Smartphones Can't Cure Acne, FTC Rules

jfruhlinger writes "Your smartphone can send texts, surf the Web, and update your Facebook page, so it stands to reason that it can cure acne too, right? Well, maybe not. Two companies that marketed acne-cure apps have settled with the FTC and have been forced to take the apps off the market. (Colored light can kill acne-causing bacteria, but needs to be much more powerful than what a smartphone screen can put out.) Almost 15,000 people bought the apps."

Comments

"Audrey Parker,"

[Anonymous Coward]

>>FF>>

beauty "enhancing" app

[Anonymous Coward]

let me be the first to resubmit my previous "acne curing app" as a new "beauty enhancing app"

only 15k people?

[Surt]

I'm actually surprised teens turned out to be that smart. That seems like a very low number of suckers to me.

Re:only 15k people?

[frisket]

All scams involve a movement of money from stupid people to smart people (that includes, of course, our current economic crisis, which is just a banking scam to get money out of gullible governments). Maybe teens are just getting smarter. I'd love to know the geopolitical demographics of those 15,000 though.

Re:only 15k people?

[errandum]

I'd say that desperate teenagers would do almost anything to get rid of acne.

The mind can rationalize almost everything when trying to achieve a dream like this one.

I would never call them dumb, just victims of a scam.

Re:only 15k people?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's sometimes more accurately from the desperate to the privileged. There's a level of desperation at which a "I have nothing to lose" mentality kicks in. I expect it even makes sense, evolutionarily speaking, it's just not appropriate for the modern world.

I'm sure a lot of people equate "desperate" to "stupid". Until they wind up in the former category, at least.

Re:only 15k people?

[Reverand Dave]

If it is was only a buck I bet a lot of kids bought it just because "hey it's only a buck" or even 5 bucks. In the very off chance that something like this would help, 5 bucks is a small price to pay, but still I'd bet that most of the kids who bought this were spoiled rich little idiots that don't have many other things worthwhile to blow their parents cash on.

Re:only 15k people?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, that is perceptive. You must be one of the smart ones, right? We should could use your input on other important world issues that would be valuable to our readers. We'd love to publish them on monthly basis.

All we need is a nominal monthly publishing fee to cover our costs, then you get the %30 of add revenue after covering our promotion costs. Feel free to give us an email with contact details. We can be contacted here at NotAScam@HonestPetesBlogs.com.

Re:only 15k people?

[Renraku]

Actually, I've found that the most wasteful people are the poor ones. The people I know living paycheck-to-paycheck mostly end up spending every dime on crap instead of keeping some for savings. As an example, I know someone that will go out and eat at an expensive restaurant ($30+ a person) right after getting paid, for their 20 hours a week minimum wage, then complain about not having much money left over for gas. Did I mention they have the latest iPhone, pay $80/mo for mobile service? They can barely afford a place to stay or eat, but they can afford all that, apparently.

Re:only 15k people?

[nedlohs]

No Way!

People who are bad at managing their money tend to end up living paycheck-to-paycheck and running out of money.

What an amazing coincidence.

Re:only 15k people?

[interkin3tic]

The other numbers in TFA are also interesting...

About 3,300 people paid US$0.99 for Acne Pwner on Google's Android Marketplace and about 11,600 people paid $1.99 for AcneApp through Apple's iTunes store, according to the FTC.

There you have it. Proof that iphone users are uglier and dumber than droid users.

-sent from my ipad using the slashdot pro app

Re:only 15k people?

[Dthief]

how long was it available.......and how many people KNEW about it......

Re:only 15k people?

[slippyblade]

Or, here's another thought... Maybe the person's life is so miserable they see that splurge of eating out after payday as the one bright spot in an otherwise desperate and pathetic existence. Or maybe they are stupid. It's sometimes hard to tell the difference.

Re:only 15k people?

[geekoid]

"All scams involve a movement of money from stupid people to smart people "

Smart people get scammed as well, and usually easier.

Re:only 15k people?

[Oxford_Comma_Lover]

"All scams involve a movement of money from stupid people to smart people "

Smart people get scammed as well, and usually easier.

It really varies. People who are experienced at detecting scams are more likely to detect scams. And people who are smarter will me less susceptible to scams in their field, but (if they have less experience with scams because they tend to interact with more reputable people) will often be more susceptible to scams in unrelated areas.

Re:only 15k people?

[InsectOverlord]

Well, you need a credit card. Where I am from, you need to be at least 18 and with a steady income to get it.

Re:only 15k people?

[planimal]

that doesn't really apply to the cell phone contract. but i will agree with you on the simple luxuries that get you through the day

Re:only 15k people?

[Known Nutter]

Or, here's another thought... Maybe the person's life is so miserable they see that splurge of eating out after payday as the one bright spot in an otherwise desperate and pathetic existence. Or maybe they are stupid. It's sometimes hard to tell the difference.

I do the same, except I've learned to turn that bright spot into a $17 bottle of Jack Daniels once a week. Far, far cheaper than $100 meals out, and I've managed to eek out a savings, too!

Yay, Jack Daniels!

Re:only 15k people?

[rock_climbing_guy]

It reminds me of what Robert Kiyosaki wrote in "Rich Dad Poor Dad".

If you do the things that make you rich, you will be rich. If you do the things that make you middle-class, you will be middle-class. If you do the things that make you poor, you will be poor!

Re:only 15k people?

[russotto]

People who are bad at managing their money tend to end up living paycheck-to-paycheck and running out of money.

What an amazing coincidence.

A lot of people think it is just coincidence. If you criticize the poor, they will cluck their tongues and suggest you remember that "There but for the grace of God go I."

Re:only 15k people?

[Anonymous Coward]

They are dumb for looking it up on their phone instead of going to a doctor or the pharmacy.

Fun fact: the cream hardener for polyester resin (read: bondo) is close to 100% benzoil peroxide and costs $2 an ounce at auto parts stores.

Re:only 15k people?

[DurendalMac]

No, in this case, it's the stupid to the smart. You'd have to be a truly monumental idiot to actually believe that a smartphone app can cure your acne. Desperation can make people do some dumb things, but this kind of stupidity goes well beyond that.

Re:only 15k people?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you criticize the poor, they will cluck their tongues and suggest you remember that "There but for the grace of God go I."

-- Enron Employee of the Year.

Re:only 15k people?

[Spugglefink]

Actually, I've found that the most wasteful people are the poor ones.

If I had mod points, I'd mod you up. This is so true it's tragic.

I interact with a lot of people at the low end of the income spectrum, and the very last thing any one of them will ever give up is the damn cell phone. Food, shelter, heat, transportation to work, who cares about any of that stuff? Normally you don't see this level of addiction unless crack or something is involved, and it's just tragic to see.

It's even more tragic to think about how the government is pissing my money away to feed and clothe these people, so they can waste what little they do earn on frivolous luxury items. I mean look, I started my adult life on welfare, and I'm not saying all welfare recipients are automatically worthless parasites. I'm just saying people who are on welfare should have some shame. Use your food stamps to buy Cheery-Ohs and Wheat-eez in bulk bags, and stretch that government assistance as far as you can. Don't stand there paying for your pork rinds with my money, talking on the phone with a shopping cart full of beer and cigarettes behind you. I earned that money you're pissing away by working my ass off, and I really don't appreciate seeing you light it on fire right in front of my face like that.

I think a little shame can be a good thing. I was mortified to have to resort to welfare, and the day my social worker told me I no longer qualified was one of the happiest days of my life. If you need it, use it, that's what it's there for, but try your best to get off, and don't give me that shit about how important it is that you have an iPhone for work.

/rant

Re:only 15k people?

[nedlohs]

What a completely useless tautology.

Yes "if you do the things that make you X, you will be X". After all that's what "things that make you X" means by definition.

The problen is there us no X that will make you rich univerally. That garbage book is just full of things that happened to work in one particular time frame (along with the completely made up). How did all the people who took his advice and invested in real estate in 2006 do?

Re:only 15k people?

[mehrotra.akash]

yup.. a very large percentage of the people living Below Poverty Line spend money on stuff like mobile phone wallpapers, ring tones and call back tones.

Most of those having more money just dont change the defaults, or download the free stuff

Re:only 15k people?

[mehrotra.akash]

Since Android has the "used by Geeks only" image, while the iPhone has the "just works, a shiny smartphone for the masses" image.

Its obvious

Re:only 15k people?

[ikeman32]

I'm actually surprised teens turned out to be that smart. That seems like a very low number of suckers to me.

Considering they only made around 26K for all the app sales hardly seem worth the fraud they perpetrated.

There is a sucker born every minute. PT Barnum.

Re:only 15k people?

[headLITE]

It's quite possible to build a device that can help with acne and isn't really much larger than a smartphone. Acne bacteria (and a number of other organisms that are responsible for other types of skin irritation) can be killed with UV light. You just need a bigger light. For someone who doesn't know the technical details and/or how much light it actually takes to see a measurable difference, it's not an unreasonable assumption that a company that sells a product with the claim that it can do enough to help with their acne isn't actually lying, especially not when they're citing dermatologists.

Re:only 15k people?

[Ragondux]

That's because buying stuff gives you a feeling of power. When you're poor, you can't buy a new suit or a new car, so you buy cheap stuff. A new wallpaper makes you feel like you have a new phone.

When you're richer, buying cheap wallpapers or changing the defaults doesn't do anything to your feelings of power; you'll just buy the next iPhone when it comes out.

Re:only 15k people?

[lxs]

He was wrong on one count.

If you do the things that make you middle-class, you will be poor and unhappy.

Re:only 15k people?

[ancienthart]

It's quite possible to build a device that can help with acne and isn't really much larger than a smartphone. Acne bacteria (and a number of other organisms that are responsible for other types of skin irritation) can be killed with UV light. You just need a bigger light. For someone who doesn't know the technical details and/or how much light it actually takes to see a measurable difference, it's not an unreasonable assumption that a company that sells a product with the claim that it can do enough to help with their acne isn't actually lying, especially not when they're citing dermatologists.

Or you could get out in the sun for a few minutes each day?

Re:only 15k people?

[Anonymous Coward]

Like that makes any difference. The world is tough, so be it. A pathetic existence is relative, and dining out expensively on your few bucks solves nothing.

Don't feel sorry for illogical people. The homo economicus always wins. Adapt or fail!

Re:only 15k people?

[Anonymous Coward]

"sent from my ipad"

So you're dumb and ugly in a big way?

Re:only 15k people?

[Anonymous Coward]

and when you're really rich, you can buy anything you want, so it doesn't give you that kick anymore.

That's why rich people take drugs, kids.

Re:only 15k people?

[tehcyder]

It's quite possible to build a device that can help with acne and isn't really much larger than a smartphone. Acne bacteria (and a number of other organisms that are responsible for other types of skin irritation) can be killed with UV light. You just need a bigger light. For someone who doesn't know the technical details and/or how much light it actually takes to see a measurable difference, it's not an unreasonable assumption that a company that sells a product with the claim that it can do enough to help with their acne isn't actually lying, especially not when they're citing dermatologists.

Or you could get out in the sun for a few minutes each day?

I think you lost most slashdotters there.

Re:only 15k people?

[tehcyder]

Yes, God forbid that someone should spend any of their own hard earned money on enjoying themselves.

Re:only 15k people?

[tehcyder]

Bollocks, if you're rich enough to start with and you spend your life taking drugs and not working, you'll still be rich.

Re:only 15k people?

[tehcyder]

I'm not saying all welfare recipients are automatically worthless parasites. I'm just saying people who are on welfare should have some shame.

No, you should never feel ashamed of your life.

Re:only 15k people?

[tehcyder]

"sent from my ipad"

So you're dumb and ugly in a big way?

No, he was just worried that making an anti-Apple joke would bring down the wrath of the Apple Cops and they'd come and confiscate his shiny toy, sorry, serious business computing device.

Re:only 15k people?

[ATMAvatar]

The obvious other side of the coin on this one is that no one notices when someone who's rich wastes money. They notice when that welfare case does because it's contrary to common sense.

I can guarantee you the most wasteful people are those who are rich. We merely see it as privilege rather than waste because they have the money to spare on superfluous expenditures.

Re:only 15k people?

[funfail]

The wastefullness is not measured by the price of the item but the ratio of the price versus your income.

A rich person spending %0.01 of their income to luxury items is different than someone poor(er) spending %200 of their monthly income to a cell phone.

Re:only 15k people?

[Kjella]

This actually reminds me of the intro to a book I read on investments. Basically, everyone is given one dollar and a coin, then you flip the coin and if you get heads you double up if you get tails you lose. Twenty throws later one in a million is a millionaire and they will think their coin-flipping technique is absolutely fantastic, maybe write books about it and things like that .Do like me and you'll be a millionaire, even though that's obviously complete nonsense.

It was a way of expressing that even the completely clueless can win on pure chance, but that it'd make no sense trying to "learn" from them. OTOH if there were many millionaires, coming from the same area or following the same technique then it would make sense to look at those and see what they are doing because it's not just chance, something they do actually improve their odds. Because there's a lot of people there around people like Gates and Jobs that just rode the rocket.

Re:only 15k people?

[Reverand Dave]

That's easy to do when the economy is geared towards making things only be 0.01% for wealthy people and 200% for poor people. Plus as our society has been trained to so laud the affluent and over privileged that these people are just handed stuff by virtue of being rich and popular. Many of the most destitute people are just clamoring to grab onto a tiny piece of this glory thus they blow their meager earnings on people magazines and cable TV just to distract themselves from the utter shittiness of their own lives and maybe live vicariously through the press.

Re:only 15k people?

[maxwell demon]

Or you could get out in the sun for a few minutes each day?

But in the sun, there are temperatures of about 15 million Kelvin! You won't survive that! :-)

Re:only 15k people?

[poofmeisterp]

...I interact with a lot of people at the low end of the income spectrum, and the very last thing any one of them will ever give up is the damn cell phone. Food, shelter, heat, transportation to work, who cares about any of that stuff?

Oh, man, I'm with ya on that one. In fact, the neighbor I'm thinking of is a replica of what you're describing (of course, to the degree discussed), but add one thing to the mix:

Cable TV.

She MUST at ALL times have a cell phone and cable TV on and in-use. Can't live without. Screw work, screw paying the rent, screw her daughter's safety and happiness, screw the outdoors, screw a good meal, screw anything but...... The TV and phone must always be on and a'workin'. She freaks when the power goes out not because of the fridge warming or loss of heat, but because the TV isn't on. She's almost as bad, nay, WORSE than teens these days... and she's over 40.

I forget the name of the term, but I'm guessing it's a social need - must know humans are around you with chatter at all times or you feel endangered.

Re:only 15k people?

[Spugglefink]

No, you should never feel ashamed of your life.

You should never feel ashamed of doing the best you can, even if that means being on welfare. I agree, and perhaps "shame" was a poor word choice.

I just think more people need to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves if they're really doing the best they can, or if they're just making excuses for not doing everything they could do to pay their own way through life.

There are plenty of situations where people truly have no choice but to rely on someone else to help them through, but the anecdotal evidence provided by my own experiences working for a living suggests that far more people are just being lazy and making excuses.

"I could get a better paying job, but I'd have to work crappy hours and get dirty. Ewww. I'd rather stand here talking on my iPhone and bitch about how much poverty sucks."

That's fine by me. You can do whatever you want as long as you don't have your hand in my pocket. If you do, then seeing that really pisses me off. The difference between me and you more than anything else is most likely that I get up and go to work on time, work my ass off, and I do whatever job I can find, even if it's crappy.

This is what responsible people do. If you do everything you should to be a responsible person and try to take care of yourself, then I don't have a problem in the world with lending you a hand if you need it. I've been there. I worked to get out of there, and you can too.

Re:only 15k people?

[ancienthart]

It's quite possible to build a device that can help with acne and isn't really much larger than a smartphone. Acne bacteria (and a number of other organisms that are responsible for other types of skin irritation) can be killed with UV light. You just need a bigger light. For someone who doesn't know the technical details and/or how much light it actually takes to see a measurable difference, it's not an unreasonable assumption that a company that sells a product with the claim that it can do enough to help with their acne isn't actually lying, especially not when they're citing dermatologists.

Or you could get out in the sun for a few minutes each day?

I think you lost most slashdotters there.

Unless of course it involved some weird experiment involving solar rays, an arduino microprocessor, and three goldfish of course.

Re:only 15k people?

[Drugmath]

Remember, the first rule of tautology club is the first rule of tautology club.

What colour is UV?

[Jimbookis]

UV kills bacteria. But I don't think the iPhone makes UV. Hey, that gives me an idea... iSolarium! I'll be rich!

Re:What colour is UV?

[mark-t]

To answer your opening question... black.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Anonymous Coward]

Oddly enough, the light used in real acne phototherapy is *not* UV - it's in the visible wavelengths, and is thus non-ionizing. The bacteria primarily associated with acne happens to be vulnerable to this type of light; it triggers a chemical reaction that ends up destroying the bacterial cell. Human cells do not contain the particular compound that causes that reaction, which is why those wavelengths aren't harmful to us.

The summary is actually accurate for once - the main reason these apps don't work is that cell phones simply don't produce light at the right wavelengths with nearly enough intensity.

Re:What colour is UV?

[DJRumpy]

Actually the article mentions red and blue light, so it sounds like visible light per the study, but it would have to be far more intense than anything a smartphone could ever produce:

"This app was developed by a dermatologist," the marketers of AcneApp said. "A study published by the British Journal of Dermatology showed blue and red light treatments eliminated p-acne bacteria (a major cause of acne) and reduces skin blemishes by 76%."

Houston dermatologist Dr. Gregory Pearson worked with developer Koby Brown on AcneApp, according to FTC documents. AcneApp generated significant media attention in late 2009 and early 2010, just after the app launched, including reports in the New York Times and on Fox News.

The acne treatment claims from both apps were unsubstantiated, the FTC said. Brown and Pearson misrepresented the British of Journal of Dermatology study on light therapy.

Light therapy can help treat acne, but not at the low levels of light iPhone devices emit, some dermatologists have said.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Internetuser1248]

Actually uv has it's own colour on the spectrum, it is similar to blue/violet but not. The human retina can perceive this colour just like all the others, but the lens of the eye is opaque to ultra violet, so most people cant see it. You can get an operation to strip the opaque layer so you can see ultra violet but it is not recommended as the uv light destroys retinal cells, so you won't see any colours after looking at uv too long.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Khyber]

And the devices will NEVER be able to produce the right wavelengths with intensity.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Anonymous Coward]

You damned insensitive clod...
Just because your unevolved eyes can't view the UV end of the color spectrum doesn't mean it is colorless.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Jarik C-Bol]

or you could just wash your face at least once per day with shampoo that is ideal for your hair type. works wonders for everyone i know who's tried it. Shampoo formulated for *your* hair (ie, thin, oily, dry, etc) tends to do wonders for your face.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, the apostrophe has its own use in English and IT IS is similar to ITS but not. My retina can perceive this misuse and it's like getting an icepick in each lens. I wish my eyes were opaque to apostrophes so I couldn't see IT IS instead of ITS.

Re:What colour is UV?

[interkin3tic]

I'm interested in signing onto your enterprise. My idea is to offer an ad-supported "free" version which basically just tells you when and where to get UV light. I have no programming skills, but it would basically show the time until it was daylight and tell the user to go outside naked.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

Well, not with that attitude.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Khyber]

No, not with our current LCD standards.

Re:What colour is UV?

[Osgeld]

technically yes it does, the led back lighting is UV exciting phosphorus to make white light, not 100% of it is converted

Re:What colour is UV?

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

Just re-route main power to the deflector shields. That shit works.

Re:What colour is UV?

[treeves]

UV is also non-ionizing, but it is higher energy than visible light, and can break chemical bonds (which is not the same as being ionizing radiation).

Re:What colour is UV?

[Anonymous Coward]

Even if the iPhone's screen emitted UV, the gorilla glass would block it.

Re:What colour is UV?

[tehcyder]

Actually uv has it's own colour on the spectrum, it is similar to blue/violet but not. The human retina can perceive this colour just like all the others, but the lens of the eye is opaque to ultra violet, so most people cant see it. You can get an operation to strip the opaque layer so you can see ultra violet but it is not recommended as the uv light destroys retinal cells, so you won't see any colours after looking at uv too long.

Why?

Re:What colour is UV?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's like Violet, turned up to 11.

Re:What colour is UV?

[compro01]

You wouldn't do that by itself, but it would be part of cataract surgery. Some types of replacement intraocular lens are UV transparent. My grandma has one that was installed in the 80s.

Re:What colour is UV?

[compro01]

Some UV is ionizing. The line between ionizing and non-ionizing is in the upper range of the UVC band at about 150nm (2PHz)

Re:What colour is UV?

[maxwell demon]

Actually uv has it's own colour on the spectrum, it is similar to blue/violet but not.

There are no colours on the spectrum. There are frequencies/wavelengths. Colours are produced by our visual system. UV doesn't get detected by our visual system, and therefore appears black.

Our "tech savvy" kids

[oldhack]

With their fancy iPhones and Nintendos, they wouldn't know which end of soldering iron to hold.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Mursk]

Is it the hot one? I bet it's the hot one.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[h4rr4r]

Which is their parents fault, not theirs.
No point in blaming them for something someone else failed to teach them.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[X0563511]

Only if by "hold" you mean "stick in their eyes"

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Jimbookis]

Or stabbed in the face.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Anonymous Coward]

I think it's the end with reflow-oven written on it........

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[AwesomeMcgee]

I'm planning on teaching my kid to solder just after CPU + Heatsink installation, and before C. So somewhere around 4 years old. My kid's going to pwn me when he's 9. My own personal debugger.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Jeng]

Put hot thing next to solder, let it melt, move on.

Pretty much common sense, I don't believe there was a single person in my electronics class in highschool that needed to "learn" how to solder.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Obfuscant]

Pretty much common sense, I don't believe there was a single person in my electronics class in highschool that needed to "learn" how to solder.

How much solder is too much? How much is not enough? How often do you clean the tip? Do you clean it before you shut it off? What does a good solder joint look like? More important, what does a bad solder joint look like? How can you tell a bad solder joint when using ROHS solder and they all look like bad joints?

How do you remove bridges? How do you keep from creating them in the first place? How do you solder SMD? How do you unsolder SMD? Do you "fill in the hole" when the hole is larger than the pin? How do you make a via? How close do you clip the leads after soldering?

For hobby operations, it's pretty much "common sense". For commercial users, learning to solder is important.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Anonymous Coward]

"Which is their parents fault, not theirs."

Perhaps they were busy teaching them about talking snakes.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[idontgno]

I suspect a 600-degree (Fahrenheit) soldering iron tip would do a spectacular job of killing p-acne bacteria. Just apply directly to forehead. And nose. And cheeks.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Anonymous Coward]

Bigger the blob the better the job!

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[sconeu]

Don't laugh, it actually happens.

40 years or so ago, I was soldering a radio kit, when my kid sister came up next to me. She startled me, and my hand jerked. A blob of solder went into her eye.

Luckily, she was fine, but I've been gun-shy around soldering irons ever since.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Anonymous Coward]

. My own personal debugger.

Have you considered breeding them for profit? I think there's a big market for that kind of thing.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

With their fancy iPhones and Nintendos, they wouldn't know which end of soldering iron to hold.

Instead they know how to network their computers, make web pages, and produce/edit/publish the movies they've made..

Yeah, today's kids aren't tech savvy at all.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[syousef]

I'm planning on teaching my kid to solder just after CPU + Heatsink installation, and before C. So somewhere around 4 years old. My kid's going to pwn me when he's 9. My own personal debugger.

Spoken like a man that has no kids.The reality is for the first 2 years unless you're lucky and has a kid that sleeps you'll be too tired and sleep deprived to do much of anything. Most you'll manage is setting them up with a couple of interesting computer games and teaching them where some of the keys are (great way to teach alphabet).and how to use a mouse.

I'm sure there have been exceptional 4 year olds who've learnt to program, but most kids won't be up to learning to sound out words at 4 let alone reading and writing in any kind of language. Amazing what they can do without language skills though.

My son's 3 and he's quite bright for his age though not a genius (and I say this thankfully - ever heard of a happy genius?). I'd never trust him with a knife at this age let alone a soldering iron. He can swing a bat or club but is quite prone to accidentally hitting his 1 year old sister.

Kids are not something that takes up a little of your spare time. They take up every waking hour while you're with them. You have to put their needs first all the time. Be prepared for that or don't breed. I wouldn't trade my kids for anything, and I'm going to enjoy watching them grow up and helping them learn.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[publiclurker]

It was my electronics classes in high school that taught me not to blindly grab at falling objects, a trait that has helped me quite a bit in the kitchen.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[dgatwood]

If you look carefully on the back of my hand, you can still see the scar from where I accidentally raised it into the hot part of a soldering gun once. That said, I can't imagine somebody being stupid enough to do it intentionally. You'd feel the heat by the time your skin was an inch away, and you'd pull back almost by reflex unless you were moving really rapidly as I was.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[dgatwood]

I'm sure there have been exceptional 4 year olds who've learnt to program...

I learned on my own with teach-yourself-BASIC books and data tapes when I was in first grade (and I probably could have learned sooner, but we didn't own a computer until then). (I then proceeded to terrify the folks at a music conference a year or two later when their program didn't work, they couldn't find the bug, and I proceeded to fix it, but that's another anecdote.)

I'm quite confident that most kids of above-average intelligence could learn programming at that age, given a language that's easy enough to learn (i.e. procedural programming, not OOP, nor assembly, nor functional programming or any other such insanity). It's more a question of motivation and interest than anything else.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[lgw]

Nope, I grabbed the wrong end of a soldering iron once (not intentionally, of course) - the reflex action that makes you jerk back from hot things is far too slow to save you from a heat source that intense. Man, the blisters that raised!

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[geekoid]

yeah, yeah you are super genius from planet make believe in the delusional sector.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[geekoid]

How do you solder between two boards? 5? How do you solder on a 64 pin chip and not ruin it or the board? How do you check for cold solder joint?

I took a 2 weeks course a soldering. The final was to soldier together a 5 layer board and have it work to spec.
3 of us out of about 20 passed. That was over 20 year ago, and I still can replace components on a motherboard. Mostly I use it to replace transistors in 40 year old amplifiers. Once, I replaced a component in an old piece of aircraft equipment without removing the board from the case.

see: NASA-STD-8739.3(.7)

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Macgrrl]

He can swing a bat or club but is quite prone to accidentally hitting his 1 year old sister.

Are you sure it's an accident?

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Oxford_Comma_Lover]

Agreed. Heat sensitivity is quite slow, at least for me. I haven't done a study or measured it empirically, but there is a definite discernible gap between the time when I feel the stimulus and the time I jerk away--at least a tenth of a second, possibly substantially more.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Belial6]

I don't know about genius, but my kid was proficient on his PC at 1, installed Ubuntu on his own at 2 (No, he couldn't read, but then you don't need to be able to read to install Ubuntu), started reading just before 3, and by 3 1/2 was reading full books. At 3 he build his first electronics project unassisted. (A helicopter launcher that revved up a fan held in place by friction, and when the button was let go, would launch the fan blade into the air).

At 4 he did a do simple programming, and could build and walk you through basic circuits. Maybe he is a genius, or maybe you are vastly underestimating what small children are capable of.

He is definitely a happy kid that makes friends easily, and there are three things that are sure to get him giggling. Spongebob, Phinius and Ferb, and watching math equations on Kahn Acadamy. The reason so many genius kids are miserable is because their parents and other adults see a really smart kid and start to push. They push and push and tell them that no matter how good they do, they are not doing good enough. They do this until the kid is miserable and frequently cracks. It isn't the being really smart that makes them miserable. It is the way the adults (and some kids) treat them because they are smart. Really smart kids just need to have it explained to them that people who are not as smart feel uncomfortable about not being as smart. So, you keep it a family secret. When kids (or their parents) who are uncomfortable with you being smart are over to play, you leave the chess boards, word games, and other intellectual games in the closet, and use that time to go throw a ball, or dig a hole in the back yard.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Ragondux]

most kids won't be up to learning to sound out words at 4 let alone reading and writing in any kind of language. Amazing what they can do without language skills though.

I have a feeling that being bright is mostly having parents that care. Most kids in my family started reading early, not because my family has good genes but because they saw lots of books around, received books as gifts, and were read to. So, sure, 4 or 5 is a little early for learning C (I assumed that was a joke) but not by much. The biggest obstacle would probably be that the kid would have better things to do, and coercing him into learning programming wouldn't be a good way to raise him.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[tehcyder]

I learned on my own with teach-yourself-BASIC books and data tapes when I was in first grade (and I probably could have learned sooner, but we didn't own a computer until then)

When I were a lad, if you hadn't learned at least TEN programming languages before you were out of nappies, while holding down a regular job twenty seven hours a day down t'pit, your father would thrash you with his belt until you were dead, then dance on your grave singing hallelujah.

And you try telling kids today that. They just won't believe you.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[tehcyder]

I don't know about genius, but my kid was proficient on his PC at 1, installed Ubuntu on his own at 2 (No, he couldn't read, but then you don't need to be able to read to install Ubuntu),

mod parent +1 absolutely fucking hilarious.(even more so if it's true)

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[tehcyder]

Bigger the blob the better the job!

I think you've been watching too much porn.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[Belial6]

Yes it is true. About 4 months after his 1st birthday, I set up using one of those kids fold up card tables as a desk. I spent 5 minutes showing him how the mouse and keyboard worked. I let him play for a couple of hours in gCompris. By that time he was reasonably comfortable with the controls, so I spent about another 5 minutes showing him how to properly turn the computer on and properly shut it down, and gave him free access to the PC. Within a couple of weeks, he had gone through the various menus and could identify all of the programs he was interested in by their icons or text labels. Although, at that point he wasn't reading the text labels so much as seeing them as pictures. He couldn't tell me what they said, but could tell me what they would load, even if they were rearranged.

A week after his 2nd birthday, I formatted his hard drive, handed him an Ubuntu 5.10 Disk, told him I had formatted his hard drive, and told him to reinstall the OS.

And, yes, It was hilarious to watch a 2 year old sitting in a diaper in front of a PC installing Linux. Interestingly enough, I tried the same thing with Windows XP, and he could not get through the install on his own.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[poofmeisterp]

With their fancy iPhones and Nintendos, they wouldn't know which end of soldering iron to hold.

Probably the hot metal; it's the only end that gives them immediate feedback with chemical release. :)

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[dgatwood]

MENC national conference, 1986, in Anaheim. If the conference program were online, I could point you to the session title, but you probably still wouldn't believe me. It was particularly amusing that they happened to be using TI BASIC (the only dialect I knew at the time).

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[syousef]

Your arrogance is going to make my head implode. You don't think that if kids could learn it there would be over zealous parents pushing them to do so? There'd be whole teams of 5 year olds coding pushed by the same parents that push their kids to learn chess, piano, ballet, math, and spelling.

learned on my own with teach-yourself-BASIC books and data tapes when I was in first grade (and I probably could have learned sooner, but we didn't own a computer until then).

...and I have a picture of myself on a tricycle. For lack of a bike I didn't make the Olympic team!!!

It's more a question of motivation and interest than anything else.

Ahem. Motivation and interest is the hardest part. Ever tried to get a kid to do something they decided they didn't want to? Ever get between a kid and their favourite cartoon and suggest an alternate activity? The attention span, even for things they love, can be very short.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[AwesomeMcgee]

I'm planning on teaching my kid to solder just after CPU + Heatsink installation, and before C. So somewhere around 4 years old. My kid's going to pwn me when he's 9. My own personal debugger.

Spoken like a man that has no kids.The reality is for the first 2 years unless you're lucky and has a kid that sleeps you'll be too tired and sleep deprived to do much of anything.

Actually I do have a kid who's about to turn 2, and I was lucky, he slept through the night from month 3 on. :) Moreover, I was kidding ya wank. I learned to program when I was 8 however if dos batch scripts count, and whatever language hypercard and hyperstudio ran on when I was 8 or 9, and at 11 C and spent a ton of time rooting around in makefiles thinking I was "fixing" them when really I had borked my distro and had to hack the makefiles to get the builds to work.

Children can do a hell of a lot more than we give them credit for if you just let them. Too often people are assumed to have limited abilities due to their age. As someone who has for 11 years been a professional programmer, and only just now not the youngest person in the company I work for (I think? Might be wrong), I can truly say people truly project their own limits onto those around them WAYYYY too much.

Re:Our "tech savvy" kids

[AwesomeMcgee]

Coerce, threaten with bodily harm, you know, I'm up for whatever makes him debug my code for me. The little bastard will have to work if he wants to be a part of this family!

a fool and his money...

[CheshireDragon]

...are soon parted

Smartphones may not be able to cure acne...

[rasteroid]

but I think they have an in built proficiency at transmitting it, especially when phones get passed around (e.g. "Hey Brad, Jake's on the phone, he wants to talk to you.")

Re:Smartphones may not be able to cure acne...

[Anonymous Coward]

Friend, acne isn't contagious.

at some point...

[Anonymous Coward]

At some point we need to stop protecting people from mind-boggling levels of stupidity, or it just allows people to get away with being even *dumber*.

I think people should be able to market apps like this. If it claims to do something that is physically impossible, and you pay for it, well, it's your own fault for being such an idiot. Because you're probably not *really* that dumb, you just decided you'd rather not bother to think.

Seriously, what ever happened to spending 5 seconds doing a rudimentary level of critical thought?

-s
 

Re:at some point...

[h4rr4r]

These were probably children that were misled. Everyone was a child at one point, they need guidance not your bullshit. What we should do is toss the assholes that make these scams into the clink for a couple decades.

Re:at some point...

[plover]

Well, here's a list of 14,999 people (and one smart guy with a lawyer) who have already proven themselves to be even more stupid than I thought possible.

The only thing I don't want to do is support them on the dole. Beyond that, go ahead and rip them all off again.

Re:at some point...

[DanTheStone]

People have been selling snake oil (fish oil? placebos?) for a very long time. A huge portion of marketing is misleading. You need to learn not to fall for it, not have people try to hide the whole world full of scammers from you. The same ability to sort out bullshit applies to prescription drugs, diets, vitamin supplements, and everything else people try to sell you.

Re:at some point...

[Ruke]

Going broke doesn't make dumb people smarter. Especially with the app that was developed by a Dermatologist: these people are being told by individuals who represent themselves as experts that the product works. If they do a quick google search for "color light kill acne", they get pages and pages of legitimate-looking results. In the United States, we regulate medical claims specifically because it is unreasonable to expect everyone to hold the level of expertise that would allow them to determine the validity of such claims.

Allowing fraud wouldn't necessarily result in a smarter population, but it would provide a financial reward for being a more clever fraudster.

Re:at some point...

[h4rr4r]

No, we need both. We need people to be able to detect bullshit on their own and we need to have the law deal with the scammers.

Re:at some point...

[wondafucka]

These were probably children that were misled. Everyone was a child at one point, they need guidance not your bullshit. What we should do is toss the assholes that make these scams into the clink for a couple decades.

You're faulting people for exploiting the weaknesses and insecurities of others? I can't even imagine what Television would be like without it.

Re:at some point...

[firewrought]

At some point we need to stop protecting people from mind-boggling levels of stupidity, or it just allows people to get away with being even *dumber*.

We're all stupid at something no matter how much knowledge and experience we acquire. (In fact, it's a well known adage that smart people are the most likely to fall for a scam".)

While your statement is appealingly righteous, the downside is that the unscrupulous run up costs for the rest of us, no matter what intelligence level they target. I'd rather they not get away with it, even if it spares people the hard-knocks education you advocate. For a society to function anywhere near optimal, the vast majorities of its transactions must be conducted in good faith by all parties.

Re:at some point...

[Khyber]

"In the United States, we regulate medical claims specifically because it is unreasonable to expect everyone to hold the level of expertise that would allow them to determine the validity of such claims."

That wouldn't be an issue if our educational system hadn't been gutted.

When homeless meth heads know better than the general populace which medical claims are substantiated and which ones are not, you KNOW there is a problem with our educational system.

Re:at some point...

[cheekyjohnson]

Everyone was a child at one point, they need guidance not your bullshit.

I don't think it's just children that need guidance. People, including adults, seem to fall for scams all the time.

Re:at some point...

[Hatta]

You need to learn not to fall for it, not have people try to hide the whole world full of scammers from you. The same ability to sort out bullshit applies to prescription drugs, diets, vitamin supplements,

mission statements, campaign promises, sermons...

Re:at some point...

[tlhIngan]

We're all stupid at something no matter how much knowledge and experience we acquire. (In fact, it's a well known adage that smart people are the most likely to fall for a scam".)

Not only that, there are some pretty remarkable apps out there.

Magic Mover, an app that vibrates the phone in a particular way to push stuff around. Or just have the phone move in a particular direction, just like in the old days where you could design a series of disk accesses to "walk" the disk drive across the floor.

Blower - real air plays a specially modulated sound that moves air around.

With strange and wonderful apps like that, it's easy to see how some other apps can proclaim to cure acne or other things.

Re:at some point...

[cheekyjohnson]

smart people are the most likely to fall for a scam

I wouldn't say that they're very smart at being able to tell something is a scam, then. And I think whether someone is "smart" or not is difficult to determine to begin with.

Re:at some point...

[Anonymous Coward]

At some point we need to stop protecting people from mind-boggling levels of stupidity, or it just allows people to get away with being even *dumber*.

I think people should be able to market apps like this. If it claims to do something that is physically impossible, and you pay for it, well, it's your own fault for being such an idiot. Because you're probably not *really* that dumb, you just decided you'd rather not bother to think.

Seriously, what ever happened to spending 5 seconds doing a rudimentary level of critical thought?

-s

You can't fix stupid. Tried it several times and it just does not work. If you want to fix something start with greedy people who prey on the stupid. I suspect that you will get the same result though. They go hand in hand the stupid and greedy. It's virtually impossible to keep them apart. Brought to you by Shoehornjob maker of the new app that shows you how to make GOLD from COAL. On sale for 9.95 limited time only. Got ya.

Re:at some point...

[Anonymous Coward]

When did they cut medical spectroscopy from the high school curriculum? I bet it was right after they cut the after-school neurosurgery program.

Re:at some point...

[Anonymous Coward]

To clarify, fish oil is recognized by the AMA and various international medical organizations as having cardio protective effects. So your grandma was onto something with that cod liver oil. EPA and DHA are essential nutrients. Snake oil on the other hand....

Re:at some point...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, good thing that a comment on the internet saved you from being misled by the AMA and their science.

Re:at some point...

[lgarner]

Yep, caveat emptor. Screw the buyer if you can. Nothing wrong with that, is there? I'm glad to see that you're happy with the various level of mortgage and banking fraud that's been going on, also.

Re:at some point...

[Khyber]

You know, before they cut funding big time back in the mid-90s, we actually got to go see some of this stuff as part of class field trips.

Re:at some point...

[L4t3r4lu5]

You need to learn not to fall for it, not have people try to hide the whole world full of scammers from you. The same ability to sort out bullshit applies to prescription drugs, diets, vitamin supplements, mission statements, campaign promises, sermons...

Vendor product datasheets, quantity of sexual partners, tax returns...

Huh. I guess everyone lies.

Re:at some point...

[tehcyder]

I think whether someone is "smart" or not is difficult to determine to begin with.

Not on slashdot. We're all fucking geniuses here.

Re:at some point...

[Anonymous Coward]

...Seriously, what ever happened to spending 5 seconds doing a rudimentary level of critical thought?

I ask myself that question every day and end up with the same answer (well, another question) - "How did I end up here with these people?"

Re:at some point...

[poofmeisterp]

These were probably children that were misled. Everyone was a child at one point, they need guidance not your bullshit. What we should do is toss the assholes that make these scams into the clink for a couple decades.

You may say what you may, but I will say that I wouldn't have learned nearly a quarter of what I have, and wouldn't have learned it at even a fraction of the speed I learned it at, if I didn't make mistakes and learn from them.

That goes for all Humans. Make mistakes. Learn. If you don't, life seems too easy and requires no thought...... until it isn't, and it does.

Re:at some point...

[poofmeisterp]

To clarify, fish oil is recognized by the AMA and various international medical organizations as having cardio protective effects. So your grandma was onto something with that cod liver oil. EPA and DHA are essential nutrients. Snake oil on the other hand....

....and I'm sure you can spend enough time with the research to prove that in every case, eating pond scum builds a person's immune system.

Snake VENOM tastes good, too... until it doesn't. :)

Re:at some point...

[Anonymous Coward]

Fish oil is stupid as a supplement. Substitute some real fish for some of the beef in your diet, it will work better.

You know what?

[SilverHatHacker]

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

Re:You know what?

[nurb432]

Can i have your stuff?

Re:You know what?

[mr1911]

I can't help you get off the planet, but the living part is in your own hands.

What are you waiting for? Do you need some Kavorkian wannabe to do it for you?

Re:You know what?

[Sez Zero]

But what about your lawn? Will NO ONE think of the LAWN!?

Who will tell the kids to stay off your lawn if you're not there to do it?

Re:You know what?

[bananaquackmoo]

Yay Futurama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35TbGjt-weA

Re:You know what?

[Anonymous Coward]

We don't want you living on this planet either. Dick weed.

Re:You know what?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm thinking he's probably waiting for someone to guarantee they can get his dead body off the planet before he chooses to expire.

The captcha for this post is canons.

Re:You know what?

[VojakSvejk]

I think there's an app for that...

Re:You know what?

[sootman]

Because of all the people with bad skin?

Re:You know what?

[hackstraw]

There's an app for that.

Re:You know what?

[Anonymous Coward]

you obviously missed jamba.

nobody put them to settle even afaik.

among the things they sold were smartphone apps like a "fan" (that displayed a desktop fan and was advertised it would cool you) and a mosquito repeller application which was advertised as making a sound that repels mosquitos, which didn't actually make any sound at all and certainly not at a frequency mosquitos could react to(the possible output on those phones was sampled at 8khz).

smart teens?

[nblender]

Does that make them 'oxy-morons'?

Re:smart teens?

[matthiasvegh]

Oxytetracycline however, may actually help them. Just saying..

Crazy!

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm very surprised that it didn't sell way more apps.

Abscessed Tooth

Google's Android Marketplace

[Macrat]

At some point we need to stop protecting people from mind-boggling levels of stupidity, or it just allows people to get away with being even *dumber*.

Isn't that what the "freedom" of Google Marketplace is all about?

Re:Google's Android Marketplace

[idontgno]

You're right. Stupid people clearly belong in the iPhone market where they can be protected from their stupidity.

Oh, that's interesting. Reading TFA (yes, this is Slashdot, but go with it) and following a few links indicates that "AcneApp" was an iPhone Market app. Never mind. Stupid people belong in the iPhone market, but they won't be any better protected. Just less free. That's OK, I guess; non-stupids don't much need them around anyway.

user reviews

[Anonymous Coward]

average rating: 4.8 stars

latest reviews:

5 stars: wow the interface is so smooth. very user friendly.

4.5 stars: best app on the store. very intuitive. clean looks.

5 stars: such a convenient solution. keep up the good work.

1 star: did not cure my acne.

Re:user reviews

[Megahard]

Reference, for those who didn't get it. http://www.xkcd.com/937/

Acne-causing bacteria?

[MrEricSir]

Are we really sure bacteria is the CAUSE of acne? Sure, a lot of doctors seem to think this, but I've never seen any evidence suggesting bacteria is really to blame.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah. Here I thought it was all vertebral subluxations.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[jabuzz]

My understanding is that we are really sure that bacteria are *NOT* the cause of acne. The cosmetic/drug industry has spent large sums of money on the issue on hopes of coming up with a "cure".

As I understand it what happens is that a reaction to testosterone causes the sweat in a hair folical to become stickier than normal. This neatly explains why it starts at pubeity. As a consequence there is a tendancy for the pore to become blocked easier. This neatly explains why good hygene can reduce the symptons. What then happens is that the sticky sweat building up in the blocked poor is an ideal breading ground for bacteria that can make it worse. This also explains why antibiotics can also reduce the symptons. However bacteria are not the cause of acne.

Unfortunately as far as I am aware this knowledge has only led so far to one drug, and it can only be prescribed by a specialist (at least in the UK) as it can have severe psycholoical side effects. It works by blocking all the "sweat" from being produced, which is something of a sledge hammer approach.

The first drug company to come up with an over the counter medicine to fix the root cause, aka the stickier than normal sweat will of course become fabuously wealthy.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[Anonymous Coward]

To get rid of acne, change your diet and get more direct sunlight on your skin.

If that doesn't help, then go see a specialist, as in a dermatologist, "skin doctor".

Of course, anyone who believes a phone will offer a cure for something like that, will prefer self-medication over professional advice. So, I say, let them, they either learn something from it, or they don't and the gene pool gets a little cleaner.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[Anonymous Coward]

Subluxations.

Dr. Bob will be along presently to explain in detail.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[interkin3tic]

Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit resulting from androgen-induced increased sebum production, altered keratinisation, inflammation, and bacterial colonisation of hair follicles on the face, neck, chest, and back by Propionibacterium acnes

Wiki on Propionibacterium acnes

is a relatively slow growing, typically aerotolerant anaerobic gram positive bacterium (rod) that is linked to the skin condition acne... Preliminary research shows healthy pores are only colonized by P. acnes while unhealthy ones universally include the non-pore-resident Staphylococcus epidermidis, amongst other bacterial contaminants. Whether this is a root causality, just opportunistic & a side-effect, or a more complex pathological duality between P. acnes and this particular Staph is not known

So it sounds like bacteria are a necessary part of it.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[geekoid]

Acne is caused by the effects of hormones on sebaceous glands.

The 70's called, they want their mystery back.

Also:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/acne/DS00169/DSECTION=causes

Now, what cause an increases sebum production? well that's the question now.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[Frangible]

It's not entirely androgen dependent either. It can happen merely with elevated levels of corticosteroids, even in women or with androgen blockade, through activation TLR2 (toll-like receptor 2).

Activation of TLR2 makes you hypersensitive to lipopolysaccharide, which is part of the bacterial cell wall. So your immune system develops hypersensitivity to normal conditions.

I was on prednisone for over a year for autoimmune problems and you can develop some very nasty acne.

The bitch of it is, because prednisone is also an excellent anti-inflammatory, tapering off it makes the acne increase dramatically... because you have both the increased TLR2 activation and increased inflammation.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[Anonymous Coward]

It might have something to do with foot odor.

Re:Acne-causing bacteria?

[tehcyder]

It works by blocking all the "sweat" from being produced, which is something of a sledge hammer approach.

Wouldn't that make you a bit hot, or do you have to go around with your tongue hanging out like a dog?

Bright blight light?

[Commontwist]

Makes me wonder if anyone would buy an app promising to allow your cell phone to generate an EM force field by oscillating it's transmission signal.

Hey, it would be handy when--oops, I mean 'if'--the aliens with particle beam blasters come.

Had to be done

[kakyoin01]

"Your smartphone can send texts, surf the Web, and update your Facebook page...

...but does it know why kids love Cinnamon Toast Crunch?"

Homeopathy

[Anonymous Coward]

So how come they get fined while producers of homeopathic "medicines" don't?
I'm asking seriously.

Re:Homeopathy

[Toonol]

I would bet they went wrong by actually claiming a medical benefit. Most homeopathic things I've seen make it pretty clear that there's no proven medicinal benefit to their use. To the right kind of wacko, that's almost a selling point.

Maybe they should have just marketed this as a 'cheek-warming' app, with a notice 'acne-curing effects are not scientifically proven'. People would still buy it to cure acne.

Re:Homeopathy

[blueg3]

If you don't claim in advertisements (including on the label of the object) that it has medical benefits, you can sell almost any vaguely-safe crap you want.

Re:Homeopathy

[darkmeridian]

DSHEA. Essentially, the supplements industry bought off Congress and had them pass a law exempting themselves from FDA regulation of their claims as long as they avoided treating specific conditions and diseases. You can't cure acne but I'm sure you can "promote skin health" or whatever.

Re:Homeopathy

[DerekLyons]

Because homeopathic remedies are sold as 'diet supplements', which are regulated as foodstuffs rather than as drugs.

Re:Homeopathy

[Anonymous Coward]

Some homoeopathic remedies actually work, just not to the degree that would satisfy a medical study. Some actually help with their active ingredients, others just help due to the placebo effect though...

Re:Homeopathy

[compro01]

Some actually help with their active ingredients, others just help due to the placebo effect though...

What active ingredients? Homeopathic "medicine" is massively diluted (part of the stupid of it is diluting something in a specific manner makes it stronger) and is unlikely to contain more than a handful of molecules (if that) of the supposed "active ingredient".

Re:Homeopathy

[Anonymous Coward]

Because homeopathic treatments, while many work, are NOT medicine.

Medicine; Substance X causes the body to Y, which helps with your ailment.
ie, pain-reliever binds to the pain sensing nerves, which helps you not have a headache

Homeopathic; Doing X helps with your ailment.
ie, having an orgasm makes your headache go away. Whether it's because of a chemical change, you just left good and forgot about it doesn't matter.

However, that doesn't mean your doctor can push prostitution as a medical procedure.

Wait, what are they saying?

[macraig]

Smartphones Can't Cure Acne, FTC Rules

So is the FTC telling us that smartphones are unable to cure acne or that they're not going to allow them to do it? What is this, a guv'ment conspiracy to protect the benzoyl peroxide cartel?

Re:Wait, what are they saying?

[Anonymous Coward]

Benzoyl peroxide is included in the World Health Organization (WHO) Model Lists of Essential medicines, which is a list of minimum medical needs for a basic health care system.

source: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Benzoyl_peroxide

It's already too late.

Settled?

[Anonymous Coward]

The company has settled with the FTC. This means that Apple keeps their cut of $26,500 in app sales, the FTC gets almost $16,000, and the people who got ripped off get nothing.

Sounds fair.

Sucker born every click.

[geekmux]

"...Almost 15,000 people bought the apps."

Ah, you misspelled "dumbasses".

Cripes, where's Red Forman when you need him...

Re:Sucker born every click.

[Anonymous Coward]

Being chased by a cyborg cop?

Yeah, well...

[Anonymous Coward]

They may have taken my acne curing app, but at least I still get to keep my shakeweight and equilibrium bracelet.

Headline?

[Anonymous Coward]

Smartphones Can't Cure Acne, FTC rules

Can not, Do not, or Are not allowed?

Re:Headline?

[Toonol]

Well, regardless of whether they could before, they can't now.

Colored lights can hypnotize

[Anonymous Coward]

Sparkle someone else's eyes!

Ultrasonic mosquito repellent

[Anonymous Coward]

That's another stupid type of app that sells a lot.
Nokia seems to have one of these promoted in its app store currently.

And yet they can sell these...

[Anonymous Coward]

...at $30 a crack...

powerbalance.com

By the way, read the legal page:
"POWER BALANCE attempts to be as accurate as possible with regard to the description of its products. However, POWER BALANCE does not warrant that all product descriptions or other content of this site is accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free. If a product offered by POWER BALANCE itself is not as described, your sole remedy is to return it in an unused condition."

ye olde medicine wagon

[Anonymous Coward]

the more things change the more they stay the same.

lack of sex

[Anonymous Coward]

Acne appears in sexually mature individuals who are prevented from having sex for a long time, therefore producing and accumulating too much testosterone (which incidentally also results in increased violence, lack of attention and behavioral instability). We keep inventing drugs and cures and pretend we don't see the elephant in the room, a problem we created ourselves. No other animal on the planet would be able lead a normal life in the presence of the opposite sex and being prevented from mating for as long as we are.

Re:lack of sex

[tehcyder]

Acne appears in sexually mature individuals who are prevented from having sex for a long time, therefore producing and accumulating too much testosterone (which incidentally also results in increased violence, lack of attention and behavioral instability). We keep inventing drugs and cures and pretend we don't see the elephant in the room, a problem we created ourselves. No other animal on the planet would be able lead a normal life in the presence of the opposite sex and being prevented from mating for as long as we are.

That's why God invented masturbation.

Which hot thing?

[publiclurker]

Placing the solder by the soldering iron will make it melt, but produce a bad joint. The need to heat the lead was something that a lot ofpeople in my classes never quite understood.

Fart apps

[wesleyjconnor]

Are alot more popular and that is far far more stupid than an acne app

FTC doing their job...

[Oxford_Comma_Lover]

how long was it available.......and how many people KNEW about it......

This was a good result--it's nice to the FTC doing their job and policing false advertising practices, at least a little. Complaints are relatively easy to make to them--and though most go unanswered, enough of them show patterns that the FTC will investigate.

A smart phone....

[Brannoncyll]

...doth not a smart user make.

Dodged a bullet, there, didn't we?

[Anonymous Coward]

What would we ever do without the FTC to protect us?

Awesome use of government resources.

[Anonymous Coward]

There was probably $10-20k in profit in app sales, no doubt the FTC dumped at least $1/2m+ in resources (conservatively) and god knows how much court resources and time squashing these teenagers products. Rather than dealing with serious issues happening millions of people they spend their time chasing down petty cases like this.

What's next? FTC busts ear-wax candle manufacturers and Fart Apps ?

Glad my tax dollars are protecting the idiots from themselves.

Re:Awesome use of government resources.

[Pengo]

+1

Re:Awesome use of government resources.

[Anonymous Coward]

Government working on SOMETHING is better than doing nothing or being incompetent. Doing their jobs often proves bad to their career if it touches the wrong crooks.

Something like this could get up to a few 100,000 people before any local "news" show covers it and likely pans doing any real work like they fear lawsuits... Then after a million people waste money on it THEN the gov does something about it; or maybe not if the company was wise enough to buy a senator... Then again, this is small fry con work they'd likely be harmless until they graduate to bigger scams. I for one am glad we are making it harder for people to train for future jobs for FOX news etc.

The PFY ...

[PPH]

... isn't going to be happy to hear this.

as I have always said...

[Odinlake]

... stupid people shouldn't have money anyway.

Re:as I have always said...

[tehcyder]

... stupid people shouldn't have money anyway.

Well i think that's stupid, so give me all your money.

more effective...

[Anonymous Coward]

Supposedly a good way to get rid of acne is to wash your bed sheets every day.
Using some form of special soap just to get back into your used bed sheets is like washing off grease just to rub a burger in your face afterwards...

Penis enlargement app

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm trying to release my penis enlargement app on the app store which will cause the user's penis to grow through a regime of vibration stimulation. I'm convinced it will cause at least a small percentage of men to experience growth (or erections) regularly.

I hope the FTC doesn't take my app down :(

snake oil

[mapkinase]

That's what it was called 2 centuries ago. And people will be selling it as long as there are idiots who are buying it.

"settlement" with the FTC

[arisvega]

(acne killers): But why? It is a medicinal app.

(FTC): Take this hokum down yesterday. There will be no other warning.

(acne killers): Okay, you got me.

Sales figures

[StripedCow]

Almost 15,000 people bought the apps.

There. Making stupid apps for iOS will not make you a millionaire.

My anti-acne app

[tehcyder]

A test file with the following bullet points:

Wash your face properly with soap and water.
Go out in the sun.
Try to eat some food that isn't fried
Have a shower after you've finished wanking.

You know what they say...

[DiEx-15]

A fool and his money is soon parted.

Wait a sec..

[Anonymous Coward]

hold on a sec.. are you saying it's illegal to make a profit on peoples stupidity? uh oh.. look out steve jobs!! Look out Bill Gates, look out.. well really, look out home depot.. look out everyone... what the hell.

Mod up

[cffrost]

I think whether someone is "smart" or not is difficult to determine to begin with.

Not on slashdot. We're all fucking geniuses here.

Someone mod this shit way up.