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Apple copied Wi-Fi sync app for iOS 5, student claims

Apple has a bit of a reputation for taking ideas from the jailbreak community and incorporating them into their products. One recent example is the notification system in iOS 5, taken from a similar app called MobileNotifier after Apple hired its developer. But one student is claiming that Apple took his app and modified it for use in its OS.

The feature, known as Wi-Fi sync, will let users sync their iOS device wirelessly automatically. The system will detect when the device has been put on charge and begin searching for its larger companion. If the paired computer is found, the syncing process is set in motion. Users can also provoke a sync manually through the Settings menu.

According to the Huffington Post, Greg Hughes had actually submitted Wi-Fi Sync to the App Store over a year before Apple built in support. The notable part of Hughes' App Store rejection was that Apple personally phoned him and asked for a CV. Hughes decided instead to take his app to the Cydia Store, where he sold 50,000 copies at $9.99 per download.

While it would be easy to dismiss Hughes' complaint as coming from a bitter development, eerie similarities exist between Hughes and Apple's solution. Notably, the icons are near identical, bar a colour fix and a few other adjustments.

Speaking to The Register, Hughes said: "Obviously I was fairly shocked. I'd been selling my app with that name and icon for at least a year. Apple knew that, as I'd submitted it to them, so it was surprising to see that."

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