A binman from Coventry is one of only eight people - from a total of 12,000 worldwide - whose iPhone application idea has been chosen by Apple for development.
The only Briton to make it through to the final round, Rob Shoesmith's application - Problem Halved - will go on sale by the end of the week.
Essentially a mobile 'agony aunt', Problem Halved allows iPhone users across the globe to post their problems online and advise other people on theirs. “It’s based on the old English saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’," Rob said, "and could be used for anything, whether someone wants to stop smoking, wants relationship advice, or even the answer to a crossword clue."
It's hoped that the unbiased advice offered by other users will be the application's main attraction.
Problem Halved will go on sale for approximately £1 from Apple's App store, and Mr Shoesmith will receive 25p for every one that is sold. Potentially, he could make millions of pounds.
Yesterday, Apple's App Store clocked up 1.5 billion downloads, and a stream of new concepts continues to appear on its virtual shelves. In recent days, new applications to hit the headlines have included a business tool from the Financial Times and even a virtual purity ring for Christian teenagers who want to refrain from sex before marriage.
