In The New York Times Magazine: The iFart App

APPED
Even in a down economy, silly novelty 2.0 evidently still sells

This past Sunday in Consumed*, a look at “venturesome consumption” and the vibrant iPhone apps market — using the example, of all things, of the iFart app.

As you can pretty much deduce from the name, it enables your $200 to $300 mobile device to emit a variety of noises simulating flatulence. This 21st-century whoopee cushion hit No. 1 on the paid-application chart shortly before Christmas, stayed there for three weeks and remained in the Top 10 until mid-January. It has been purchased more than 350,000 times.

The obvious question, which could forgivably take the form of a plaintive howl, is why?

Read the column, from the February 1, 2009, issue of The New York Times Magazine, here.

* Posting this so late because of this site’s previously mentioned problem.

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