Steve Jobs calls frustrated developer after Apple rejects iPad app

Developer Ram Arumugam e-mailed Jobs directly on Oct. 26 after he learned his application, "Economy for iPad," was rejected. According to The Seattle Times, two hours later he received a phone call direct from Jobs, who explained to him why his application was rejected.

Arumugam was informed that "Economy" had relied on a non-public API, which is against Apple's rules for developers. The developer explained to Jobs that he used the private code to resolve an issue with making the on-screen keyboard disappear after the user was done typing.

After his conversation with Jobs, Arumugam revised his application and removed the private API, and it was accepted into the App Store. But the developer said he was very surprised that he received a personal call from Jobs.

"The fact that he took the time to read my e-mail, think about the app and then personally call me was amazing," he wrote on his blog.

Jobs has a reputation as a hands-on CEO, and he frequently responds to e-mails sent to him by users. Those e-mails, often with characteristically brief responses, are often republished online and gain considerable attention, though the authenticity of many notes is difficult to prove.

Earlier this year, a phony e-mail exchange was offered for sale to a number of sites, including AppleInsider, before one technology publication purchased the fake conversation and published details from it. Apple's public relations department quickly responded by outright denying the exchange.