Apple Eases App Rules

Good news for developers: Complaints that Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch app-approval process was overly secretive and unpredictable have brought about a tech revolution. The company relaxed its restrictions on software tools used to create the apps and published guidelines for the first time Thursday. “We have over 250,000 apps in the App Store,” said the guidelines. “We don’t need any more Fart apps. If your app doesn’t do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted.” The new rules still don’t allow Flash on apps, which is good news for Adobe, too. The rules also ban games in which enemies target a specific race or culture, and any apps that include Russian roulette.