The goodness of a particular application is in the thumbs of the user. What I consider a good app you might think is crap, and vice versa. This doesn’t apply to gatekeepers like Apple and RIM, though. If they don’t want you to see an app in the Apple App Store or Blackberry App World, you’ll have to find it elsewhere. This is a shame, because these app stores are great places for people to find all sorts of games, apps, and utilities. Yet we won’t get the full experience while Apple and RIM bar quality applications from their stores. A big story last month was Apple’s exclusion of Google Voice from its App Store. Lately we’ve found a similar infraction from RIM.
As we headed into summer, a few of my fellow BlackBerry geeks forwarded an application my way: BlackBerry Vibe 101 by Toy With Me. Some might find this app risque. After all, the term “vibrator” brings with it many connotations, many of which are inappropriate in cultured society. In fact, we lost at least one reader just by writing about the app.
Way back in June, BlackBerry App World received Toy With Me’s application for inclusion. The normal process for acceptance or rejection is approximately 10 days. That being said however, RIM has decided to leave them hanging with only a vague reference as to why a decision has not been made for or against the app itself.
They have every right to do this. It is their platform, and they therefore determine what lines its shelves. That doesn’t mean that it was a good decision. After hearing about the plight, I pored through App World and found a number of useless applications. That’s where the idea for this post came.
You might not agree with me. You might think that certain categories of applications are useful. I had my reasons for picking these 55. You’ll notice certain trends among them, some far more pronounced than others. The good news is that it took me a long time to find just 54 bad applications, so there’s a lot of good in App World. But maybe they should think about bringing in an app like Toy With Me when they have some junk like this:
Tip Calculators: (12)
You have a calculator on your BlackBerry, and it can be used to easily calculate tips (in fact, look for this quick tip tomorrow). Why spend $3 — or more — on an app which replicates something you can do for free already?
- Tip Calculator — this one costs $13 because it performs other functions you can do with a basic calculator
- Tip Calculator (another one)
- The Tipper
- Tip em! tip calculator
- Tip Finder
- Tips On The Go
- EasyTip
- got’cha TIPS
- EZ Tip Calculator
- Tip Calculator Pro
- CalculateTip
- Tip Whiz
Time Zone: (2)
You can manually change your time zone when you drive or fly. You can check times around the world by playing with your time zones. Why spend money on a program that does what you can do for free?
Flashlights: (17)
You can definitely use your BlackBerry as a flashlight. The video camera application lets you use the flash, which provides a level of light unlike most other cell phones. It beats the crap out of using your LED. Yet there are apps out there which just brighten your screen and that’s it. Again, why pay for something you can already do for free?
- 1-Click Infrared Light — not sure how a red light helps the situation
- Flashlight — this one describes itself as unique, but that’s patently false
- VideoLight
- Flashlight for Storm
- Flashlight (another)
- Radical Flashlight
- FlashlightPro
- THE Flashlight
- MyFlashlight
- 1-Click Flashlight
- FlashLight
- FlashLight (another)
- got’cha LIGHT
- Light the Way
- BLight
- Sport Light
- Ever Light
Stuff you have built in: (2)
Here are a few more things that already reside on your BlackBerry, but which apps in App World charge for.
- e-Mobile Alerts — really? $20?
- aSecret
Time trackers: (3)
People need timers for all sorts of reasons. These are a few apps that are a bit outlandish, even for people who will actually use them.
- TimeAndExpense — there are plenty of other time and expense managers for a fraction of the $100 cost
- Bright Smile — you’re an adult, you can brush your teeth on your own
- Innterpeace — you have to look at it while meditating, which probably doesn’t help. otherwise it’s just a timer
Sports: (2)
I love my sports. I hate paying for things I can get for free.
You could just get the MLB app for free.
Finance: (4)
A few poorly conceived applications from the world of finance.
- 401k — any financial calculator that can’t do fractions of a percent isn’t worth the $6
- Debt Rescue 911 — meh, it’s just advice you can get anywhere for free
- EzQuote — $11, bad reviews, many alternatives
- Stock Manager – $20, cheaper alternatives
Twitter: (1)
- Tweet Chip — seems like nothing a BlackBerry Twitter app can’t do
Social networking: (2)
I don’t know about you guys, but apps that involve meeting random strangers still kind of creep me out.
Farting: (4)
Pay your $2 or $3, use once, realize you’re not in grade school anymore, realize you wasted your money.m
Complete wastes: (5)
To cap off our list, here are five completely useless apps.
- Timepodz — I mean, if you like useless info…
- Mothers Moment of Zen — it’s just a bunch of quotes
- 2009 Word of the Day– plenty of free word of the day services
- Fortune Teller
- Revolver
Surely there are more bad apps in App World. Leave us our least favorites in the comments.
While you are at it, let us know your feelings on the Toy With Me application and if you feel it deserves a place in RIMs App World. Maybe we can send this post over to them to demonstrate our point.
