We just learned that both of our recent applications, MoodPhone and MoodPod, have been rejected for submission by the iTunes App Store. It seems that the applications are too similar. We wanted to give iPod Touch users a separate but equal experience, but Apple wouldn’t have it.

Dear James,

Your applications, MoodPhone and MoodPod, cannot be posted to the App Store at this time because they are same application without significant differences in functionality.  The only difference is the color of the default background, which should be a setting, not a separate application.  Applications must comply with the Human Interface Guidelines and other Documentation provided by Apple as outlined in iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.5.

In order for your application to be reconsidered for the App Store, please resolve this issue and upload your new binary to iTunes Connect.

Best Regards,

[Name withheld]

It seems like Apple is being a wee bit controlling. Oh well, we have resubmitted MoodPhone so hopefully it will be available soon.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 22, 2008)

Next-generation mobile application development specialist Digital Agua today unveiled the world’s first iPhone application that reads minds. Powered by soon-to-be-patented psychic technology, the firm’s revolutionary MoodPhone can predict a person’s true, underlying mood. iPhone users can now find out in an instant if they secretly feel sad, super sad, submissive, schizophrenic, bootylicious, or belly-scratchin’ good. These emotions represent only a small sample of MoodPhone’s advanced mood detection capabilities, as Digital Agua understands the tapestry of human emotion is vast and complex. The application can also recognize, for example, when a user feels pimpin’.

Inspired by the 70s-era mood ring, MoodPhone uses the motion of your hand to provide accurate predictions of your emotions at any moment. You can select from 10 different mood-categorizing themes – Metalhead, Naughty, Bubble Gum, and Psychosis are a few examples – and each theme features seven unique moods. To initiate the clairvoyance mechanism, you simply tap the Check Mood button. MoodPhone responds with a kaleidoscopic background display (indicating the application’s telephony telepathy is functioning properly) and then reveals your mood – which, for Digital Agua founder and CXO James Butler, comes up every time as “Rock-n-Roll.”

“People ask why we developed a mood predictor” said Butler. “But we all agreed that when you discover psychic abilities, it’s pretty selfish not to share them. We’re also frequently asked about its accuracy. We can make no guarantees whatsoever about the accuracy of MoodPhone’s readings; results vary widely any time you’re dealing with clairvoyance. But what I can tell you is this: MoodPhone demonstrated 100% accuracy in reading the emotions of every single member of the Digital Agua development team.”

Realizing the great need for accurate mood-prediction technology around the globe, Digital Agua has also localized the MoodPhone application for a variety of regions by translating it into 16 different languages. With such widespread localization, MoodPhone is far and away the biggest distribution in Digital Agua’s two-year history. The application also illustrates the firm’s expertise in developing highly functional, habit-forming applications that can be seamlessly localized for any international audience.

“We always strive to build mobile applications that are so fundamentally engaging they transcend language and culture,” said Butler. “I mean, name one country that doesn’t need a mood predictor – you can’t. MoodPhone, like our other applications, fills a universal need.”

For more information on these applications or Digital Agua capabilities, visit www.digitalagua.com.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 22, 2008) … iPhone application development firm Digital Agua celebrated its second birthday today with its first ever release to the iTunes Application Store. The new application, MoodPhone, employs soon-to-be-patented psychic technology to predict the moods of iPhone and iPod users, and both can now be downloaded through the iTunes Store. Timing the release to coincide with the company’s two-year anniversary was especially important to Digital Agua, according to founder and CXO James Butler.

“This is not just an excuse to have cake and cocktails at work,” said Butler. “Our second birthday marks Digital Agua’s complete transformation from an interactive agency to an exclusively mobile products company. For everyone here, it was essential to commemorate this milestone with a special event, so we decided to honor the achievement by releasing applications to the iTunes Store for the first time ever.”

Since its inception in 2006, Digital Agua has established itself as a leading developer of custom applications for next-generation mobile devices. Earlier this year, the company launched Capture – an easy-to-use screen capture application for iPhones that immediately achieved both enormous download figures and high praise from the technology media. With the successful launch of MoodPhone, Digital Agua continues to reinforce its position at the forefront of mobile application development and its reputation as the top choice for any business looking to create a custom iPhone application.