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This Week in Tech: Apple Approved Spotify App, Confounding Critics

by Terrence O'Brien on September 6, 2009 at 08:08 AM


Many online services have tried to drag online one of the last hold-outs of desktop software: the music manager. But the hurdle upon which Last.FM, Imeem, Slacker, and Pandora all stumble is their inability to offer users access to whatever music they want, on-demand, especially in the mobile sphere. Most of the mobile versions of these apps have been relegated to streaming, predetermined playlists and "stations." As such, none of these apps have managed to knock the desktop-based iTunes off its throne.

Spotify, on the other hand, combines the social and, most importantly, free, aspects of these Web apps with the on-demand capabilities of services like Napster. A key element of Spotify's business plan revolves around an iPhone application that will let you stream any song you want over 3G (as long as it's one of the six million for which the company has secured licensing deals). One feature that will make Spotify stand heads above the competition is its ability to cache songs for offline play. That means that even if you venture into the subway or wander outside of your coverage area, Spotify will keep on playing.


Many assumed the app's ability to store songs on the iPhone, as well as its direct challenge to the iTunes store, would keep Apple from approving the app. But, in a move that's confounding many, Apple this past week approved the application. Apple has consistently rejected applications it views as duplicating features of the iPhone, including the high-profile and controversial Google Voice. Yet many European customers can now download the free Spotify app, and as long as they've signed up for a premium Spotify account, €10 (roughly $14) a month, can access the app's library of music from their phones.

Sadly, at the moment, Spotify, which Lifehacker called the "best desktop music player we've ever used," is only available in a handful of European countries, including the U.K. and Sweden. Founder Daniel Eks claims the service should be available in the U.S. by year's end. But considering the RIAA's resistance to all digital media, we're not going to be holding our breath. And who's to say that Apple won't decide two weeks from now that Spotify should have never been approved? You know, just like it did with all of the unofficial Google Voice apps. [From: Computer World]
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Banned iPhone Apps
When Apple first introduced its App Store, we knew that it would only be a matter of time until the small number of amateur designers and budding entrepreneurs who submitted their apps would soon grow to be a free-for-all of humanity. Indeed, we were right, and Apple has -- at times -- made decisions to cut apps from their roster. Here are a few of the most notorious outlaws.

Banned iPhone Apps

    When Apple first introduced its App Store, we knew that it would only be a matter of time until the small number of amateur designers and budding entrepreneurs who submitted their apps would soon grow to be a free-for-all of humanity. Indeed, we were right, and Apple has -- at times -- made decisions to cut apps from their roster. Here are a few of the most notorious outlaws.

    'Wallpaper Universe'
    This benignly named app was, in fact, a way for users to decorate their home screens with images of nude women. Within mere hours of its being uploaded this past November, Apple had taken it down.

    'South Park'
    The official iPhone app of the hit TV show "South Park" was struck down by Apple this week, due to "potentially offensive" content. You'd think that, with all those episodes of "South Park" available on iTunes, the Apple folks would lighten up a bit. Or at least be consistent.

    'Murderdrome'
    A synthesis of graphic novel and iPhone app, 'Murderdrome' was banned from Apple's App Store due to -- we would gather -- scenes of extreme violence. Sure, seeing one cartoon character behead another might make somebody queasy, but this is America, ain't it?

    'Wobble!'
    Designed to enable users to take their own photos of scantily clad women and make their naughty parts "wobble," this app was -- surprisingly enough -- not censored by Apple. Its advertisement video, on the other hand, was banned due to its use of the words "boobs" and "booty." Go figure.

    'Pull My Finger'
    Apple banned this straightforwardly named app last year, citing its "limited utility." In December, though, 'Pull My Finger' made its triumphant return as the Apple arbiters changed their minds. We're glad that Apple finally accepted the timeless truth: nothing -- and we mean nothing -- is funnier than a fart joke.

    - Lee Bains

Tags: app store, app store approval, AppStore, AppStoreApproval, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, music, spotify, streaming, top

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