Ahead of the Curve
Bits and bytes for geeks and gearheads
RECENT POSTS
- Can Multimedia Help the Book Business?
- How Could YouTube Finally Make Some Dough?
- YouTube Star Earns Six Figures
- What Do Women Want to Watch on TV?
- Publishers Keep Up With Online Video
- An Upfront for Web Video Shows
- Best Practices in Online Video
- Mobile Broadcasters Do Vegas
- Online Video Metrics: Blessing or Curse?
- iPhone TV: Too Much of a Good Thing?
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
« Previous | Main | Next »
Who would pay $1,000 for an iPhone application?
August 08, 2008 5:59 PM
Apparently, for some people, blinding bling and designer duds are too subtle.
Before Apple yanked the $999.99 "I Am Rich" iPhone application from its iTunes App Store, eight people had purchased the functionless application. Designed by German developer Armin Heinrich, the program does a whole lot of nothing. Once downloaded and activated, the application displays a glowing, red "ruby" on the user's iPhone screen.
In its official App Store description, the developer wrote: "The red icon on your iPhone or iPod Touch always reminds you (and others when you show it to them) that you were able to afford this. … It's a work of art with no hidden function at all."
According to tech blog Valleywag, one curious patron accidentally downloaded the application, thinking it was a joke. But seven others -- five in the United States, one in Germany and one in France -- meant to buy the ridiculously pricey program.
Who knows if those seven spendthrifts were actually rich, but they certainly made Heinrich several thousand dollars richer.
--Ki Mae Heussner
August 8, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (27)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
I'm guessing it was 3 American senators and 2 Congressmen charging it to their district's constituents. Not that I'm bitter or anything...
Posted by: DownwithMSM | Aug 9, 2008 12:14:29 PM
A wise man once said there is an idiot born every second and eight people have stepped up to prove that theory is correct.
Posted by: depravedmaniac | Aug 9, 2008 12:16:39 PM
Apple sheeple will buy anything....
Posted by: Gee | Aug 9, 2008 12:29:19 PM
Typical iPhone mentality.
Posted by: Publius | Aug 9, 2008 12:42:59 PM
Now that there's only eight in the world, they could probably sell their phones on ebay for a lot more than $1,000.00....
Posted by: collector | Aug 9, 2008 1:38:09 PM
I heard the Apple CEO secretely called the application "I AM STUPID"
Posted by: Steve Harlen | Aug 9, 2008 1:44:32 PM
Sounds like only some stupid people bought the "I am Stupid" application.
Posted by: MyFellowAmericans | Aug 9, 2008 1:59:09 PM
That money should have gone to charity. So how about a charity iphone application?
Posted by: populus | Aug 9, 2008 2:29:14 PM
Why pull it? If people want to blow their money on a functionless application, then let that designer make some money!
Posted by: ShockedITellYou | Aug 9, 2008 2:39:39 PM
These idiots are nothing but followers like Hummer owners. They are so insecure in their personalities like tatooed people, they just want people too look at them, thinking it will impress them. They believe in their own minds that other people will be in awe of them, when actually most people realize how stupid they are. The only people that will be impressed are low IQ'd followers, and it's these idiots that will have to have one to be just like these other idiots. Then they can say "Look at me! Look at me!"
Posted by: steve | Aug 9, 2008 3:07:31 PM
It is no different than buying flashy, expensive jewelry or a luxury car .. you buy it because you can.
Posted by: Cassandra Washington | Aug 9, 2008 3:35:09 PM
steve, you are a moron. people usually buy things because they want those items, not for status symbols. i have an xbox 360, wii, and a PS3, but i bought those because i wanted them for my use. if you want a hummer, go buy it and pollute the atmosphere almost the same amount as a honda civic (it's true, it has to adhere to emissions standards). usually, the ones who need attention are the ones like you, who criticize what they can't achieve or afford. i would tend to think, outside hollywood, that the richer people in this country have higher IQ's than the poorest people. this can be due to education, background, and ethnic culture.
Posted by: mike | Aug 9, 2008 4:00:39 PM
Just proves the old adage "A fool and his money are soon parted."
Posted by: ToadstoolGirl | Aug 9, 2008 4:16:29 PM
Hey these six phones are collector's items now!
Posted by: Scotti | Aug 9, 2008 4:18:10 PM
How can these be iPhones be "collector's items"? What one can make another can copy. I wouldn't be surprised if some hacker right now was making a iPhone clone app that anyone can download for free that imitates the "red ruby" display. And who is to make the dubious case as to which app is "genuine" and which are the clones? Kiss any perceived value or status of your $1000 screen toy good-bye, dimbulbs.
Posted by: Publius | Aug 10, 2008 1:17:12 AM
Anyone seen with this crap will ONLY be seen as stupid and brain dead.
Posted by: America - A Nation Of Sheep | Aug 10, 2008 6:43:25 AM
depravedmaniac -> Actually the quote is "theres a sucker born every minute" by pt.barnum. And no, he was not a wise man. Just a showman who was referring to how quickly people lose interest and how you must be constantly changing and marketing your product to keep it fresh and continue selling.
Posted by: Fernando | Aug 10, 2008 2:22:50 PM
How about "I am shallow"?
Posted by: LagunaTriMom | Aug 10, 2008 6:40:20 PM
Oh you MAC fanboys are such tards.....You'll do anything to get the latest iTurd
Posted by: Reverend | Aug 10, 2008 8:24:30 PM
Oh Reverend and other haters, those guys are nutz but hating the iPhone and Apple for creating a revolutionary product is BS. Use your razor in health, but don't knock the rest of us for liking the latest and greatest, regardless of who made it.
Posted by: Izzy | Aug 10, 2008 8:41:26 PM
Post a comment
