about this before, so apologies to everyone who has heard this point — the next post is just a wee bit below this one, feel free to scroll — but until Apple offers developers a firm set of guidelines, developers will continue to be ticked off by seemingly arbitrary rejections like this one. Apple is clearly refusing applications that fail the sniff test — and yes, I know that’s a little more apt a metaphor than this application deserves. “Pull My Finger” is tasteless. Apple should have rejected it for that reason, rather than pulling new reasons out from thin air.

Apple needs to step forward, and do so soon, with a clear set of guidelines that explain to developers exactly what to expect when they press that “submit” button for their new app. Developers shouldn’t be wasting Apple’s time with unpublishable software. Apple should not be wasting Developers’ time with a secretive and arbitrary review process.

Update: The app’s author has set up a plea-page [Read]

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Rumor: iTunes 8 to include Genius recommender, grid view, new visualizer

Kevin Rose is at it again, with a brand new round of rumors about iTunes 8, supposedly premiered next week at the big Apple iPod event. Did I miss the meeting where we all declared him king of iPod rumors? King or not, he’s got what he claims is inside information, including a writeup about something called the “Genius” sidebar, which creates recommended playlists for you, a new grid view (like Delicious Library?), and a new music visualizer.

Additionally, Rose’s tipster mentions HD TV shows in the iTMS, and reiterates the previous rumors of new IPod nanos and Touches. None of these things are a huge surprise — while the Genuis system will certainly be interesting to see (and make fun of) if real, HDTV and the new iPods are old news in Rumorville by now.

Is it OK if we hope for some faster and easier iPhone syncing with a new version of iTunes as well? Whatever is coming next week, we’ll find out all about it then. [Read]

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Manga Jobs and Wozniak Dream Up Apple

Lisa Katayama at Boing Boing has found a manga gem from the 80s: the story of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, from the moment Woz started to get interested in gadgets until the Apple II was created and launched. Into space apparently. Truth is that I don’t have a clue of Japanese, so that’s probably why I find it funny, thinking about what the hell they are saying, and why on Earth there’s an space octopus involved in this whole thing—I just like to imagine that’s related to Jobs’ experiences with LSD. [Otaden via Boing Boing]

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Do your kids play with your iPhone?

Once my kids were beyond putting random technology into their mouths, I have let them play with gadgets. But what about my iPhone? It started innocently enough: a Leapster for a birthday. Then I cleaned out the garage and let them “borrow” a few antique Palm devices. Then I got them hooked on an old iBook G3 running OS 9 and some great old classics (the original “Toy Story” interactive storybook is a nearly-perfect example of the genre). A Palm T|X loaded with games, music, photos and movies might have been a step in the wrong direction, as was the Dell Axim with the same. Access to those was limited until the iPhone came along.

Once a kid has used iSaber (currently unavailable from the iTunes store) or played DizzyBee, it’s over. When you show them you can add yet more fun diversions the question becomes “got anything new on your iPhone?” By then it’s over.

Now the question becomes, what’s the harm? Is there harm? I’ve limited their use to the inevitable “we’re waiting right now” moments. But still, no matter what we’ve done that day that was new and exciting, if my son plays with the iPhone for 5 minutes that’s all Mom hears about when he’s going to bed.

I grew up with an Apple ][ in the house and I’m sure that had a hand in my love of tech. But there’s also a case for letting kids find their own way, at an age-appropriate level. I cringe when they swing my naked iPhone around using iSaber, expecting Wii-style damage to our windows and the device itself. Yet I can’t help but think that getting used to technology early — something that will increasingly invade their lives as it becomes more embedded in our world — is maybe a good thing. Everything in moderation, of course. I certainly don’t want them erasing my high scores; I’ll let iTunes do that.

Son’s favorite games: Cannon Game and MotionX Dice. (iTunes links)
Daughter’s favorite games: DizzyBeeFree (guess I better buy it!) and aSleep (iTunes links)

We’ve covered MotionX and aSleep before.

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