DigitalBeat

Knocking, a new application for the iPhone, got a pretty big “wow” out of me — it lets you share footage from your iPhone camera with friends who have the app.

Let’s say you’re at a store and you want to ask your spouse which product they like better. You could turn on Knocking, “knock” on their phone, then they would get a message saying you want to share. Then you just turn your camera on the different products you’re looking at, and it shows up on their phone. Here are a couple other examples offered by Brian Meehan, co-founder of Point Heads Software, the Danbury, Conn., development studio that created Knocking: If you’re fishing, you could use Knocking to share the great view, or if you’re stuck in traffic you could use the app to show family or coworkers how bad things are on the highway.

I haven’t tried the application myself, but I have seen a live demo as well as a video, and both suggest the video quality is decent, if a little jerky, and is broadcast with only a few seconds’ delay. Neither fact undermines Knocking’s essential coolness.

Pointy Heads actually released a more limited version of the Knocking app in November, which focused on photo-sharing. The full version was rejected from the App Store due to some user interface features that Apple said fell afoul of its policies. (Meehan was a bit vague on the exact violation.)

It seems like this is becoming a common story among iPhone developers, but Meehan decided to take his concerns straight to the top — he sent an email to Apple chief executive Steve Jobs recounting his history as a lifelong Apple fan, and outlining his concerns with the decision, such as the fact that other apps live in the store seemed to offer the same feature that got Knocking rejected. Shortly afterward, Meehan said he got a call from Apple “upper management,” who said they were calling about his email to Jobs. A few more phone calls later and the app was approved without any revision from Point Heads.

“It was a great feeling to know that they are listening and they do care,” Meehan said.

Knocking is available as a free app for the first 50,000 users (here’s the iTunes link), and will then cost $2.99. Pointy Heads plans to demonstrate a version for Android phones at the Consumer Electronics Show next January.

Pointy Heads is self-funded.

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