Before there was an app store, one of the first apps created for jailbroken iPhones was a Flashlight app by the excellent Erica Sadun. It basically used the screen display as a light emitting device. We have finally come full circle with the iPhone 4 which has an actual LED for use as a flash. An enterprising developer, Michael D'Ulisse of More Blu Sky saw this as an opportunity to create a real flashlight app that projected light.
One problem. Apple didn't like the idea of using the flash for a purpose other than they intended. His app was rejected until he contacted Phil Schiller, the Apple exec who has intervened on behalf of developers in the past. The app was approved, and there is a disclaimer that battery life can be impacted, perhaps as a conciliatory note. Now, there are numerous flashlight app copycats, but I've been a fan of More Blu Sky's apps in the past (Ransom Letters, Pocket Labeler), so I decided to support the one that started it all. Of course, turning on the light might seem like a simple app, but More Blu Sky's attention to detail pays off, with an interface that looks like a quality Mag Lite flashlight. Some reviewers have pointed out the touching anywhere on the screen toggles the light, but I see that as a positive. It makes it easy to use, in the dark, which is kind of the point!
