'I Am Rich' makes author exactly that, does little else
Got a cool grand to burn? Before you think about buying the brand-new app I Am Rich, there are a few charities I'd hope you consider. But if you truly have that kind of money to spend, you can buy an app that touts itself as "a work of art with no hidden function at all."
I Am Rich sells for $999.99 in the App Store. It also features a "secret mantra" that "may help you to to [sic] stay rich, healthy and successful." Uh huh. I've got a mantra for you: "Smile and be nice to people." There. That one's free.
Hey, you can't blame the author, Armin Heinrich, because just a few sales would set him up quite nicely. What you can blame, however, is the asinine App Store vetting process, which let this dollop of poop into the system. What rocket surgeon thought this would be better than eWallet or ListPro? I fear John Gruber's prediction that the App Store wouldn't become the next VersionTracker or MacUpdate is proving exceptionally false.
It's not only that I don't want to buy I Am Rich, it's that I don't accidentally want to buy it. It's ridiculously easy to buy apps for your device, and getting this one by accident would certainly ruin my day. Plus, I don't have the minimum system requirement of three popped collars to run the app.
The Iconfactory's Craig Hockenberry notes, though, that he's willing to spend 99 cents on an app with graphics identical to I Am Rich, but only featuring the mantra "I'm not stupid."
Judging from the App Store's app admission track record, though, that one should get approved in no time.
Thanks, Mark, Oliver, Rubbinz, Sherman, William, and Gruber for the tip!
Update: It appears I Am Rich has been removed from the U.S. App Store. For what reasons, exactly? We may never know. Thanks, Adam, for the update!
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Source: http://www.audio-sandwich.com/
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Got a cool grand to burn? Before you think about buying the brand-new app I Am Rich, there are a few charities I'd hope you consider. But...
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What a funny story! Now with the secret mantra on youtube, why buy it?
this other interesting article talks about it...
http://www.FlashiPods4free.com/index.php?ref=53499
August 08 2008 at 8:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyPalm OS version. Free
http://ixle.tripod.com/id15.html
What happened to people's sense of humour?
Lighten up, all of you!
This application has been pulled from the App Store, according to Fox News.
August 07 2008 at 1:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI read that this app has been pulled from the store. I cannot confirm as I am at work.
August 06 2008 at 8:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply@ kleinias
I really don't think anyone needs a lesson on such a simple model as the Apple store. The reason this got pulled is, QUITE probably, that Apple would be, by earning 30%, helping the "developer" commit a fraud. And THAT is prosecutable, whether you promised to vet the content or not.
fraud? really? i'm not so sure about that. if nothing else, it can't be more of a fraud than "the secret" and it's surrounding media. fraud is a lofty charge. i think the most it can be charged with is poor taste and an empty soul. but i still think people should be able to put soul-wasting lonely apps on their computers if they want.
August 06 2008 at 7:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyDon't spend nearly a thousand dollars to flaunt your riches! Just follow these simple steps and you too can fool the world into thinking you can throw away money with the best of them.
http://andy.teamsoell.com/iamrich/background.png
How about an App Store return policy. I you don't like the app, you may return it within 3 days.
August 06 2008 at 3:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyso, i'm gonna speak in defense of this little application.
actually, i'm going to speak in defense of the principal of it, not the app itself.
the interesting thing to me is that so many folks out there don't want apple telling developers what they can and can't develop. just look at netshare. but then when this app comes out, folks say "i can't believe they allowed this piece of crap!". i'm not saying i'm for the app, but that one has to have consistent conversations when we're talking about market policies and crap like that. as long as the app functions like it's supposed to and doesn't provide a security risk to the phone itself, that and maybe little other things are all apple should really be checking.
the fact that this is allowed into the app store tells me that developers who get rejected for reasons that are so much as vapor can appeal to apple's own apparent lack of discretion (which, again, i think they should have almost no discretion, since all discretion should belong to the user). banning this app on its apparent distaste would set a bad precedent.
I think the App Store should be heavily vetted. Without vetting you get exactly what it is now, a clearing house for crap. But users do absolutely need the freedom to install whatever they want. The solution, provide another way besides the App Store to install whatever apps you want.
August 06 2008 at 1:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replythat i can totally agree with. until we have that though, i think the app store should be open to all; crappy, strange, and offensive... so long as they're functional.
August 06 2008 at 7:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHot Apps on TUAW
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