Appsfire’s Appstream Helps you Discover Apps in the Matrix

Remember Apple’s mosaic wall of apps at WWDC? You too can replicate that on your iPad through discovery service Appsfire. No more messing with categories and top apps on Apple’s App Store – give yourself something interesting to browse through.

Appstream allows you to discover what applications are being found through Appsfire’s service. It’s interesting for sure, though like others, I occasionally have problems trying to download things I find. What’s also strange is that my taps on an app don’t always register – it seems I always pull up an app next to the one I’ve intended to look at. Exiting popups is also odd since you have to tap a back button. Still, it’s a neat visualization I’d encourage you to check out, especially since it’s free, and really: you got nothing better to do on a Monday.

[via TechCrunch]

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Take on Android Fanboys with Cross Platform Multiplayer Gaming

We like to stay civil when it comes to Microsoft and Android fanboy’s trying to tell us what’s what, and while we poke fun back, nothing is more satisfying than smoking the competition in a friendly game of Skies of Glory. Sure you could troll Engadget or start flame wars on Gizmodo, but we like to settle or differences man to man. Or in this case, plane to plane. Get your iPhones ready folks, because those Nexus One kiddos are going down!

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FaceTime From the Middle of Pacific Ocean [Video]

If you have an iPhone 4, you’ve tried FaceTime. Either you’ve called Apple, or you’ve started a video call with one of your friends. I did both. What I didn’t do, is try FaceTime from unusual locations, say airplanes. TUAW did, and it’s an impressive result.

But Wifi from a plane seems almost “easy” and “standard”, compared to what Philippe Kahn and his MotionX colleagues did. Philippe is in the middle of the Pacific ocean: if you draw a thousand miles circle around his location, there’s no sign of land. He’s using a satellite connection, possibly tunneled through a router the iPhone 4 is connected to. His colleagues are in the MotionX offices in Santa Cruz.

Check out the video after break. What’s next, space?

[Daring Fireball via Pegasus]

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Taiwanese News’ Recreation of Antennagate [Video]

There’s a Taiwanese outlet that, to better illustrate news, recreates events using a technology pretty similar to The Sims game. Problem is, they’re pretty “creative” with the way they see events - let’s just say things didn’t exactly go that way.

I mean, Steve Jobs cutting fingers off customers to eliminate the Death Grip? Yeah.

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Flurry Analytics Suggests In-App Purchases Generate More Revenue

In-app purchases are something we often don’t think about when playing a game or adding more features to the latest application. “This gravity gun is only an extra ninety-nine cents, and I love this game. So why not?” As customers spend on the latest upgrades, updates, and ad-free in-app purchases, Flurry reports that this model works considerably well. TUAW writes:

Previously to 2010, the games tracked were generating only a few bucks per user per year, but in January the total jumped to around $9, and it’s now in the double digits. Flurry says that money doesn’t include ad revenue – it’s strictly profit from in-app purchases, either unlocking features or selling virtual goods.

Flurry is reporting that as of June, they’re generating $14.66 per user per year. The idea is to get someone interested in your product, then give them the opportunity to add the features they need for an enjoyable experience. More often than not, in-app purchases turn a pretty good profit.

[via TUAW]