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I have no love for Apple's walled-garden, and I absolutely appreciate 69 jokes, but this app is stupid.

skrtskrt 4y ago
the first apps I remember on iOS were a beer glass that poured out beer when you tipped the phone, and a lightsaber app that made sheeewwwww sounds when you swung the phone around. We loved them It's ok to make stupid apps as long as you're not scamming. The oh-so-serious nature of the current online experience sucks
- jaywalk 4y ago
  I have fond memories of the beer glass app. I showed it off numerous times after I got my first iPhone In my ideal world, Apple wouldn't have a walled-garden at all. But if they will, then there needs to be a certain bar for apps to meet to be included. And to be clear, there are plenty of existing apps that don't meet such a bar. But Tip 69 definitely doesn't.
  - Apocryphon 4y ago
    Let the users decide. Actually, there's an interesting notion that could exist on both the official App Store, or in a hypothetical non-Apple one: cull apps that have too low usage activity. But give them a fair shake by attracting attention to them, then seeing what users make of them. And when you do remove low-to-nil use apps, don't remove their listings, keep them as archived entries that users can try to vote back to life. Obviously, a lot of these mechanisms would be exploited by bots and the like, because the internet just can't have fun experimental interactivity anymore. Doesn't scale.
    - jaywalk 4y ago
      If we could have nice things, I absolutely agree.
- guiambros 4y ago
  > ...a beer glass that poured out beer when you tipped the phone, and a lightsaber app... Oh I remember those two. I think they were installed via Cydia[1] no? Or maybe it was right after, when the official AppStore was launched. Silly, but great wow factor in those early days. [1] for the youngsters here: Cydia was the only way to install apps in your iPhone before the AppStore was created (circa 2008). You had to jailbreak your phone, install Cydia, and then we had a handful of apps that demonstrated iPhone's capabilities. I remember my first app was some marble labyrinth game, that served as a fantastic demonstration of iPhone's accelerometers. Pretty surreal at the time. Saurik, Cydia's main developer, is frequently seen around on HN threads.
  - jaywalk 4y ago
    The beer glass app definitely didn't require a jailbreak, because I used it well before I even jailbroke my iPhone. It was a legit App Store app.
    - tinus_hn 4y ago
      When the beer glass app got started every app required a jailbreak because officially there were only Apple apps, the App Store did not exist.
  - wlesieutre 4y ago
    They were on the app store for sure https://www.techeblog.com/ibeer/ https://www.techeblog.com/ibeer/ https://www.macworld.com/article/191906/phonesaber.html https://www.macworld.com/article/191906/phonesaber.html
    - speedyapoc 4y ago
      Thanks for linking these. What a fun read. The first few years of the App Store always seemed like the golden age. Users had no idea what these devices could do and were so eager to download and try new things, which fuelled some awesome indie creations.
    - opless 4y ago
- Aeolun 4y ago
  Tap Tap Revenge was great. There’s so many clones on the app store now, but nothing that approaches the usability and fun.
- throwaway675309 4y ago
  Just to be fair, the beer pouring app was a somewhat clever use of the accelerometer even if it was rather pointless, this one on the other hand skip's the whole clever part and jumps right to pointless.
mynameisvlad 4y ago
If you’re not the target audience, then that’s fine but it’s pretty rude to insult someone’s work just because you’re too high brow for it. Not every app has to be a serious thing that revolutionizes the world. Sometimes, people want and appreciate “stupid” apps.
- groffee 4y ago
  And somewhat sadly the dumb apps you shit out over a weekend make more money than the 'serious' apps you can spend months on, because the dumb apps are fun.
- jaywalk 4y ago
  To be clear, I am absolutely not "too high brow" for such an app. I, personally, wouldn't use it, but like I said I appreciate a 69 joke. But if Apple is going to insist on a curated App Store, then an app like this should not be allowed.
  - mynameisvlad 4y ago
    I mean, clearly not, the app is now published. And who are you to say, in any case? If Apple had a bar, it's up to them to know what it is and enforce it. Parent comment never said Apple had a problem with the concept, but that the execution was "too simple". Once enough functionality was added, the app seemed to be approved.
Aeolun 4y ago
I’m happy to see stupid apps that took some effort to make. What I don’t like is the dime a dozen garbage apps.
Jonovono 4y ago
take my eyes but not my app

the first apps I remember on iOS were a beer glass that poured out beer when you tipped the phone, and a lightsaber app that made sheeewwwww sounds when you swung the phone around. We loved them It's ok to make stupid apps as long as you're not scamming. The oh-so-serious nature of the current online experience sucks

jaywalk 4y ago
I have fond memories of the beer glass app. I showed it off numerous times after I got my first iPhone In my ideal world, Apple wouldn't have a walled-garden at all. But if they will, then there needs to be a certain bar for apps to meet to be included. And to be clear, there are plenty of existing apps that don't meet such a bar. But Tip 69 definitely doesn't.
- Apocryphon 4y ago
  Let the users decide. Actually, there's an interesting notion that could exist on both the official App Store, or in a hypothetical non-Apple one: cull apps that have too low usage activity. But give them a fair shake by attracting attention to them, then seeing what users make of them. And when you do remove low-to-nil use apps, don't remove their listings, keep them as archived entries that users can try to vote back to life. Obviously, a lot of these mechanisms would be exploited by bots and the like, because the internet just can't have fun experimental interactivity anymore. Doesn't scale.
  - jaywalk 4y ago
    If we could have nice things, I absolutely agree.
guiambros 4y ago
> ...a beer glass that poured out beer when you tipped the phone, and a lightsaber app... Oh I remember those two. I think they were installed via Cydia[1] no? Or maybe it was right after, when the official AppStore was launched. Silly, but great wow factor in those early days. [1] for the youngsters here: Cydia was the only way to install apps in your iPhone before the AppStore was created (circa 2008). You had to jailbreak your phone, install Cydia, and then we had a handful of apps that demonstrated iPhone's capabilities. I remember my first app was some marble labyrinth game, that served as a fantastic demonstration of iPhone's accelerometers. Pretty surreal at the time. Saurik, Cydia's main developer, is frequently seen around on HN threads.
- jaywalk 4y ago
  The beer glass app definitely didn't require a jailbreak, because I used it well before I even jailbroke my iPhone. It was a legit App Store app.
  - tinus_hn 4y ago
    When the beer glass app got started every app required a jailbreak because officially there were only Apple apps, the App Store did not exist.
- wlesieutre 4y ago
  They were on the app store for sure https://www.techeblog.com/ibeer/ https://www.techeblog.com/ibeer/ https://www.macworld.com/article/191906/phonesaber.html https://www.macworld.com/article/191906/phonesaber.html
  - speedyapoc 4y ago
    Thanks for linking these. What a fun read. The first few years of the App Store always seemed like the golden age. Users had no idea what these devices could do and were so eager to download and try new things, which fuelled some awesome indie creations.
  - opless 4y ago
Aeolun 4y ago
Tap Tap Revenge was great. There’s so many clones on the app store now, but nothing that approaches the usability and fun.
throwaway675309 4y ago
Just to be fair, the beer pouring app was a somewhat clever use of the accelerometer even if it was rather pointless, this one on the other hand skip's the whole clever part and jumps right to pointless.

mynameisvlad 4y ago

If you’re not the target audience, then that’s fine but it’s pretty rude to insult someone’s work just because you’re too high brow for it. Not every app has to be a serious thing that revolutionizes the world. Sometimes, people want and appreciate “stupid” apps.

groffee 4y ago
And somewhat sadly the dumb apps you shit out over a weekend make more money than the 'serious' apps you can spend months on, because the dumb apps are fun.
jaywalk 4y ago
To be clear, I am absolutely not "too high brow" for such an app. I, personally, wouldn't use it, but like I said I appreciate a 69 joke. But if Apple is going to insist on a curated App Store, then an app like this should not be allowed.
- mynameisvlad 4y ago
  I mean, clearly not, the app is now published. And who are you to say, in any case? If Apple had a bar, it's up to them to know what it is and enforce it. Parent comment never said Apple had a problem with the concept, but that the execution was "too simple". Once enough functionality was added, the app seemed to be approved.

Aeolun 4y ago

I’m happy to see stupid apps that took some effort to make. What I don’t like is the dime a dozen garbage apps.

Jonovono 4y ago

take my eyes but not my app