The app in question is taptaptap’s popular app Camera+.  Camera+ was featured as the “App Of The Week” by Apple shortly after it’s release, and was on the top of the paid app charts as of Wednesday.  Camera+ added useful photo editing and two-finger focusing (one for focus, one for exposure) to the mix, which was a vast improvement over the Apple-made Camera app. {Gizmodo}

For version 1.3 of Camera+, taptaptap decided to include “Volume Snap,” which would allow the volume buttons (on the phone as well as headphones) to act as shutter buttons.  The idea being it would make it easier to get steady shots by holding the phone with two hands, or just easier than having to press the touchscreen button.  Apple rejected version 1.3 of the app, citing iPhone Developer Program License Agreement version 3.3.7.  Basically, changing the function of the volume buttons to do anything but change volume is not allowed by Apple.  Apple claims it would confuse users if the buttons were use in a “non-standard way.”

Volume Snap was originally said to be part of the version 1.2.1 release, though it was nowhere to be found, and with Apple rejecting version 1.3, it looked like Camera+ fans would never get the feature.  It then came out that Volume Snap was included in version 1.2.1, it just wasn’t obvious.  Turns out that if users who had the app went to Safari and went to the address “cameraplus://enablevolumesnap” the feature would be turned on.  A bit convoluted, but it worked and gave users the functionality.

When the news struck, bloggers urged iPhone owners to buy the app before ithe feature was taken away.  Sure enough, shortly after, Apple pulled Camera+ from the App Store while it was still high in the paid apps chart.  That’s where we are now, a great camera app pulled from the store, with no way of getting updates unless the functionality is removed.  It may not seem right, given that Volume Snap isn’t enabled by default, and the current process is such that only those who would want it would bother to turn on the feature.  However, Apple does say you can’t change the functionality of buttons, and it is clear about that in the license agreement.  Perhaps Apple will reconsider, but for now those who are lucky enough to have the app can still use it, and those who want it are out of luck.

Keeping in line with the tradition of launching great apps exclusive for the Android platform, Google has released and app called Open Spot.  The idea behind Open Spot is that once you leave a parking spot, you open the app and mark it as open.  Pretty simple idea.  The idea will then show others in the area that a parking spot was recently marked as open, and show how long the spot has been open for.  After 20 minutes, the open spots will disappear from the map. {Mashable}

The problem with the the app is that the only way for a parking spot to leave the map is if it was vacated more than 20 minutes ago.  There is no way for anyone to mark that spot as taken.  If you happen to be in a city with heavy Android usage, it could some frustration to find that the great spot showing as available was actually snapped up by another smartphone user.  The fact that there aren’t nearly as many smartphones out there as Google would like (let alone Android phones) though, means there’s a good chance nobody else, or at least very few people in your area would be using the app to mark open parking spots to start with.

It’s a great idea, and we’re sure it’s incredibly useful around Google’s campus, but this  doesn’t seem like something that’ll be as useful as Google might think.

It looks as if Apple’s iPad might be doing better than their traditional computers.  According to one analyst, iPads may be outselling Macs at a ratio of two iPads to every one Mac sold.  Based on his data, Mike Abramsky of RBC Capital Markets is saying that Apple is managing to sell  more than 200,000 iPads per week in the US {Mashable}.

That means the iPad is selling at a rate just a little lower than the iPhone 3GS.  That’s without the upcoming iPad international launch, which will mean even more sales.  While it may not be surprising to those who own or have spent time with the iPad, it does bode well for those looking for new, interesting apps for the device.  More devices in people’s hands means there are more opportunities to sell apps, and more competition to make better apps. And as publishers decide to push the boundaries, perhaps better websites.

Fashion models may be missing a nipple or two since publishers are self-censoring editorial content to avoid raising the ire of people on the other side of Apple’s sometimes unclear approval process {Shiny Shiny}; but the publications who have gone all in on iPad app development have added video and lots of integration to take full advantage of the new platform. And for app makers and publishers who prefer to go the unfiltered route, HTML5 websites are proving to be worthy – perhaps superior competitors.

At Google’s I/O technology conference, Sports Illustrated showed off an HTML5 version of the website that was strikingly similar to an app. {TechCrunch} The benefit, of course, being that there are far fewer restrictions on websites compared to apps. While apps that interact with the device (think games and touchscreen heavy apps) are unlikely to be affected, ones that are primarily content based could see heavier usage on all devices if the app experience can be replicated for the traditional computers that remain more prevalent than the iPad or any other tablet device.

What remains to be seen, however, is how the iPad will do a year or so after the release.  Once the initial wonder wears off and usage patterns start to emerge we’ll see if sales slow down.  Competitors who run tablets based on Google’s Android OS, or even WebOS could put a dent in sales as well, or prove to be a driving force in the adoption of web applications. Google is already hedging their bets on the last part with the creation of a web application repository.  For now, however, there are a lot of iPads out there and they’re still tough to get hold of, which is a good sign.

Buried alive under tons of wreckage, one man lived to tell the tale.

All thanks to an iPhone App.

Dan Woolley had arrived in Haiti to film the poverty-stricken nation for the mission organization Compassion International. He and his colleague were at their hotel in Port-Au-Prince when the earthquake struck.

Taking cover in an elevator shaft and sustaining a broken leg and a cut head, the situation was so dire that Woolley, fearing the worst, wrote his final goodbyes to his family in a blood-stained notebook.

Miraculously, however, Woolley was able to survive his 65-hour ordeal by following the advice of a First-Aid App on his iPhone, which taught him how to create a bandage and tourniquet for his leg. The App also advised against falling asleep should he be in shock – and so Woolley set his iPhone alarm to go off continuously every 20 minutes.

It’s striking to us how lucky Woolley was to have an Internet connection, the right App, and a functioning iPhone in that moment of need. We’re just thankful that Woolley had the right technology and the human strength to get home to his family alive.

Read More {MSNBC}

Read More {Wired}

That’s right kiddies, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially kicks off tomorrow in Sin City, but the tech world is already buzzing about the many goodies they’re going to see – including an onslaught of new tablets and some seriously tricked out televisions.

So what does the future of TV hold?

How about 3D programming on the Discovery Channel and ESPN? How about Skype enabled HDTVs that let you chat to your loved ones from your living rooms? How about Apps (to sites like Facebook, Pandora, and Flickr) for your TV? What about an App that brings live TV to your iPhone?

Even before CES kicks off, it seems official to us. 2010 will be the year your TV gets a serious upgrade.

Read More {Engadget}

Read More {Gizmodo}

Read More {Mashable}