The Bugs Come Knocking for Live Broadcast App "Knocking Live"

[Michael Essany]

Knocking Live has arrived, the first formally sanctioned and Apple approved iPhone app to offer live video broadcasting over a 3G network. A peer to peer video streaming app that enables users to connect through Facebook, Knocking Live's arrival has been "long overdue" to some. But according to 9to5Mac, the app, which hit the App Store earlier this week, is still a bit buggy.

The major roadblock was that Knocking Live Video uses undocumented (and therefore unusable APIs) to stream video from iPhone to iPhone. Naturally, with the automated API checking tool, the app was rejected for this reason initially.

For obvious reasons, the debut of Knocking Live has come with tremendous fanfare, as the free (to the first 50,000 users) application providing this functionality has been on the typical iPhone owner's wish list for years. Promising to "eliminate the upload, send, download' process, establishing live, device-to-device connectivity," Knocking Live is certainly groundbreaking.

Although there is no shortage of speculation about how this particular app weaseled its way into the App Store, coverage from Ars Technica reveals that the app was initially rejected, a situation that prompted the app's developer, Brian Meehan, to reach out to Steve Jobs.

Why can't it be so easy for other developers to get the ear of Apple's CEO?

Meehan's impassioned email apparently prompted Jobs to personally review a demo of the app and ultimately push it through the approval process. The same article claimed that "an unnamed Apple exec" told Meehan that the company had flip-flopped on their earlier posturing and would now allow the app to be available in the App Store. That decision, apparently, came "directly from the top."

But Meehan was convinced that his app was worth fighting for. "When it was rejected, I decided not to give up and reach out directly to Steve Jobs via e-mail," he told Ars. "I reached out to Apple to reconsider our application due to its potential to culturally change how people share live moments phone-to-phone."

Will the still-buggy app pave the way for similar apps to get past the approval process? Since Apple has a history of being "less than consistent," nothing is guaranteed for now. But perhaps it's a positive sign for things to come.

Image via 9to5Mac

[pacmac]

someone tweet this app yesterday i tried this but it wont even load it just crashes..good thing its free.dont work on my 3GS

[iphone4idiots]

IMO, Eye, Orb or Slingbox are better options. Why is Apple so slow in adding features that customers really want

[-=viper=-]

IMO, Eye, Orb or Slingbox are better options. Why is Apple so slow in adding features that customers really want

$$$

[hollow0]

IMO, Eye, Orb or Slingbox are better options. Why is Apple so slow in adding features that customers really want

None of those apps you mentioned even has dedicated live uploads. Orb requires the software on your phone and computer. And you also need an orb compatible tv tuner in your PC.

knocking, if all bugs can be resolved could become really good since it broadcasts live video from your iPhone without relying on separate software installed on your pc or tv.

[scottjl]

sorry, all this one did was crash for my 3gs. guess those api's are undocumented for a reason!

[zinjen]

sorry, all this one did was crash for my 3gs. guess those api's are undocumented for a reason!

I'm on a 3GS with no luck.

[Ticko]

tbh...the app sucks...it doesnt even load...probably why apple let it through

[relkorama]

Installed this app...fired it up...stalled on splash screen..and then crashed back to my springboard.

Rebooted my iPhone.

Tried to run app again....crashed the whole iPhone.

Then my iPhone got stuck in the 'on/off boot logo' cylce.

Had to restore.

Thanks Knocking for taking up three hours of my night last night.

I think it's crap that an app can make it to the app store with this many problems.

[ripped53]

It this app attempting to do the same thing as "qik", bc that app works perfectly for live streaming to FB, Twitter, and Youtube...

[nimavafi]

works fine on my 3GS JB

[Gent1eman]

Syncing it on to my 3GS now.. I'll edit this post when I find out the outcome.

[Hyperextension]

I have this installed on both my 3GS and my wife's 3G. What a great concept. Unfortuneatly, it does not work. The app runs fine, but when I try to connect to stream video from one phone to the other, it just sits there waiting to connect. I am in great 3G coverage and still nothing. Tried on WiFi and nothing.

KnockingPic works find, but Knocking Vid does not work at all.

[StealthBravo]

I got it working for a few minutes but it takes forever to connect

[Topper80]

I just installed this app and it worked fine for me on my 3GS. It's just one thing I don't like about it, is that you have to search for friends that's fine but you should be able to browse for friends. The Facebook part of the app I really don't understand. You be able to connect straight to Facebook without any friends and just stream live to your wall.

[nickhesson]

<object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fgHnjjuyZzA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&co lor2=0x6b8ab6&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fgHnjjuyZzA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&co lor2=0x6b8ab6&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>

[rhekt]

not even sure how often i would utilize this kind of app. hmmmm ill keep one eye open though.

[thevmax]

IMO, Eye, Orb or Slingbox are better options. Why is Apple so slow in adding features that customers really want

Answer: Because they can get away with it!

[domenicp]

The idea of this app is great, but it just does not work. This should never have been released in this state. He's (the developer) just lost a whole lot of credibility.

[rwin84]

buggy new app??? never, not from apple...