'Pinch to Expand' application rejected by Apple
No pinching in the workplace...
Web Albums HD, a new image viewing application for iPad, has been rejected by Apple due to its inclusion of ‘pinch to expand’ functionality. Scott Sykora and Eugene Kaneko, developers of the app, which displays images from Google’s Picasa Web albums, have spoken to AppleInsider about the rebuttal.
Apple sent a letter of rejection to the coders which stated that the pinch to expand feature is "associated solely with Apple applications". Sykora and Kaneko’s software was subsequently accepted, once they reverted to a ‘tap to expand’ interface, but they feel that they have created an inferior product.
The letter apparently also mentioned another application, which could mean that other submissions have been rejected for the same reasons.
Whilst it is understandable that Apple would wish to protect its innovations, this appears to be a concerted hobbling of potential competition (Apple’s native photo application uses this function). This kind of obstacle could also affect games developers, should any of their ideas clash with Apple's stringent copyright enforcement.
