VoteQuimby has announced the release and immediate availability of iDiscrete 1.1, which aims to be the world's most fully-featured privacy application for the iPhone. iDiscrete is not the first app that allows users to store certain sensitive videos and images separate from the others on the phone. It's not even the first app to password protect said content. However, it IS the first app that protects the private content, while simultaneously concealing the fact that an app with this functionality exists on the phone.
The icon and stated name of the application are unassuming: the name shows simply as 'iD' under a plain blue orb of an icon. Launching the app is equally mundane, as a "Loading..." screen quickly comes up. But, importantly, this is the screen that makes all the difference. If the user is the iPhone's owner, then they know that this is actually the password screen, and that touching various regions of the screen, in the correct order, will open up the app. The developers call this Touch Sequence Protection(TM). On the other hand, if the user is a curious trespasser, they will regard the "Loading..." screen as just part of the app, which, when it eventually loads, appears to be some sort of text-entry app. Boring. Close.
It is exactly this reaction in an unauthorized user that iDiscrete intends to provoke, and it is exactly this factor that sets it apart from the competition. An app that immediately prompts for a password requires an explanation, whereas iDiscrete does not. Once safely inside, the user finds that images or videos can be easily imported from those already on the phone, or content can be uploaded directly via WiFi with a web browser. Content within iDiscrete can be emailed directly, or exported to the Camera Roll to be sent via MMS. Additionally, supported file formats include DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF and TXT (the last of which can be created and edited right on the phone). Now the user has a handy place to store passwords, PINs and private phone numbers too.
Pricing and Availability: At $1.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies), iDiscrete 1.1 is priced well below other apps with similar functionality, and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Utilities category. And, of course, with iDiscrete you won't be fielding questions like, "Hey, what's this app with a password all about??"
Another paid add news story on iclarified. Never mind that an app like this which disguised itself as a calculator, icon and all, has been in App Store a long time, but apps like this do nothing to address the real privacy and security concerns of iDevices.