Flatulence app for iPhone: The smell of sweet success

1:51 PM, December 24, 2008

What's that odor wafting around the iTunes App Store these days? For the indelicately named iFart Mobile, that would be the smell of sweet success.

Its developer, Joel Comm, has been blogging on the app's sales-to-rank figures as the flatus-mimicking tool has rocketed from relative obscurity at No. 76 overall on Dec. 14, selling 841 units, to No. 1 two days ago with more than 13,000 units sold, according to Comm.

Based on these figures, MacRumors calculated that even after Apple's cut of 30%, the 99-cent app generated about $9,200 the day it hit No. 1.

Not bad for an app that went live on Dec. 12, selling only 75 units.

It's probably little surprise that there's been a recent proliferation of apps that produce the sounds of, um, nature since Apple relaxed its standards recently.

Comm, on his blog, attributes some of the success to the visibility of making it into the top 10.

I can only suppose that either there is an exponential jump once you hit the top five, or the release of Sim City has been a rising tide that lifts all boats. Since it rocketed directly to the #1 spot, there are many eyeballs looking at the top ten.

Well, that just stinks to some developers who have noted in thoughtful blog posts and tweets like futile exclamations sent out into the ether that the incredible success of such novelty apps is discouraging as they put in the time and resources required to make productive utilities for the iPhone.

Some of us iPhone owners are hoping they don't give up just yet. Remember, for anything to mature, it must go through its juvenile phase.

-- Michelle Maltais