Who would pay $1,000 for an iPhone application?
EmailApparently, for some people, blinding bling and designer duds are too subtle. Before Apple yanked the $999.99 "I Am Rich" iPhone application from its iTunes App Store, eight people had purchased the functionless application. Designed by German developer Armin Heinrich, the program does a whole lot of nothing. Once downloaded and activated, the application displays a glowing, red "ruby" on the user’s iPhone screen. In its official App Store description, the developer wrote: "The red icon on your iPhone or iPod Touch always reminds you (and others when you show it to them) that you were able to afford this. … It’s a work of art with no hidden function at all." According to tech blog Valleywag, one curious patron accidentally downloaded the application, thinking it was a joke. But seven others — five in the United States, one in Germany and one in France — meant to buy the ridiculously pricey program. Who knows if those seven spendthrifts were actually rich, but they certainly made Heinrich several thousand dollars richer. –Ki Mae Heussner
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I’m guessing it was 3 American senators and 2 Congressmen charging it to their district’s constituents. Not that I’m bitter or anything…
Posted by: DownwithMSM | August 9, 2008, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
A wise man once said there is an idiot born every second and eight people have stepped up to prove that theory is correct.
Posted by: depravedmaniac | August 9, 2008, 12:16 pm 12:16 pm
Apple sheeple will buy anything….
Posted by: Gee | August 9, 2008, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
Typical iPhone mentality.
Posted by: Publius | August 9, 2008, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
Now that there’s only eight in the world, they could probably sell their phones on ebay for a lot more than $1,000.00….
Posted by: collector | August 9, 2008, 1:38 pm 1:38 pm
I heard the Apple CEO secretely called the application “I AM STUPID”
Posted by: Steve Harlen | August 9, 2008, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm
Sounds like only some stupid people bought the “I am Stupid” application.
Posted by: MyFellowAmericans | August 9, 2008, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
That money should have gone to charity. So how about a charity iphone application?
Posted by: populus | August 9, 2008, 2:29 pm 2:29 pm
Why pull it? If people want to blow their money on a functionless application, then let that designer make some money!
Posted by: ShockedITellYou | August 9, 2008, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
These idiots are nothing but followers like Hummer owners. They are so insecure in their personalities like tatooed people, they just want people too look at them, thinking it will impress them. They believe in their own minds that other people will be in awe of them, when actually most people realize how stupid they are. The only people that will be impressed are low IQ’d followers, and it’s these idiots that will have to have one to be just like these other idiots. Then they can say “Look at me! Look at me!”
Posted by: steve | August 9, 2008, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
It is no different than buying flashy, expensive jewelry or a luxury car .. you buy it because you can.
Posted by: Cassandra Washington | August 9, 2008, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
steve, you are a moron. people usually buy things because they want those items, not for status symbols. i have an xbox 360, wii, and a PS3, but i bought those because i wanted them for my use. if you want a hummer, go buy it and pollute the atmosphere almost the same amount as a honda civic (it’s true, it has to adhere to emissions standards). usually, the ones who need attention are the ones like you, who criticize what they can’t achieve or afford. i would tend to think, outside hollywood, that the richer people in this country have higher IQ’s than the poorest people. this can be due to education, background, and ethnic culture.
Posted by: mike | August 9, 2008, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
Just proves the old adage “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
Posted by: ToadstoolGirl | August 9, 2008, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm
Hey these six phones are collector’s items now!
Posted by: Scotti | August 9, 2008, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
How can these be iPhones be “collector’s items”? What one can make another can copy. I wouldn’t be surprised if some hacker right now was making a iPhone clone app that anyone can download for free that imitates the “red ruby” display. And who is to make the dubious case as to which app is “genuine” and which are the clones? Kiss any perceived value or status of your $1000 screen toy good-bye, dimbulbs.
Posted by: Publius | August 10, 2008, 1:17 am 1:17 am
Anyone seen with this crap will ONLY be seen as stupid and brain dead.
Posted by: America - A Nation Of Sheep | August 10, 2008, 6:43 am 6:43 am
depravedmaniac -> Actually the quote is “theres a sucker born every minute” by pt.barnum. And no, he was not a wise man. Just a showman who was referring to how quickly people lose interest and how you must be constantly changing and marketing your product to keep it fresh and continue selling.
Posted by: Fernando | August 10, 2008, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
How about “I am shallow”?
Posted by: LagunaTriMom | August 10, 2008, 6:40 pm 6:40 pm
Oh you MAC fanboys are such tards…..You’ll do anything to get the latest iTurd
Posted by: Reverend | August 10, 2008, 8:24 pm 8:24 pm
Oh Reverend and other haters, those guys are nutz but hating the iPhone and Apple for creating a revolutionary product is BS. Use your razor in health, but don’t knock the rest of us for liking the latest and greatest, regardless of who made it.
Posted by: Izzy | August 10, 2008, 8:41 pm 8:41 pm
What’s so revolutionary about bad hardware and useless apps. The speak and Spell was revolutionary too but mindless drones didn’t go buy it because they thought that it made them part of an elite group……It’s a phone not a lifestyle…..geez!
Posted by: Reverend | August 10, 2008, 9:22 pm 9:22 pm
I wish I had $1,000
Posted by: b. | August 11, 2008, 2:23 am 2:23 am
ToadstoolGirl,
I’ve got a couple of big, really absorbent towels. Where are we meeting for the shower?
Posted by: Walker Evans | August 11, 2008, 8:20 pm 8:20 pm
i know what you want? is my email to send spam
Posted by: you got my email know | August 12, 2008, 11:38 am 11:38 am
Steve you seem to be a very insecure person and probably jealous person. You try to degrade somebody for how they spend their money. If somebody wants to buy a useless app let them. If somebody wants to get tattooed (oh btw that is the correct spelling). Who are to pass judgement on somebody on how they spend their money. Your the reason americans are considers stupid all over the world because the don’t have an open mind
Posted by: brandon | August 18, 2008, 9:50 am 9:50 am
Just wanted you to know we’ve linked to this article in our ‘Top 10 Banned iPhone Apps.’
http://www.odesk.com/blog/2009/05/top-10-banned-iphone-apps/
Hope you can take a look. Thanks! –Tamara
Posted by: Tamara | May 20, 2009, 12:55 pm 12:55 pm
I heard Obama bought 3 of them after he got in office.
Posted by: g | July 3, 2009, 11:10 am 11:10 am