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Shake a baby to death? There's an app for that

23 April 2009
By Paul Smith

iPhone app developers have a list of issues with Apple's procedures as long as their code. The bulk of them centre on the lack on consistency in the clearing of an application for sale, and the lack of dialogue if and when Apple find fault.

On the one hand, Apple have processed over 35,000 apps since last July; last month saw another 7,200 apps make their way into the already rammed App Store on iTunes. But the tireless efforts of staff behind the scenes to keep on top of submissions is no excuse as far as developers are concerned. Incorrect use of icons, badly designed interfaces, abuse of copyright, apps that crash without fail - for every app with a glaring error that's knocked back, another finds its way into the store.

But then there are the apps which should never have been cleared the App Store in the first place. Yesterday, Apple withdrew Baby Shaker, a game in which the player had to quiet crying babies by shaking them to death:

Unsurprisingly, there are more than a few people asking why the hell Apple cleared it for sale in the first place. It was submitted by a company called Sikalosoft, and first appeared on Monday but was withdrawn yesterday. Sikalosoft's website is barely a homepage and all reference to Baby Shaker has been removed.

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20 comments

  • ABC
    Thats sick
    Reply ·
  • ABC
    And not sick as in cool
    Reply ·
  • Dave
    That is HILARIOUS! I want that app.
    Reply ·
  • Ian
    The graphics are rubbish.
    Reply ·
  • ABC
    LOL j/k actually really cool, i want it!! :) SHAKE IT BABY!!!
    Reply ·
  • wtf
    Ian: "The graphics are rubbish." lol wtf dude, you want the baby kiling to be more realistic?
    Reply ·
  • Louise W.
    Can yoi inject the babies with aids before you shake them to death?
    Reply ·
  • Ryan
    they should have used real videos of babies!
    Reply ·
  • Ben
    You sick fucks
    Reply ·
  • bunch l.
    fuck balls jobbies, yay i can swear too
    Reply ·
  • Nugget
    Why are all the babies white?? Racist
    Reply ·
  • Ryan
    "Why are all the babies white?? Racist" They're black AND white! U nugget! kinda half cast or mixed race I guess!
    Reply ·
  • Adam2050
    That is sick.
    Reply ·
  • Colin
    Hey look at this one ... approved ... more beer Dave ... yup.
    Reply ·
  • Ben
    "An iPhone game that encourages users to shake a virtual baby has been pulled from Apple stores following a public outcry." http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090423/twl-huge-outcry-at-iphone-baby-shaker-ga-3fd0ae9.html
    Reply ·
  • SimbaK2K
    This game is totally unrealistic. Last time I shaked a baby its eyes didn't have red crosses at all. I don't think they did much research into the game. I also feel that the time to shake the baby is far too short, I'm pretty sure it takes more then a few seconds of intense shakeing action. Does it detect how you shake the baby? As it just looks pretty generic. What about if you drop the baby? Does that still count? Personally I'm glad its been removed as it obviously needs improving before we have lacklusted games like this on the app store. Hopefully version 2 will be much better.
    Reply ·
  • jez
    typical bitterwallet, yesterdays news today
    Reply ·
  • Paul S.
    What day is it where you live Jez? We published the story yesterday, the same day it was covered by most media outlets.
    Reply ·
  • andy y.
    As warped and deranged as I might like to be the trolls here have gone too far.
    Reply ·
  • O2 B.
    [...] television or appear on the front page of the BBC News portal – not unless in involves shaking infants to death. The onslaught of attention has seen the app sit pretty at the top of the iTunes chart since it was [...]
    Reply ·

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