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App wrap: IPhone a crass act, and a ‘soft approach

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Here’s a quick wrap of what’s brewing in the app-osphere.

-- Crude awakening: In addition to the recent mini-makeover to the App Store, it seems Apple has developed a bit of a bite in recent days. Earlier considered a bit prudish in its standards for apps, rejecting some that might offend certain sensibilities, it has now become a bit more relaxed.

The App Store initially nixed Pull My Finger, but MacRumors writes that the developer said Apple plans to start approving a whole new ‘genre’ of apps, which would include Pull My Finger and apps of that ilk.

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Genre indeed. Now the App Store is featuring a potpourri of off-color offerings -- multiple apps that ...

... put the power and feeling of flatus at your fingertips, burp simulators and one that calculates the cost of your bathroom breaks. Maybe the Rated 17+ offering Amateur Surgeon from Adult Swim is also part of this ‘new genre.’

As it turns out, Pull My Finger wafted up to the top 15 paid apps over the weekend.

-- Not stalled: We feel dirty even talking about it in mixed company, but one of those apps with less delicate sensibilities may have done something worth watching. The application calculates how much you’ve made during your time away from the desk, based on your annual salary. It appears the app continues to count up your earnings even if you close it and, say, check your e-mail, play a game and then return to the app. They could be on to something. VentureBeat

-- How’s the water, Microsoft? Word quickly spread around the Web this weekend that, without any fanfare, Microsoft has dipped its big toe in the iPhone pool with what it’s calling a ‘tech preview’ of the Seadragon Mobile app. The app lets users view large images and drill down into detail. The Live Labs site and an accompanying video reports developers will be exploring other uses for this functionality. 148Apps

-- Bloom off the ‘bud: A number of iPhone users started getting euphoric about the prospect of finally getting the ability to cut and paste on the iPhone with Pastebud. But, oops, it seems they may have been unknowingly giving other unwitting users access to their clipboards. The company marked the problem solved on the comment board. Some still complain they’ve been experiencing breaches. There is a warning on the site: ‘Since your clipboard is being passed over the network in most cases, you should take care not to send anything sensitive.’ Sure, it’s cutting and pasting. Just maybe not what you were expecting. Technologizer

-- Heroes landing: Also over the weekend, another hero landed in the App Store. Iron Man joins the Dark Knight in the transition from the big screen to the much smaller screen in game form.

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-- Michelle Maltais

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