[memco]

If I recall correctly one of the most popular third party apps first released for the iPhone was a flashlight app that was a blank app with an icon and a name. Slightly more code than any of those under the hood, but I feel the idea is the same.

[blamazon]

Straying further from empty-file-ness, but in a similar vein of low-effort apps in the early days of the iPhone was the controversial I Am Rich, which still makes me giggle:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Rich

>I am rich

>I deserv [sic] it

>I am good,

>healthy & successful

[Rendello]

This one deserves a mention as well:

> Send Me To Heaven (officially stylized as S.M.T.H.) is an Android application developed by Carrot Pop which measures the vertical distance that a mobile phone is thrown. Players compete against each other by seeking to throw their phones higher than others, often at the risk of damaging their phones.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Send_Me_To_Heaven

[version_five]

This could be a direct ancestor of NFTs

[hoosieree]

An NFT way ahead of its time.

[Cthulhu_]

While this was clearly an experiment etc, a "I am rich" showing off is still prevalent in most games these days with high ticket in-game purchases. Either of the variant that gives your character or base or whatever an appearance trait, or pay-to-win items that puts you high up on the leaderboards.

[blamazon]

I find it ironic that Apple, which is now infamous for 700 dollar computer wheels and 999 dollar display stand, etc, was the party to swiftly ban such an experiment.