Monday, November 2, 2009

UPDATE: RSS player 2.0 App Store Status

I wanted to update everyone on the progress we have made trying to get RSS Player 2.0 into the app store. As of November 1, 2009, we are still waiting for Apple to approve the app. We have sent several emails to the app store review team to ask them to prioritize the approval but we have not seen them take any action. The problem with the original submission seems to be a bad code signing. It might have happened when Apple published the app to the app store. It's a very strange and uncommon bug and we are certain this wont happen again. We are hoping that Apple will approve the app soon. We will update you again when we know more.

UPDATE: 11/11/2009
We have received an email from the app review department at Apple. They have rejected the app due to an image of the iPhone that appeared on the Default splash screen. As you know, RSS Player's load screen features about 30 to 40 small images of podcasts covers and Apple didn't like 'The iPhone Spotlight' podcast image. We modified the image immediately and resubmitted the app. Now the ball is in Apples court again. The lesson to take away for all devs is don't put a picture of the iPhone anywhere in your app.

40 comments:

  1. Thanks Almerica.

    I know this isn't your fault and I apologize on behalf of all of the users who are giving you a hard time.

    Please do keep us posted.

    One question- we shouldn't be worried about the approval, should we? I'm dismayed to see that the app no longer appears in searches of the app store.

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  2. I've been holding off synching my iPod Touch with iTunes since this problem was discovered. iTunes has the RSSPlayer update and will install it when I sync. I listen to podcasts all day and I'm worried that this will brick the app or lose all my podcast subscriptions. Am I being paranoid or appropriately cautious?

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  3. This isn't the first time Apple has messed up an application being released. It's happened to an acquaintance of mine twice with geoDefense and geoDefense Swarm. Once the app was fixed fairly quickly. The other time, there was another 2 to 3 week delay added to the release.

    I'm sure it happens to other apps in the store too. I just feel Apple needs to step up and fix the problem very quickly instead of dragging it's feet like it is with RSS Player.

    @Patrick: itunes will attempt to update but won't be able to and will leave the original 1.4 version unchanged. iTunes displays a dialog box each time it's synced however, which is annoying, but at least you can still use RSS Player and sync your device.

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  4. @Vesper: Excellent news. Thanks for the quick response.

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  5. Thanks for the update. We understand this isn't your fault, but this is what you get for making such a great app and then taking it away from us! lol

    Hopefully we will see it back in the app store soon. Keep us updated.

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  6. I have had RSS Player for a while and haven't used it very much. Just when I decide to use it, it's broken.
    Hope Apple approves it soon.

    I recently have been fustrated with iTunes. I need to use something else.

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  7. Thanks for the update, I can't wait to get it reinstalled!

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  8. Why didn't Apple just leave the old version in iTunes? That's just bad business.

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  9. As I landed on the blog for my daily status check, I noticed the last item in the list of rssplayer benefits: "No waiting for Apple's servers".

    Ha! Indeed...

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  10. Thanks for the update. Do you know when to expect the new version available on the app store?

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  11. I love this app and have been using it for over a year! Thank you so much for letting me subscribe to and download podcasts directly to the iPhone without needing to use iTunes.

    I wish I could manually sort the Agenga, though. The existing sort options are not flexible enough for me. Maybe a move up/down option in the agenda list while highlighing a podcast would be possible?

    Also, video often seems to hang and not play which always requires restarting the app. Hopefully this is addressed in the much anticipated new version.

    Once again, thank you so much for this app! I use it EVERY DAY on my iPhone!

    Chris

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  12. I get 2.0 installed--maybe because i jailbreak it. But it crashes very frequently.if I paly a show while it is refreshing, it often crashes. Indeed, it often crashes without a reason while it is refreshing, even if I do not do anything with it.

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  13. in addition, the edit button in playlist (2.0) is inconvinient.I need to scroll back to the top of the list to use it. It would be better to freeze it.

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  14. Any news on when rss player will be back online?
    I don't care if via the app store or cydia!
    Thanks!

    PS: I highly doubt apple is going to approve
    the app again (didn't they had a problem with rss player the first time because it duplicates iPhone functionality?).

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  15. If the problem was completely out of your control, how can you be "certain it won't happen again"?

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  16. I've paid for the app - waiting for > 3 weeks now. Gosh

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  17. I also paid for the app nut have now lost it. Any idea when it will be back?

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  18. comic book guy says:
    worst.
    app.
    ever.

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  19. Apple really needs to address their approval process. I think it is completely out of control. They never thought it would be this big. They need to automate this process somehow.

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  20. Holy crapples! I had to replace my phone recently, and because the RSS Player isn't available for download anymore, I have been without it for a week! Now it might be after thanksgiving before I can get it back? It's insane.

    I'm kind of glad I didn't go into iPhone development as I was considering.

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  21. So let me see if I fully understand this. Because of a podcast show's image happened to have an iPhone in it that you used in the startup splash screen, Apple rejected the RSS Player and users are forced to cope with than annoying error dialog appearing for probably 4 more weeks, not to mention being without the most useful app in the AppStore?

    Man, All I can say to you here is please be patient with Apple so that RSS Player can be returned to the AppStore. Then, I would fully understand if you want to join Mr. Hewitt and leave development for the AppStore for other platforms that actually like it's developers and wants applications to be published.

    I get the feeling that Apple feels that with 100,000 apps for it's users to choose from, it can be even more picky with it's reviews. My feeling here is that if this keeps up, all we are going to see in the AppStore soon is 100,000 Fart, Flashlight, Tip Calculator, and Sexy picture apps. They had better watch it or the Android OS will wind up being the OS of choice even though it's not the best OS to program for.

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  22. This is another example of Apple screwing up. I for one will be jumping ship to Android as soon as my contract is up.

    Any chance of an RSS Player Android app?

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  23. I just provided some "encouragement" to the apple support team to evaluate how they are(n't) handling app approvals.

    Thanks for a great app. I can't wait to start using it again.

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  24. You should listen to the Nov 16'th edition of CNET News Daily. It discusses a developer who had an app update rejected by Apple because they used an iPhone image in the update. Never mind that the previous versions did too and yet were approved. That developer has decided that Apple's app approval process is so frustrating that he is getting out of the app development business for iPhone.

    Any chance that RSS Player will have an Android app? When my phone contract is up I am jumping to Android and never looking back. I am just getting too tired of the iPhone's limitations and Apple's "just deal with it" attitude towards it's customers.

    You know what there is serious competition in town now and they seem to have learned from Apple's iPhone mistakes. Apple hasn't as far as I can tell.

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  25. I have a question. Can I buy this app directly from you?

    Thank you

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  26. Looks like Apple is pulling a power play.. True dat!!!

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  27. Looks Apple is pulling a power play.... True dat!!!

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  28. Apple is apparently hell bent on demonstrating what happens when businesses can't predict outcomes with a reasonable level of certainty.

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  29. Please... just make this app for the android platform and i will dump my iphone... apple is starting to drive my nuts

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  30. Any update? It's been about two weeks since you've said anything.

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  31. bought the apps, enjoyed it for 2 days and baam ... its gone. its gone for close to a month already. If apple choose not to allow this apps - does it mean we'll get our refund? Man, I really want to move on from here

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  32. get the update. It is still 2.0, not 2.1. The problem I have still exist: whenever I refresh, it crashes.I have a list of 43 podcasts.when it refresh somewhere around 35-39 podcasts(it depends), it will crash. I restart program, refresh, it will finish the remaining several podcasts.then I can download. Do know if anybody else also experience this. I am on OS3.1.2.jailbreaked.Do not have this problem on 1.0 version of the program

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  33. I just downloaded rssplayer 2.0 from the applestore, thanks.

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  34. It's Back!

    Finally RSS Player is back on the iTunes store and, what's more, I didn't get charged fro downloading it as the store recognised that I had already purchased the previous version.

    Now if I can resume playing back Videos at the point I stopped, I will be really pleased!

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  35. Wahhh - Whoooo

    RSS Player is back! That and 3G being roled out in my area within the last few weeks and I can get my half hour podcasts (~13MB) w/o having to sync or look for hotspots.

    Happy Thanksgiving all!

    (plus I get the first comment offering congrats to the devs. Way to go Almerica!)

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  36. What a surprise! Version 2.1 just appeared in iTunes as an update this morning.
    With some trepidation, I downloaded it. No problems. Holding my breath, I began the synchronization. So far, so good. Now the real test - launching the app.
    Hey, the launch screen is different *snicker*.

    Crap, after the launch screen is visible for a few seconds, I'm sent back to the page from which I launched the app. Does this mean it's crashing? Power down, power up, same result. Hard reboot, same result. Using an 2nd gen iPod Touch running v3.1.2 (7D11). Not cool.

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  37. Update from my previous post: Uninstalling and reinstalling the app resolved my upgrade problem. Works great now.
    Even though I lost my podcasts, the new search feature makes it quite easy to add podcasts; I only had to manually type in a few of my 45 podcasts.

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  38. Just upgraded to 2.1, I skipped 2.0. Glad to see apple finally got around to approving the app. While the app is a little slicker I'm not sure it's a real functional upgrade.

    The app still crashes regularly - no change on that front.

    'Background' play (ie once the screen goes black but with the app still running) now crashes the app about 50% of the times - that's a step in the wrong direction, it used to work 100% of the time.

    Downloads are now even less reliable: about every 9mb of download I get a waring that I'm offline and told to restart the download, clicking start starts it up again without any connection change - this is also a step backwards.

    Access to the web browser from the show notes is GONE, no more google link, no more URL bar, the old one was junk, but only being able to follow shownote links is a HUGE step backwards.

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