Price: $0.99    Score: 7/10    By Shaun Campbell

The brainchild of New York Times best-selling Author Joel Comm, iFart Mobile exploded onto the App Store top-selling list over the holiday period with 38,927 downloads on Christmas Day alone. At 0.99c a pop, minus Apple’s cut, that’s $27,249 net. Who knew toilet humor could be so profitable?

Still holding on to the App Store pole position at the time of writing, iFart Mobile has shown just how lucrative iPhone software development can be. Since it’s release on the 12/12, iFart Mobile has netted Joel Comm a very tidy six figure sum. However, only a month ago Joel’s enormous success would never have been possible. Apple recently loosened its App Store content restrictions (some would say standards) and developers responded with a veritable flood of flatulence-inspired applications. MG Siegler of Venture Beat reported that 14 new iPhone fart apps were approved in one day alone (17/12).

The app itself is best described as a digital Whoopie Cushion. Open up iFart Mobile and you’re presented with a list of 20 sound-effects to choose from. Of course, they’re all just variations on the same “theme” – but some are better than others. There’s “Jack the Ripper”, “The Wipe Out” & “Squeezer” – just to name a few.

iFart Mobile also features two distinct options in addition to the instant gratification of “Fart Now”. There’s “Sneak Attack”, which allows you to set a timer to achieve that all-important element of surprise, and “Security Fart” which triggers a burst of flatulence the next time someone moves your phone. They’re novelty features, but then again, this is a novelty app.