Apple has forced the developer of
PCalc, James Thomson, to remove an iOS 8 Notification Center widget that let people do calculations without opening the app. The
decision is an apparently sudden reversal, given that the app was previously approved with the widget intact. PCalc has been featured in several sections of the App Store, such as "Great Apps and Games for iOS 8," and even "Extend Your Apps," which focuses on software with unusual widgets.
The App Store's widget restrictions appear to be narrowing. In September Apple pulled a titled called Launcher, which installed a widget capable of triggering custom functions like calling specific people or navigating to a particular destination. It and PCalc may have run afoul of an Apple guideline preventing "mini versions" of apps, but if so that would imply that official screeners have repeatedly made mistakes.
There is also an OS X Yosemite version of PCalc with a similar widget. That software has so far been untouched, and it's not clear if Apple will demand any modifications.
Image via MacRumors