It always makes me sigh when I read stories like this.<p>For decades Microsoft was bashed for offering up a <i>closed system</i>, yet the reality was Microsoft would let you sell any type of software for Windows and they couldn't care less.<p>Then along comes Apple with it's tightly closed, highly controlled platform and no one raises a murmur, but rather everyone seems to celebrate the idea.<p>Watching on are the rest of the big players and they see how successful Apple has been, so they all start madly creating their own closed systems.<p>The reality is none of these issues existed in the old style Windows system, but thanks to the success of Apple, those days are now gone :(<p>Developers are now forever beholden to the big corporates.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this happened. This also won't be the last time either.<p>When you build apps on a platform, be ready to run into brick walls if you start to enter (or have already entered) areas that the platform wants to get into -- that goes for Facebook and Twitter as much as it does for Apple as well.
"Months before"? If your weather app is only a few months old, then you are <i>far</i> from the first person to do what you're describing. I had an app on my iPad that provided exactly the experience you're describing, and that was I think at least 2 years old (I don't remember the name anymore).
Gotta say... best post title I've seen in a while.<p>But still a very valid point. I would really support legislation governing online marketplaces, so that this kind of abuse couldn't take place. A company shouldn't have to be a monopoly, for anticompetitive behavior to become illegal.
While I totally understand why you're angry, I'm almost certain Apple's app review team does NOT have access to pre-release versions of iOS, so this probably didn't happen because Apple was working on similar functionality.
I think the most weird part, is that I made a app exactly like that, but with cartoon instead of realistic, and it got approved on the first attempt.<p>For those wondering, it is this one: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weather-and-clock-for-kids/id596055030?mt=8" rel="nofollow">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weather-and-clock-for-kids/i...</a><p>Granted, a bit more than a month ago, Apple rejected a update for it (because the message of it complaining of lack of GPS had a ok button that quit the APP), and it was really weird, because the thing they complained always existed on the app, and I on purpose proposed a terrible alternative, and they said they wanted THAT. So I DID made the terrible alternative on my point of view, and now the app uses that...
Way back in 2010, I developed an app called World Weather Watch for WebOS: <a href="http://forums.webosnation.com/webos-apps-games/231824-introducing-world-weather-watch.html" rel="nofollow">http://forums.webosnation.com/webos-apps-games/231824-introd...</a><p>It had animations and an "overview" screen that had times, temperatures, and forecasts. Here's a couple of screenshots: <a href="http://us.appitalism.com/app/palm-webos/244623-world-weather-watch-time-weather/" rel="nofollow">http://us.appitalism.com/app/palm-webos/244623-world-weather...</a><p>I also developed World Weather Watch for Mac OS X: <a href="http://www.andrewmunsell.com/work/world-weather-watch/" rel="nofollow">http://www.andrewmunsell.com/work/world-weather-watch/</a><p>(The animated weather concept was inspired by HTC's Sense UI, though as far as I can remember, the overview list was entirely my own concept and idea)<p>So, the concept of animated weather, or even Apple's overview list of weather and times, goes back <i>much</i> farther than a couple of months.<p>EDIT:<p>If anyone's curious what World Weather Watch for WebOS looks like in motion, I made a video a while back too: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3tS7n4VAsk" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3tS7n4VAsk</a>
I’m glad I’m not alone! I made a very very similar that did nothing but show you images of things you searched for.<p>Apple disabled my account one day, without explaining why to me. Today, they owe me $17,000. I contact them every few months, and never hear anything back but silence.
HTCs custom Sense UI had this all along (even on Windows Mobile, I think):<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlTOI7ZUziQ" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlTOI7ZUziQ</a><p>It's, uhh, not exactly <i>novel</i>.
That's what you get for submitting to the development model controlled by faceless bureaucracy invested with monopoly power.<p>And now people are calling for government intervention there - because if you have a faceless bureaucracy with kafkian rules and rampant rumors of abuse, adding government to it always helps.
This is why mobile apps just don't appeal to me -- the "approval" of what I create by any committee other than the actual-end-user marketplace. Having grown up sharing one's programs and work in a simple, radically open (if slightly risky for somewhat naive users) "download and install" or "install from floppy/CD" or "build from source" exploratory environment, I'd feel extremely foolish submitting my stuff for approval. I'd feel submissive. I don't want Apple's or Google's or Microsoft's or Facebook's permission to share software I make, only their users' choice for or against.<p>Firefox OS is my only hope but in mobile, they'd also need to get some significant traction going fast.<p>Chrome Apps are cool, Android is cool, but "Play Store" -- if it's just remotely as "submit for approval" as Apple, then thanks but no thanks.<p>Thankfully, we still have web dev, mobile web, and a huge base of non-mobile "desktop-OS" software users.
Somewhat related, the BBC launched a new weather app for the iPhone (and Android) today.<p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/appsblog/2013/jun/10/bbc-weather-app-iphone-android" rel="nofollow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/appsblog/2013/jun/10/bbc-wea...</a><p>Perhaps the requirements are somewhat relaxed for large entities.
Doesn't Haze already do this? <a href="http://gethaze.com/" rel="nofollow">http://gethaze.com/</a><p>Seems strange that they would let some animated weather apps through and not others...
This does suck, I wish it was a true free market. But it still is more open than say console markets or even Steam. I am not sure why they don't fully trust the market to produce and choose the apps.<p>But in the end we are sharecroppers in a kingdom, they built the platform and have the last say. Diversify to other platforms (I am sure android or windows market would like to see this) but don't stop developing. Every once in a while they let you know with a rejection who's platform it is. In the future maybe it will be fully open, it is what drove Android markets in the early days. I am still surprised one of the competing markets hasn't been more open or taken less than 30%. They just line up behind Apple following suit.<p>Personally from a game developer perspective, Apple is the most open viable market that has been created for game developers and remade handheld gaming. From a web developer perspective it is more closed.
Outside App (<a href="http://www.outsideapp.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.outsideapp.com/</a>) came out two years ago and did this. Not as nice, no question, but I think the guy's paranoia about the rejection is way off base. Though I do agree that there doesn't seem to be a good reason to reject it.
They built some of your app concept into the core of the phone. They rejected your app because they were about to debut their version. It makes sense why they did it, and it was fair of them to do it.<p>However, they should have let your app go into the app store. It is unlikely your app would have made techcrunch headlines or taken the world by storm (ha ha) but even if it had, Apple had nothing to fear.<p>Which makes it strange that the company rejected it.<p>They couldn't exactly say, "Sorry, but things in your app are going to be in a keynote. We're working on the same thing."<p>Situations of an app being rejected by apple due to a forthcoming release are rare. (though I do know of another example by a prominent developer)<p>Your story is a nice read, however your other experiences of rejection are not related to this one. They also speak to a different time for the app review team.
Look, man, I feel really bad for you. But there are lots of open platforms to develop apps for. You make a choice when you decide to specialize in iOS apps. The choice you make is to make yourself a bitch to the arbitrary whims of some goofball asshole sitting in Cupertino, who doesn't give a fuck about your aspirations or vision. You can complain all you want, but they made the garden, and they can do whatever the fuck they want with it.<p>It blows. But now you know why you need to support an open platform.
Who cares, you didn't have to develop for their closed system. You could make apps for macs that can be downloaded if you care so much about programming for macs. Honestly, who cares.<p>Also, whatever happens once, doesn't have to happen ever again, but if it happens twice, it will almost certainly happen again. You will get burned over and over, unless you get smart.
The iOS 7 weather app looks like they just told Yahoo! to build the new app. Almost everything is the same down the typography, which isn't to say they stole it, seeing how iOS' weather is powered by Yahoo!<p>That said, I'm not sure there are too many ways you can innovate a weather app. HTC Sense has been doing animated conditions for over 4 years now.
I agree with apple, the world doesn't need another weather app that does nothing more than animate clouds and snow etc. the apple weather app that we all saw today is a world clock, has pinch to summary, a ton of more useful info and was layered both in visual appearance and functionality. By comparison your weather app was highly simplistic and looks like someone concocted in a weekend without being finished. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I wouldn't have given your weather app another look when you put it up against apple's new one one or yahoo's existing one. If anyone should be whining it should be yahoo, they even have the layers idea going on where the scroll panes slide at slightly different speeds. Very much like Apple's accelerometer driven panes.
I know there is no end to this discussion so I'll just put in my 2cents and GTFO.<p>As a user of Windows systems in the 90s, the so called "openness" was precisely the reason I moved to using Linux. Most software available for Windows, in those days was crap, and I as a user needed something that worked, not mostly but, all the time. Linux gave me that. Even if there was just one office suite (star office, remember?), it worked.<p>After using Linux for about a decade or so, I moved to OS X, since Linux wasn't really going anywhere. The fabled desktop linux wasn't coming and everything seemed in a limbo.<p>OS X and Apple, for all it's faults, works, for the most part, for the user and that's why the platform is popular.<p>We guys here are talking and thinking with our developer hats, but users think very differently.
This is why the web will win.<p>Not the web of FaceBook and twitter APIs, but the open web of documents and apps interacting without restrictions. There is a fundamental lack of control and instability in building on a platform owned by a corporation, be that on the web or mobile development.
Most developers are there to make a living. Expecting ideals from them is a little too much. They probably have ideals in others spheres of life. I wouldn't expect most devs to just follow the money and continue writing iOS apps until it gives them good returns.
Our weather app YoWindow features computer generated sky just like ios 7 app. Despite of this it was approved by Apple 2 months ago.
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/id606193225" rel="nofollow">https://itunes.apple.com/app/id606193225</a>
Quick link <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtD2VosqX3Y" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtD2VosqX3Y</a><p>Alaric, I know it's depressing to see that you idea is copied. But I think in this case Apple didn't sole. Be brave and move on. Eventually you win. Just a bad luck.
I do hope that with PRISM revelations the walled garden system may be on its way to reforms.<p>If enough people wake up to the topic how important device and software control is for the owner there will be pure market pressure and current Apple kinda lack the salesman Steve that is able to override privacy concerns in the public.<p>Also we should have good streamlined legal process to declare software platforms "common carriers" when they are above certain size or market share with all the benefits and responsibilities that come from that. And lets hope cases like that will be greatly reduced.
I think it'd be hard for me to call them out with much harsher words, if that happened to me.
This stuff is as unfair as it gets, but then again, that's the norm today ain't it?
In response to Apple's initial response to the "Images" app:
I'm amazed by the disconnect between how people really feel about porn and how they purport to feel about it. Sexual desire is a basic human need. The vast majority of American men and women view pornography, yet few acknowledge it.<p>I appreciate that this is difficult to change because prudishness is deeply engrained in our culture, but I would like to see tech companies take a more progressive role in opening up a realistic dialogue about sex.
I'm sorry, but the app you seem to describe has existed for quite a while. Actually, there are several of them. I installed them on my first iPad (the original) way back when.<p>This is one of them:
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weather-live/id464770748?mt=8" rel="nofollow">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weather-live/id464770748?mt=...</a>
Apple's app store review "process" is complete bullshit, but this kind of weather app already exists for iOS and Android, and has for a couple years or more.<p>I've installed probably 4 or 5 of them between the two platforms, all with beautiful high-def animations, etc. (and uninstalled all of them, since I find the simpler WeatherBug to be more than adequate for me).
I can empathize with you.
Back in 2009, I created a call filtering app for Blackberry which had the ability to determine if a call is urgent based on the frequency of the incoming call and to block the call if it was not urgent.<p>Guess what, in 2012, Apple put in an uncannily similar feature called "Repeated Call" in iOS 6
Sad story, but I think it's being blown out of scale. In the comments on his post, he linked to the app's teaser site: <a href="http://www.horizonapp.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.horizonapp.com</a><p>I really don't see how this app could "confidently" stand up to the new Weather.app
Perhaps not, Solar app: <a href="http://thisissolar.com" rel="nofollow">http://thisissolar.com</a> has very similar effects. It was not rejected and it is still in the app store. Off course it does not have the full marketing of Apple behind it, but still.
it's not impossible that the Dev teams flag certain categories of apps shortly before launch dates to prevent similar applications from stealing their thunder so to speak. after all why get egg on their face when you violate the developer agreement retroactively?
As a developer of a weather app myself, I seriously doubt that Apple refused your app due to its use of video clips & the possibility of its competing with iOS 7's weather app. Yahoo weather exists, after all, and it's really close in look & feel.
Given the sometimes arbitrary nature of these rejections, it would seem that a natural strategy would be to keep trying (with changes to meet their expectations) - at some point you should get it approved.<p>Is there some maximum tries that one get to show ones worth as a pubilsher?
So from most of the defensive arguments here is in the form of classic... "well, that sucks... but... Apple must have a reason, so it's okay?".<p>Really? On a site full of tech geeks and nerds? When did majority of us lose our balls and become so meek?
Is it possible that the app review teams were instructed to find a reason to reject all apps in a given category for a month or two leading up to the release of iOS7? Were other weather-related apps approved recently?
There must have been other reasons why his animated weather app was rejected by Apple. There are already very flashy iOS weather apps, just take for example a look at "Clear Day".
People still don't take a lesson from this. They have done exactly the same thing before. Apple is EVIL, understand that. May be one of the most evil tech company out there.
Come join us on the Open Web. It's actually really good now. There may be restrictions and difficulties but no one will stop you getting your hard work out there.
Can we see a working example of the app or at least screenshots? Because the execution of the concept can be bad and this is why apple rejected your app?
but.. this isn't anywhere near a new idea.. Weather HD, now Clear Day, is by a team in Egypt and has been doing the animated weather thing for years:
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear-day-formerly-weather/id364193735?mt=8" rel="nofollow">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear-day-formerly-weather/i...</a>
So did you learn your lesson?<p>DON'T DEVELOP FOR APPLE.<p>Considering how many horror stories we've seen, I wonder why anybody would waste their time developing apps for that weird company.<p>Develop for open systems instead. They will win in the end.