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Apple director of applications technology Philip Shoemaker has been revealed as the author behind a number of trivial iPhone apps, according to a Wired report.
Under the banner of Grey Noodle, Shoemaker is responsible for applications such as iWiz and Animal Farts as revealed by Wired earlier today. Shoemaker is responsible for the application publishing process and is known to play a role in the approval process for new applications including enforcing of content restrictions.
Of the ‘Animal Farts’ application, the Grey Noodle web site says: "What is a poot? What is a drop? Disgusting though it is, a poot is a fart with an accidental leak. A drop is just that: snapping a coil, dropping a log, or as Apple says: defecation!"
Apple justifies various content control policies such as the approval process and the banning of third party development tools as necessary in order to maintain the quality of software offers in the App store.
The applications had been developed prior to Shoemaker’s arrival at company and an Apple spokespersons told Wired, "Apple’s policy allows for employees to have apps on the App Store if they’re developed and published prior to their start at Apple.”
The news has added charges of hypocrisy to existing criticism of an opaque approvals process which has resulted in applications summarily removed from the App store for material which is arguably less offensive than those produced by Shoemaker.
Since the Wired story appeared Shoemaker removed Gray Noodle from his LinkedIn profile and Twitter account.
Image credit: Grey Noodle web site.
