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PIRIKA (pih-rih-ka) is a web service with the aim of “picking up all the world's trash, and cleaning up the world”. The idea is that the trash collection network will expand and expand as users take photos and share gathered trash using iPhone and Android apps. (“Pirika” is an Ainu word meaning “clean” or “beautiful”.)

What was your impression upon hearing this concept? I personally felt that it was the most truly interesting service I had encountered in a while. There are countless services for sharing delicious meals, apps for decorating photos with cheap filter effects and sharing them; but to ask users to go to such lengths as to pick up trash and photograph it—who on earth would do that? But that is why it is interesting, and I also believe that it is art. But why, for what purpose? My curiosity insatiable, I arranged for a talk with PIRIKA's CEO Fujio Kojima, and CTO Ryota Ayaki.

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The setup is as a seller’s market for app M&A businesses.

“App M&A” is a business that involved purchasing iPhone and Android apps from their developers, and selling them to new owners. They began their work in earnest in July of this year. Yumi Oyama from axion shared with us some of the knowhow she has picked up over the last three months.

What motivated you to start app M&As?
“I like smartphones and enjoy being involved with them, and I wanted to create a business that would stimulate developers of apps and make everyone in the business happy.”

What was your feeling when you started?
“When we started, there were more people wanting to buy apps than sell. Because of that, we had to search for people willing to sell their apps, and pay high prices, but recently there has been good balance (in supply and demand)”

The most popular apps are mini games (simple games), memo pads, and utility tools such as schedulers. They are not necessarily difficult to develop, but Oyama believes that there is demand for her business because it is quicker and more efficient for companies to buy completed apps.

Apparently the price setting standard is based on the download numbers (and trend) of the last three months, but the details are a corporate secret. (There is a link at the end of the article to an “App Purchase Price Simulator”)Read More

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"Togetter", a service for creating a "summary page" for organized voluntary tweets from Twitter. It received the Good Design Reward.

To describe togetter in one word, it would be "violin". Because it appeared in the year 1550 and it's shape hasn't changed since. Monthly PV 9 million, UU 2 million. Tweets can be organized by drag and drop.

We will develop it as organized media while targeting the planet's 7 billion people. The service's name will be "Chirpstory". Story of a tweet. We will enter into the world as a simpler service than the Japan-oriented togetter. It will be possible to add media contents such as YouTube.

We will localize with native translation and design renewal. Features will also be simplified. In addition, we will add a media contents feature. We will change from a the current focus on the user to a focus on contents like foreign news sites. It will be possible to create contents in the form of a combination of tweets and videos and images from GROUPON, etc.

"Unifying the world by gathering the tweets of humanity"


Original article:Twitterまとめで世界進出togetter改め「Chirpstory」(#IVS Launch Pad [6/14])

translated by myGengo

Installed on Android Terminal, the "& Friends" app is a service that can be shared. It automatically collects your list of apps and is even able to make them public on the site. Today it was combined with IVS LaunchPad and a beta version was released. "Control the distribution of Android apps".

It is possible to view the apps of celebrities. However, since you are able to choose between "public" and "private" privacy settings, in actuality, you will only see those they have permitted to have viewed.

The development period is six months. You can log in using Google ID and connect to friends on such sites as Twitter or Facebook. If a friend's app catches your eye, you are then able to download it on the spot. Furthermore, the apps order table presents the order of apps that are popular among your friends, as well as those corresponding to your own social trends.Read More

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With Klab's "CHeeRZ", people can interact with others looking at the same site via avatars. It is a social layer service compatible with all web sites. There are a plethora of ideas such as using it as a site's concierge. We are assuming it to be an SLS (social layer service).

Just like Facebook's "Like", users will be able to "Cheer" contents or contrarily boo them with a "Zreech".

Avatars of those viewing the site at the same moment will appear in the rear of the browser. At the same time, your avatar will appear in their browser with chat possible between avatars. For a fee, users may purchase items and decorate their avatars to make them cuter.

User can make friends by smiling at and sending gestures to people met on the site. It is a social platform where anyone can create a group. Users can even enjoy gathering their avatars to watch on curiously at fires, etc on the site. In addition, it seems that users may also take their pets on walks anywhere on the internet.
(Voice is partly lost because of a technical failure)

Orijinal article:サイトで出会った人とアバターを介して交流できる「CHeeRZ」(#IVS Launch Pad [12/14])