After purging the App Store from some of its sexy apps, today, Apple is pulling WiFi stumblers.
WiFi stumblers, if you don’t know the genre, are apps that allow users to scan through available wireless networks and check which ones are unprotected and free to use. Alright, it might be a not-so-legal and quite risky practice, but if you own an iPod touch or travel with your Macbook, it’s a lifesaver.
What happened? Well, as explained by Apple in a letter, this functionality relied on the use of unauthorized frameworks, which they decided to no longer tolerate. So if you happen to own apps like Wififofum or Wifi-Where, hold on to them, because they are no longer available.
It’s unfortunate, while I understand Apple doesn’t want developers to mess with its wireless modules, we just lost some very useful apps.
If looking for an alternative, some apps like Wi-Fi finder might still (poorly) do the job using public listings and if you’re jailbroken, Cydia has a couple stumblers of its own like the free Stumbler plus.
[via CultOfMac]
As someone who does wireless network installs on the cheap for a community mesh network venture this is disheartening to read. I use 2 different stumblers almost every day to isolate nodes, join specific nodes and to read signal strength. So far I haven’t really cared when apple pulled different types of apps from the store but this one is actually useful for people who are putting their iPhones to work, not just to play.
Boo on apple.
gah, that’s it, I’m going to Nexus. Apple’s silent app removal has gotten downright creepy.
Enter the bureaucrats
Wow, as an iPod touch user, I’m glad I have WifiTrack. I use it every day to connect to networks that are just s bit too weak to register under Settings. I’d better make a backup copy of the app on my harddrive.
That explains why eWifi download stats went poof http://appshopper.com/utilities/ewifi
I guess apple was just trying to inflate their apps count and now that it reached a certain amount is getting rid of some…
this is why apple will never get another penny from me, and I was considering upgrading my PC to a mac, but now, mac can keep their product, would never own a mac computer!!! i hate a propriety system, that dictates everything i can do with my computer, so I’ll stick with a PC, and I’ll have it my way, and not Steve jobs’ way!!! I just don’t understand clowns that would support a man that dictates what they can do with their computer, but I guess suckers are born everyday…lucky for steve Jobs!!!