Simplify Media Yanks iPhone Apps, Changing Focus

3 months, huh? Developed the technology only to completely drop it?

3 months puts us to mid-June, about when new iPhone software is usually released. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple bought the technology (or the company) and is incorporating it into iPhone 4.0, perhaps with ties to MobileMe and that big data center of theirs.

It's one thing to stop development, continue offering it through the store and scale back support.

But to discontinue, yank, and tell existing users that within 3 months they may not get any continued support or even use!, sorry but that is one way to ensure that when you do bring anything new to the marketplace, whatever marketplace it is, it will be met by hesitation over the fact that you are a sketchy company that may or may not stand behind anything. Poor business model.

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple bought the technology (or the company) and is incorporating it into iPhone 4.0, perhaps with ties to MobileMe and that big data center of theirs.

Given that apple NEVER comments on acquisitions and that they (simplify) even posted anything about the future on the blogs indicates that this is unlikely an Apple purchase, but it's of course possible. (more likely would be Google, in all honesty) My take on it (see more here: http://ootunes.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-happened-to-simplify-media-for.html ) is that they simply didn't have money to keep up with all the streaming since they used a proxy to get around firewalls, etc. (hence the simple setup compared to my own product which is peer to peer). Their iPhone apps had both dropped well below the top 25 paid music apps for months and months now (yes, I track this like a daytrader... as I used to view them as my primary competitor). I think it will be very sad though unless they come out with something similar in the Summer, they had a great product with an unbeatable price (possibly too unbeatable!)

There's always ooTunes, but I'm sad that I didn't hear about Simplify Media before now. Has anybody used both who can comment on their relative merits?

This is all speculation, but what you say suggests Apple may have bought just the technology.

How would Simplify act if Apple had? Apple being Apple, they wouldn't tell Simplify about their plans for the tech, but probably put a phase-out period in the contract (3 months).

So, Apple buys their tech, but Simplify doesn't know what Apple intends to do with, or when. All they know is they have to shut down the service in three months, so they announce that.

As you rightly note, Apple wouldn't comment on any acquisition publicly.

I'm just saying it's plausible, but we don't really have any evidence in either direction.

Mysteriously changing focus, can't comment on future direction, apps disappearing from app store, dropping support in time for OS 4.0?

Apple bought them. Probably for DIRT cheap.

But why would Apple build this into their software? I thought they made a ton of money off inflated memory prices. People need more memory without this product. So either they bought them to stifle competition, or they will add it to MobileMe to make it seem more valuable and attractive to new customers.

I really hate to see SimplifyMedia shut down. I used this regularly on my macs and iPhone. I also liked that I could stream my friends' music collections with no trouble. I guess I'll be making the switch to Orb.

Mysteriously changing focus, can't comment on future direction, apps disappearing from app store, dropping support in time for OS 4.0?

Apple bought them. Probably for DIRT cheap.

But why would Apple build this into their software? I thought they made a ton of money off inflated memory prices. People need more memory without this product. So either they bought them to stifle competition, or they will add it to MobileMe to make it seem more valuable and attractive to new customers.

While there is no evidence to support this it certainly sounds this way. However, if they were to want to stifle competition then why allow the app ever?

Having just bought the iPhone app, so I would like a refund. I wonder how iTunes addresses this In Europe, for example, the App store is classed as a point of sale therefore Apple is responsible for refunds for issues like these.

Ummmm, I wonder...

Well I really really like this app and hate to see it go away. I think this is BS and I would like my money back being a supporter of version 1 and 2 I'm feeling the screwing.