Handy Light sales took off quickly once iPhone users realized it contained a tethering easter egg, but Apple pulled it from the App Store after only a few hours of availability.
Tethering is the process of sharing your iPhone’s wireless data connection with other devices such as laptops or desktop computers. Unlike the iPhone’s official tethering feature, however, Handy Light shared the 3G connection via Wi-Fi instead of USB.
The app also worked around the fees that cell service providers charge for tethering. AT&T, for example, charges iPhone users an additional US$20 for tethering on top of the $25 2GB per month data plan.
Sales of Handy Light at $0.99 were brisk up until Apple yanked it from the App Store. With the app gone, Mr. Lee has a little notoriety, and buyers have a tethering app for their iPhone that also happens to work as a flashlight.