Apple removes Wi-Fi finders from App Store

Apple on Thursday began removing another category of apps from its iPhone App Store. This time, it's not porn, it's Wi-Fi.

Apple removed several Wi-Fi apps commonly referred to as stumblers, or apps that seek out available Wi-Fi networks near your location. According to a story on Cult of Mac, apps removed by Apple include WiFi-Where, WiFiFoFum, and yFy Network Finder.

(Credit: Apple)

"We received a very unfortunate e-mail today from Apple stating that WiFi-Where has been removed from sale on the App Store for using private frameworks to access wireless information," WiFi Where-maker Three Jacks Software, wrote on its Web site.

There was no explanation as to what Apple meant by "private frameworks." Apple representatives were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNET.

TechCrunch says Tonchidot, a Tokyo-based developer, had its app Sekai Camera removed because of its use of Wi-Fi, too. Sekai Camera uses PlaceEngine as a way to determine a user's location over Wi-Fi.

PlaceEngine developer Koozyt says other apps that use its technology have also been removed, including Yahoo! Maps for the iPhone.

This isn't the first time Apple has gone after a category of apps. In late February, Apple targeted "overtly sexual" apps, removing almost 5,000 apps from the App Store.

[Jay Jennings]

I love Apple products, but I think their heavy-handed actions in the App Store are going to backfire on them. The problem in this case, I think, lies on the American people voting retards into office who pass bills that make it illegal to use an open wifi connection. Apple may think they have to pull those apps to keep from being sued.

Jay Jennings

[orbital_bruiser]

Except those "retards" you are referring to are i the UK. Better luck next time.

[Jay Jennings]

Orbital, you're not keeping up. People in the US are being charged and convicted of using open wifi connections. In many places (possibly all?) it's actually a felony. Sounds too stupid to be true, but Google it and you'll see.

Jay Jennings

[Jay Jennings]

Oribital, try to keep up. There are people in the US who have been tried and convicted of using wifi they weren't supposed to be using -- such as parking outside a public library (Alaska) or outside a coffee shop (Michigan). In many (perhaps all) places it's actually a felony. Google it and be dismayed.

Jay Jennings

[smilin:)]

Orbital_bruiser just pwned you.

[codynews]

Uh, JJ, what the hell bill are you talking about? I use "open wifi" all the time. In fact, not only is my wifi open but I own several apartment buildings where I install wifi and leave it wide open.

[XCMeathead]

It's not illegal to use an open wifi connection in the UK

[Jay Jennings]

First, sorry for that other dupe.

Sheesh, I can't believe people who hang out at Cnet wouldn't know this stuff. Go Google "stealing wifi felony" without the quotes and see what comes up.

While it may not be widespread at this time, it's real and it's happening in the US -- because retards are in control.

Jay Jennings

[Seaspray0]

This is what can happen when one company has absolute control over what you can put on your device. No explanation. And you agreed to it.

[jsfpac]

Jay is 100% right on this. I majored in network security and what Jay is referring to is war driving. Look up war driving. It is a federal offense but not entirely enforced. Say they are not hunting down war driving hackers, but if caught it is evasion of private property via you can access there network you can access there computer you are in risk of a law suit. If you also rogue from another person's wireless router from say your place and your next door neighbor had wifi with no wep key you are using up his cable bill and private property. Yet again the chances of getting caught are not as likely as guessed. I would say the only fault would be the person with the wireless router. note to self people if you have wifi put a wep key on if you don't know how call your cable company because you ARE reliable for that.

[Jasper1675]

Below is a link to an interesting article, basically a man in Michigan recieved a $400 dollar fine and 40 hours of community service for using someones open WiFi. I think a few people on here owe Jay an appology.

Other imprtant facts year 2007, and no Michigan is not in the UK.

http://www.osnn.net/submitted-news/90464-felony-illegal-open-wi-fi-hot-spot-access.html

[umbrae]

Boy can't wait for Apple to sue all other handset marker so we can be free of porn and wifi forever! Maybe they can file some more bogus patents tomorrow and suing Acer or Dell by next month. Then we can be rid of that pesky free-choice thing once and for all.

*exudes sarcasm*

[seven7dust]

Funny how you leave out Nokia cause they've done the exact same thing sue over preposterous patents
and ban Adult content from their version of the App store ,the OVI store

[nuno1959]

news flash : that won't happen simply because they are ALL the same cake - only different icing/brands/logos.
free-choice ? wake up Mr, these days EVERY company owns & belongs to every company...

[fudbuster77]

Okay, NOW I'm starting to get upset, Apple.

I use WiFi finders daily because, frankly, the built search can't find anything correctly or is so clunky as to be unusable. I like using Wifi stumblers to help test the network or even just troubleshoot it, things your built in wifi chooser simply cannot do.

It's not duplicating functionality, it's adding to it.

Dammit, Apple, don't keep annoying your end users so much. This is getting old. Pretty soon I'll start confusing you with Microsoft for things like this!

Love the products, love the services, have serious doubts about the company of late. :/

[ikramerica--2008]

Uh huh.

I've never failed to find the wifi network I was looking for on my iPhone. Not once, no matter where in the country I was. It always shows up, unless it's a hidden ID, in which case it's not broadcasting that it is available, and you are supposed to "know" about it and enter it manually. My home network is that way, and it also works on every iPhone that has visited.

So what are you really looking for? And what are you really testing? Because if it's the "robustness" of the wifi networks you are installing, well, if it doesn't show up in the Apple list, it's frankly not robust enough and you need to strengthen the signal in that area...

[fudbuster77]

Unfortunately, not every network is as well designed as you would lke to have it. Aple's built in wifi finder doesn't see all the public sites available. I have a Touch and an iPhone. You can have both on and searching- the Touch will have one list of networks, and the iPhone with my third party app will find MORE. The lists are not the same. nd this is just with public sites.

I don't blindy just believe whatever the iPhone lists. Perhaps that is your preference to be told what you can and cannot connect with, but I prefer more freedom than that.

[Yelonde]

Oh, so you weren't upset before? After looking at all of your previous comments fudbuster77, I would say that you are a PC fanboi in denial. I love the way you pose as an apple user, then you turn around to bash your position. Almost every comment you have made on apple articles, you claim that you are an apple user, generally starting out with a "I love my iPhone", or "i love my mac", then you say "but this is ..." etc for a few paragraphs.

Quit using the internet as a mask to hide your opinions, because only stupid people will ever be convinced.

As for the article itself, I feel as if apple should have at least given a full warning before the ban. Even better, if they did have something against wifi apps, they should have stated it in their eula a few years ago. Apple's actions will discourage developers. After all, the next app they ban could be yours for some vague reason.

I sure hope that apple finds a way to regain the faith of their developers. If the app store is run the way it is, I think there will be serious consequences in the future.

I personally encourage people to jailbreak their iPhones/iPod touches. Seriously, if you are concerned about having an open apple device, then jailbreaking is a good option.

[Hernys]

Yelonde:
Besides bashing fudbuster, which might be a PC fanboy or not, do you have anything to counter his arguments? Because if you are happy that Apple is controlling what you can run and what you can't in ways that definitely are not "for your own protection", then it's you that could be defined as a fanboy.
And claiming that it is not an issue because you can illegaly work around the problem with some great risks and limitations doesn't reflect very well on you either.
And yes, I am a PC.

[Renegade Knight]

@ ikramerica--2008

I used an Android Wifi finder to look at all the networks in my neighborhood. Among other things it told me I'm using a crowded channel and I need to change to a different one for better performance.

WiFi finders have uses. Especially the ones that give you real information instead of "wanna join this random network we found?"

[pookiemom]

ikramerica, I hate to tell you this, but you don't fail to find a network because your flippin' phone hooks to the ATT network. iPhones, unless hacked, don't have active WiFi. I suspect that is the real reason for the mass deletion--they are so incredibly easy to mod.

iTouches DO have WiFi capability. I use mine to test network strength in the workplace and to see who is running conflicting networks. Also, should I get really brave, I may mod mine to enable the phone part and use Skype to make calls.

[dwkmi]

@ pookiemom

What? iPhones don't have WiFi? Fail. Try again, and thanks for playing.

"I may mod mine to enable the phone part and use Skype to make calls."

Another fail. First, the iTuch lacks the hardware required, so you can't just "enable" the phone. Second, Skype works over WiFi too, so you don't need to do anything other than installing Skype.

Don't act a know-it-all when you clearly don't.

[monkeyfun14]

@Yelonde

Just because you use Apple products doesn't mean that you have to support everything Apple does.

[Yelonde]

I dont monkeyfun14, I just stated that I do not support apple's appstore policies. A little reading would be beneficial for you.

[wryland]

Oh, Apple, I knew you well...

[cloudmatt]

Come to the darkside, we have cookies! (And boobie apps!) ;p

Posted on my nexus one.

[Perry_Clease]

Was there something unique to the apps that were removed?

There are still a number of WiFi finder apps in the store. Of course it could be that those have not yet been eightysixed.

[Hey_888]

Nope. No apps of their kind on the app store ANYMORE. The wifi apps that are on there are apps that you HAVE to be ONLINE to view, ie. download locations where there are wifi spots, usually coffee shops et al.

These apps were kinda special because they showed weaker wifi spots and you can lock onto it that the native iPhone app wouldnt see. They showed more detail as well. They were excellent. Like it was posted previously, another wifi app called Wifi Checker by Lars Bergstrom was pulled and then allowed only to be pulled again when iPhone/iTouch firmware Version 3.0 came out. Apple or should we say, AT&T is really messing with people here and their liberties. When AT&T tells Apple to jump, Apple always responds to how high. They never do anything that AT&T doesn't approve of.

[studiodave56]

Actually they all used the same engine so it must be the problem. It is very clear in the article. Also doing a search for WiFi on the app store just now presented several WiFi finder applications. All have not been removed only the ones that used the wrong methods.

[Soul of Wit]

Yes, there is something unique to the apps that were removed--and it is mentioned in the article. Read it again.

As for the blogger not understanding what a "private framework" is? That's idiotic. RESERVED FOR APPLE'S USE. Understand now?

Apple has rules for its developers. These developers broke the rules. Bye bye, apps.

I have several wifi sniffers on my device. All are still available in the app store.

[Minotauro79]

Yep the title of the article is completely wrong. Wifi finders were fine but some wifi scanners apparently were not. There are still wifi/networking apps in the App store like one called "Scanny" which scans wifi networks and can provide a lot of information about them. I guess it's one of the few which does meet Apple's requirements. Hopefully the developers figure out what is ok sooner rather than later.

[deltabear]

I'd be interested to know if these apps can be used to identify the user's location without the user's permission.

[geognerd]

Continued antics like this will help Android. Apple needs to be careful, otherwise more developers will decide the hassle of Apple and their App Store isn't worthwhile anymore.

[mikeinrichmond]

When did that saying morph into, "If ya can't beat 'em, sue 'em." ? :)

[Yelonde]

Since people started stealing patented ideas mikeinrichmond.

[Renegade Knight]

@Yelonde

Ideas can't be patented. You have to do a bit more work to patent something.

[make_or_break]

@ Yolande:

"Since people started stealing patented ideas..."

Apple should know a thing or two about this. They tried to steal hierarchical menu UIs from Creative and patent it as their own.

@ Renegade Knight: Yes you CAN patent ideas. This is the frickin' Federales, dude. They just about allow anyone to patent ANY stupid thing, as long as it's not prior art (or close enough to it) already patented by someone else.

[gwailo247]

So by extension there will be no similar apps in the App Store when the iPad comes out.
Hm.

Sounds like they're trying to force people into buying the 3G iPad.

But wait, I'm waiting to hear how this is a good thing...

[Seaspray0]

The fart app is going strong.

[HunterA3]

I would not be surprised in the least if this has something to do with the suit that Nokia launched against Apple regarding WiFi technologies in the iPhone.

[star_navig8r]

How 'bout that earthquake! Now that is something to be concerned about! . . . maybe someday AT&T will have 3G coverage where I live and I can justify an iPhone . . . android is no problemo!

[Perry_Clease]

Where do you live?

[thelemurking]

@ Perry
http://media.bestofmicro.com/at-t-verizon-3g-coverage,Z-E-229370-13.jpg
he probably lives somewhere in the white area of that AT&T map. I'm sure you have seen at least one of those Verizon commericals by now ;]

I was a long time MS fan considering my father worked there for 10+ years and shunned all apple products... until the iphone 3g was released because I was due for a new phone and why not get a ipod too? Needless to say I loved my iphone even with its shortcomings (no video? no flash? no mms at first, tethering?!) and defended the phone to the haters (whom have replaced phones multiple times while my iphone is still going strong)

But lately Apple is beginning to lose my respect. I have not been a big fan of how locked down the app store is.... I kind of understood when they wanted to remove sexual content in hopes to get the ipad into schools but now this? wifi location apps? Then I read about how their factories in China have child labor (I know Apple isnt the only bad guy here but if they need to be accountable) Then they go after HTC over some bs patents(who the hell is giving these broad ass patents to them anyhow) to divert attention away from the child labor....

I love the phone and look forward to what they have planned for release this summer... but damn man just play ball and quit being a ******

[Yelonde]

Actually, apple is not at fault for the child labour issues. If you read the news articles regarding that, you will have read that apple themselves reported the child labour, and that the child labour was coming from factories who hired underaged workers. In many cases, these factories knowingly hired underaged workers, and forged/fabricated documents, put in false ages, and lied about worker numbers to get these workers. If apple was seriously trying to hire children, they would not have reported their own flaws, would they?

[cfoto]

Yelonde....if you are sending items to be produced overseas to a communist country...then you probably are not too worried about child labor in the long run.

[mose0]

@Yelonde, mr cfoto has a point :]

[deniceels]

Yelode, furthermore, China has been long noted for having child labour issues (at least a decade and it's widely publicised) and you think Apple don't know or not aware? How's that for being misled. By saying Apple is not at fault, for decades products manufactured or assembled in China (iPod 1st gen for example) is like saying Apple is like a child going to a candy store for the first time and tempted by the full glory (in this case, profit margin).

[Yelonde]

If that is the case cfoto, mose0, and deniceels, the vast majority of manufacturers are to blame, because they too manufacture their products in china. To single out apple as the only violator of human rights is to blind yourself from the truth, because every other company, microsoft, toyota, IBM, intel, HTC, google, and practically everyone else produces their goods in china.

But hey, apple acknowledges it, unlike those other companies, and they are trying to fix it. You never see other companies every saying that they have employed child labor, and talk about trying to fix it.

[hpew]

Yelonde, as far as I know, Apple uses contactor(s) in TAIWAN, not in mainland China.

[viper396]

@hpew, "...'as far as I know, Apple uses contactor(s) in TAIWAN, not in mainland China."


In other words you know nothing and just like Yelonde you're just scratching for any pathetic excuse to exonerate Apple. Apple does in fact have a large portion of it's manufacturing in mainland China.

Child labor is wrong no matter who the company is. You only make yourselves and Apple look bad by trying to rationalize it.

[make_or_break]

hpew: 'phew' is right; you won't get very far with what YOU know. Apple deals with a lot of supplier companies in both Chinas. Plus it just so happens that a good number of Taiwanese companies also have facilities on the mainland as well.

[jaymoe4]

They shouldn't be able to kill developers like this. Every time they do a purge, they have to be putting dozens, if not hundred of small development teams & independent programmers out of business.

[Hey_888]

The thing is the developers are afraid to say anything back. It's like they're just bending over spreading their legs wide Apple.

[CSchool]

I love apple but I don't understand the latest move with the app store. The soft core porn, yes, I understand that, I have a small child that loves his iTouch.

Instead of "there's an app for that", perhaps a new saying could be "There use to be an App for that"

[Perry_Clease]

There are still apps for that. Assuming that you have iTunes installed, or access to someone who does, go to the store and search on WiFi.

[CSchool]

I've got 7 Macs total in the house with an additional 3 Cinema displays ($25k total investment). I intend to buy 2 iPads for a total of 9 Macs in the house. I have one of those Wi-Fi apps that was removed today from the app store. I paid money for that app and now, with updates to the OS, it may become inoperable. I happen to really like this app and its far better than the one that came with my iPhone. So Apple didn't just hurt the developer, they possibly hurt me as well. If they did it because of Nokia's suit, I'm ok with it. If they did it for any other reason, I'm not. Will I stop buying Apple, hell no, but I do think they need to be very careful with these things and come up with a better excuse than they did.

[Hey_888]

@Perry Clease. Nope. I just checked the app store and all the ones that worked the same way as the ones that got removed are all pulled. Online the apps that require you to access them by 3G are available. Don't say there are comparable apps available when you dont know what you're talking about.

[tux_warrior]

Wait, there could still be an app on your iPhone that allows porn in,, it's called the browser or did Apple remove that from you too?

They should be handing these things out for free if they're going to decide how you can use them. Man I love open source.

[thelemurking]

Hey CSchool, remember Apple made such a big hooha over PARENTAL CONTROLS? Every fracking time I update my Wiki app I am warned that it's not suitable for children under 17. If you are worried about your small child, then use those damn parental controls. I assume that's why Apple included them.

[ZeppelinMaker]

Hmmm. Good idea for a WebOS app.

[Perry_Clease]

Open the Maps app in the iPhone. Set a location and in the search box enter WiFi. It doesn't show you all WiFi locations in the vicinity, but it may show the free ones in such places such as bookstores and coffee shops.

Anyway once again there are still quite a few WiFi finder apps in the iTunes Store

[lazycat202]

there are many wifi apps out there. However, the question is ... which one is the best. True users don't want junk apps.

[ikramerica--2008]

either way, it sounds like these developers were not coding correctly and using the wrong APIs to do their magic. they signed a developer agreement saying they wouldn't do that, so why exactly is it apple's fault for enforcing this? For all we know, Apple has gotten a ton of crash reports regarding these particular offending apps shutting down system services...

[Hey_888]

@ikramerica. umm. the apps all have to go through a screening process and they were ALL approved, some were re-approved more than once. It's not an API issue. That's the excuse Apple is dishing out and you're obviously either too gulible or too stupid to see it.

[DrtyDogg]

IrkAmerica: Is that the official response from Apple? According to the developer "Apple changed their policy regarding ?the way apps access Wi-Fi devices?"

[fudbuster77]

@Perry_Clease:

"Open the Maps app in the iPhone. Set a location and in the search box enter WiFi."

The problem with that assumption is that you have a 3G cell signal, in which case you don't need wifi in the first place. BUT... perhaps you're inside a bulding that doesn't have good signal penetration, or perhaps you are unfortunate enough to be stuck using AT&T and don't have a signal at all inside that location (stadium, workplace, library, whatever). Then you need to use wifi and guess what- you don't know what it is or if there even is one beause Apple decided for you what connections you could or could not use.

I prefer a bit more open choice and the third party apps offered more functionality, which added value to my iPhone experience. Now it's less.

[thelemurking]

ikramerica will defend Apple tooth and nail. Steve Jobs could blow up a childrens cancer ward, rape a bus load of nuns and bathe in tub of aborted fetuses and ikramerica would still defend Steve Jobs and Apple.

[Wasn't Me]

@perrychase, all the wifi finder apps that do NOT require a 3G connection to run were pulled.

[alan_06]

I don't see why all these surprises. You've surrendered your freedom to Steve when you bought his product. He's in full authority to dictate what you see & use. Such changes should be expected in a closed system device/OS environment. All such ranting goes for a while and people get used to it and the same group weirdly starts praising and buy more products from him. Steve understands you well otherwise he wouldn't have created ipad and targeted mainly for existing iphone users.

[gjkezski]

So you're saying that there is as much difference between Apple & Microsoft as there is between Democrats & Republicans. Is anybody really surprised out there by this?

[clintbradford]

I regularly use such an app - it gets me connected - even to my OWN house net - when the built-in utility under Settings on my 3G 32GB touch does not. But even the built-in app shows "other" nearby systems I am not sure why Apple has chosen this path.

[Perry_Clease]

Read this article http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/04/wifi_stumbling_iphone/

[fudbuster77]

This link provides no new inforamtion that isn't already in the article here on CNET.

There is no point to reading the article- it's a duplication of the same information.

[Perry_Clease]

"There is no point to reading the article- it's a duplication of the same information."

Less emotion on that page.

[born_yesterday]

I keep telling you, another Microsoft in making (some of my friend think is fully baked already).

[deniceels]

Minus the freedom to install apps freely.

[thelemurking]

I guess in an ecosystem of freedom, when Apple said THINK DIFFERENTLY, they meant closed and their way.

[viper396]

Neither Apple, Microsoft, or any company has ever held a gun to your head. When you make a purchase you accept the rules and limitations of said product. Complaining about what you cannot do after the fact is just stupid.

You call this "another Microsoft in the making"...I call it just another example of success that people like to hate. Find Anything/Anyone that's successfull and people will find every reason they can to hate and villify them. Your immature.

[MadLyb]

Actually, I wouldn't even compare the two in the area.

Since the beginning, Microsoft has courted the world in terms of development and I have yet to see them make me put an app through a review process or put it into a locked down marketplace. I have built apps for Windows, and Windows Mobile and MS doesn't stop me from doing so.

That's not to say the environment is the greatest, but they don't restrict my ability to distribute my application as I see fit.

[nicmart]

I'm not an iPhone user, but when I read about these app store controversies I wonder: Is there not a prominent alternate place to purchase iPhone apps? If not, why not? It seems like a free market opportunity. Or does that violate Apple's terms of service?

[ikramerica--2008]

Yes. You crack your phone and then do what you want. But apple won't warrant or support it. Which is your right and theirs.

[Whoshebooboo]

Except that according to Apple jailbreaking your iPhone violate the DMCA. Are you suggesting that people break the law?

[Wasn't Me]

@ Whoshebooboo, lol. that's Apple's law. If Apple said you couldn't wear shorts would you listen to them and not wear shorts? Maybe u would. Many people automatically obey or accept whatever they're told.

[Wasn't Me]

This is retarded. Last year, they made lars bergstrom, the creator of the free wifitrak version pull the app. Everyone was scrounging to find an alternative and they finally decided to download these other apps which cost litte, still they were not free. Now, Apple decides to pull the plug on these apps. Will the developer return people's monies? I dont think so.

Personally, I am kicking myself now because I am waiting for the next gen iPhone. I sold my original 3G and I was planning to download this app (Wifitrak) and pay the $.99 which was so useful. Had I downloaded the app onto my PC, I at least would've had it. Then again, Apple would have introduced some firmware update like they did in version 3 that would kill the app.

And as far as unlocking goes, please. With tactics like this, and AT&T will be cracking down on the users who use over 1 GB of data a month (everyone loses though): http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1598912 we all should jailbreak our iPhones just to show our resentment toward how Apple is doing business. And the more I think about it, the more I really dislike Apple, who are reminding me of Hitler. Maybe I won't get the iPhone afterall?

BTW, another poster elsewhere recommended emailing Phil Schiller and complaining to him, but what is his email address? Let's all email him because this is going tooooooo far!

[notovny]

Wifitrak was, and is, an excellent app, and is probably used an order of magnitude more often than any other app on my ipod touch. It's so ridiculously useful to try to grab a bit of wi-fi on the go to download some email or grab a bit of data for another app. I misremembered paying $5 for it, when it cost me 99 cents, and $5 would have been worth it for its incredible functionality.

Was unaware that it had been kicked out that far back.