iTether App Pulled From App Store

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itether
Just hours after becoming the top-grossing app on the App Store, tethering app iTether has been removed by Apple. The $14.99 app, which went live on the App Store last night, allowed users to share their iPhone's internet connection with their Mac or PC computer over USB. With iTether, users could bypass a $20/month service offered by cellular providers for tethering services.

In 2008, Apple briefly approved another tethering app called Netshare but, as with iTether, quickly pulled it from the App Store. The approval of iTether may have been an oversight by Apple, but there has been no official word yet on the reason for the removal. As in the case of Netshare, it should continue to work for those who bought it before it was pulled.

Top Rated Comments

Small White Car Avatar
Small White Car
125 months ago
I don't think it was a mistake. Apple seemed to understand exactly what it did before they put it in the store.

My guess is that they were pushing the limits with the carriers to see if they complained. Of course, they did, but perhaps Apple wanted to make them have to complain, just to let them know that Apple could totally allow this if they wanted to.

Perhaps some future pricing negotiations are going on right now and Apple wanted to let them know who really has the power right now.

I dunno. Far fetched? Maybe. Or maybe not.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BMcCoy Avatar
BMcCoy
125 months ago
In other words, someone high up in a carrier company just phoned Tim to rant..
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reden Avatar
reden
125 months ago
Thought they said they talked it over with Apple, and it will stay. I wonder if they said that just for the hell of it.:rolleyes:
Dude, the app's name has the word TETHER in it. I would think it would have raised some red flags at Apple.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlkFoo Avatar
AlkFoo
125 months ago
IMO- the "tethering" fees from the carriers are a racket. Talk about double-dipping. To a degree I can understand the tethering to a PC or Mac be troublesome for carriers... but from a handheld/mobile device to another (i.e. iPhone to iPad), seems ridiculous. Excluding the under 5% (not a fact, just gestimate) of people that will run all of their interent (specifically their PC's/Desktops) through a 3G signal (who would want to) most people would just like to have access on the rare occasion they are out away from their own home wifi signal. At least, that's what I would think.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miles01110 Avatar
miles01110
125 months ago
Not really sure how you miss this in the first place.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jordanwar Avatar
jordanwar
125 months ago
Tether claims "We were very clear with Apple what our app did. They asked us a bunch of questions and then approved us." So it may not be getting pulled.:confused:
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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