Amazon Killing Mobile Apps That Use Its Data

[PeeKay]

I'll be honest - I love the Pedias. When I got my iPhone, I got Pocketpedia as it allowed me - while purchasing in the high street - the ability to compare prices and ensure that I hadn't already purchased a book/DVD/Game etc.

Now - I spent a lot of my own time entering details of my movies (etc) into the various Pedias on my Mac. I'd like that data (as it is now) to be available on my iPhone - as it currently is now. I just need the ability to not double purchase an item. Remove the Amazon search function, as I'll be removing my purchase function from Amazon's store anyhow.

I hope you can bring back what is, after all, a bloody good tool.

[thajeztah]

Erm, someone could help me with my message? I am willing to write to amazon.co.uk (where I am a regular customer), but my English especially in that kind of situation is... well... less than optimal.

I decided to use 'zorglub's letter which covered my thoughts and translated it into English. Here's what I sent to amazon:

Hello,

I have been a customer of Amazon for many years - and satisfied - in your site. I buy, rate and select purchases on the site, which is a joy to use.

To manage my collection of Books, CDs and DVDs, in part purchased from your site, I use three Applications (BookPedia, CDpedia and DVDpedia) on my Apple computer, which fully correspond to my needs. About a year ago, Bruji (the publisher of these applications) developed Pocketpedia, a complementary application for iPhone/iPod Touch. It allows me to have my collections with me at any time, what is truly valuable.

I just learned that you demand the removal of Pocketpedia: http://bruji.com/articles/2009/07/17/by ... cketpedia/
This claim seems entirely inappropriate: first, Pocketpedia does nothing to your business, quite the contrary. PocketPedia allows me to keep track of my collection and Wish Lists wherever I am. It greatly facilitates my purchases, including those made on your site.
On the other hand, almost all data in Pocketpedia are those that I entered myself and not those from your site. Besides, information that -does- originate from Amazon mainly is entered by other customers (reviews, ratings, even cover pictures).

Accordingly, I hope you revisit your decision and allow Bruji Pocketpedia to maintain and relations between Bruji applications and your site will be enhanced.

Failing that, my appreciation of your business will change significantly, and I probably go back to your competitors to make my future purchases.

with regards,

.....

[readingroses]

I just sent a letter to Amazon in support of reinstating Pocketpedia. It's incredibly disappointing that Amazon has been so short-sighted by pulling the plug on non-Amazon mobile apps.

You guys have done and continue to do such a great job on your software. Keep it up and know that your community of loyal Bruji users are behind you on this!

[Filou53]

Hi.

Could you please give me an url where it's possible to address my 'remarks' to Amazon ?
Their site is awful and I don't find the good link.

Thanks

[thajeztah]

Hi.
Could you please give me an url where it's possible to address my 'remarks' to Amazon ?

I don't know if a direct link will work, this way you'll find it:

On Amazon.com:

• Click on 'help' (top right of the page)
• Click on the 'Contact Us' button on the right-hand side, below 'self-service tools'

I've posted my respons both on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com as I have an account on both sites

[Filou53]

I don't know if a direct link will work, this way you'll find it:
On Amazon.com:

• Click on 'help' (top right of the page)
• Click on the 'Contact Us' button on the right-hand side, below 'self-service tools'

I've posted my respons both on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com as I have an account on both sites

Thanks...

[djwudi]

I sent a letter to Amazon as well...hopefully between us and Delicious users, they'll open things back up again.

[beach1ady]

Hello,

I also use Pocketpedia on the go. I actually bought BookPedia after finding PocketPedia as it was exactly what I was looking for. I was having an issue syncing today and was searching for an answer only to find this thread. Of course I immediately checked iTunes and alas, my favorite and most used app is gone from the App Store. So, I did go to the Amazon site and send a comment. I admit that I plagarized someone else's words from this thread but I was too annoyed to think straight. So, I thank them for their clear-headedness.

I do have one last question. Since I still have PocketPedia on my iPhone 3G, is there a way to get it to sync with BookPedia 4.5.1? Or is is really stuck with my last sync data?

Thanks in advance for the help. I've got my fingers crossed that the inventive developers at Bruji are able to come up with a slick way around this terrible issue.

Regards

[Conor]

Something changed in iPhone OS 3.0 with Bonjour that can cause the sync to drop for a few users (also seems to be with the 3G only, but that might be coincidence). We had it fixed but never got to release the update. You can try eliminating variables by restarting both your computer and iPhone and then running Bookpedia and Pocketpedia and trying out the sync. Another trick is to try creating a network from your computer's airport menu and connecting the iPhone directly to the new network for the sync, bypassing any other device on your network that might be sending out Bonjour services.

We also hope to have a solution in the future but like our competitor we are having trouble getting a conversation started with Amazon.

[beach1ady]

Thank you so much for the quick reply Conor. I don't have time to try the options before work but plan to try them tonight. I'm pretty sure that I've sync'd since upgrading to 3.0 but perhaps I'm mis-remembering. Hopefully, I will get it to work out and get to keep using the old version of PocketPedia in the interim until you folks are able to develop another solution.

Best of luck getting Amazon to work with you. In my opinion, they are certainly being unreasonable!

[shane]

Absolutely dismayed at Amazon.
Guys please don't give up finding a way around this.
Fantastic products Bruji! Another supporter here.

[jschaffe]

For what it's worth, here's the email I sent Amazon:

Let me register my profound disappointment that Amazon has caused the removal of the Pocketpedia app from the iTunes App Store.

First, Pocketpedia is an application that allows me to browse and research my own catalog of purchased music. In addition I have occasionally used it to locate something on Amazon related to my library and subsequently make a purchase. You have now closed this avenue for me and removed an invaluable tool from my iPod Touch. I also use the Amazon App, but since it does not allow me to view my own library, it is no substitute for Pocketpedia.

Second, and more alarming, is the sense that Amazon is changing its personality in an extremely unpleasant way. I love Amazon and have purchased thousands of dollars of merchandise from you. However, if I see more signs of high-handed behavior or decisions that adversely impact my legitimate personal interests, I will certainly be far more open to other alternatives for my business.

I really think this is shortsighted on your part. It affects my ability to purchase from you and leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth. I know you have legitimate business interests and are entitled to advance and protect them. From my perspective, however, this looks more like an obsessive and abstract maneuver over control than a positive move for your business. If there's a more appealing value behind it, it is certainly not visible from the outside.

Please reconsider this move. I still respect and admire Amazon, but there's now a blemish on your image.

Somehow, I'm still hopeful, but we'll see.

Can Pocketpedia still exist without the live Amazon interface? It's still valuable to me!

[thajeztah]

Can Pocketpedia still exist without the live Amazon interface? It's still valuable to me!

As someone mentioned in this topic, it's not the 'live Amazon interface' that's the problem. According to Amazon, it's illegal to sync data from your computer to your iPhone/iPod as it might contain data from Amazon.

People that have filled their desktop Pedia completely by hand or other sources than Amazon should be able to sync the data to their iPod legally, if not Amazon ordered Bruji to remove PocketPedia from the App store..

[llanelwy]

I just emailed Amazon Telling them i will be boycotting them until they Undo their Request to have it taken down.

I spend a lot at amazon (and i mean a lot) i will be making my purchases elseware until this is Undone

[ltcarter47]

Just sent in my feedback.