Game measures the height of phone tosses .
By Salvador Rodriguez
August 7, 2013, 7:30 a.m.
Apple has rejected a game app that scores players on how high they can
toss
their smartphone in the air.
The game, "Send Me To Heaven," launched this week and is available free
for
Android smartphones. IPhone users, however, will not be able to download
the
app.
"Apple thought it was violating one of the rules for submission as it
was
encouraging behavior which could lead to a damage of iOS device," Petr
Svarovsky, the game's developer, said in an email to The Times.
"Send Me To Heaven," which Apple said was rejected for violating one of
its
App Store guidelines, describes itself as a "sports game" since it takes
skill to throw and catch the device without breaking it. The app
calculates
how high you throw it using the device's accelerometer.
If you try to cheat and throw your phone off of a tall building, the app
will know and show you an error message.
"Using a parachute or a rocket will not bring desired result either,"
Svarovsky said.
Svarovsky said it's important users throw their devices in a way that
doesn't cause them to rotate in the air or else they might get a score
of
zero.
But before users can start throwing their phones, the app warns them to
"be
careful not to injure yourself or others."
"Be always aware that there is enough space above you and around you,"
the
app says on Google Play. "Do some training to learn right skills to get
best
results."
The game also requires that users agree to a disclaimer before they
start
playing. The disclaimer says that the user agrees the game developer is
not
liable for any damages or injuries caused by playing the game.
Though the game is obviously risky -- and some would say foolish -- to
play,
what with most smartphones costing several hundred dollars, "Send Me To
Heaven" has received many positive user ratings. Out of 101 ratings, it
has
76 five-star ratings, the highest score users can give an app on Google
Play.
"Almost broke mine playing, but it's fun to pass the time with," said
one
user who gave the app a five-star rating. "Not even trying for the high
score anymore, it is straight up phone-suicide."
salvador.rodrig...@latimes.com
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