Apple celebrates 5th anniversary of the App Store with free top apps and games

The biggest application store on earth will have its 5th birthday tomorrow. And to compliment the celebration, Apple is offering the top ‘landmark’ apps and games in the App Store for free.

Let’s do a little bit of history first. The App Store opened in July 10, 2008 with an update to iTunes on Mac and Windows. It had 500 apps available on the launch day. Five years later, it now has a mind-boggling 900,000 apps accessible within your fingertips. It has been definitely a remarkable five years for the App Store.

Anyway, on to the free apps and games. The links are available below. Just open them right from your iOS devices or on iTunes if you’re on your Mac or PC.

Barefoot World Atlas
Learn about the world, its nations and its wonders through this dazzling interactive globe
https://itunes.apple.com/app/barefoot-world-atlas/id489221652?mt=8

Day One (Journal / Diary)
Record movements every day using photos, places and words with this intuitive journal
https://itunes.apple.com/app/day-one-journal-diary/id421706526?mt=8

How to Cook Everything
Learn to cook more than 2,000 gourmet recipes using this robust kitchen companion
https://itunes.apple.com/app/how-to-cook-everything/id409936319?mt=8

Over
Help your photos stand out by adding custom captions, logos and stylish doodles
https://itunes.apple.com/app/over/id535811906?mt=8

Traktor DJ for iPhone
Mix like a pro with a DJ app that puts industry-leading features right at your fingertips
https://itunes.apple.com/app/traktor-dj-for-iphone/id625335999?mt=8

BADLAND
An Apple Design Award winner, Badland is an incredible action game with stunning graphics
https://itunes.apple.com/app/badland/id535176909?mt=8

Infinity Blade II
With smart gameplay and gorgeous graphics, this action-packed epic absolutely shines
https://itunes.apple.com/app/infinity-blade-ii/id447689011?mt=8

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
This elegant 8-bit adventure uses touch-based puzzles to deliver a poignant story
https://itunes.apple.com/app/superbrothers-sword-sworcery/id424912055?mt=8

Tiny Wings
This endearing classic features charming style and thrilling momentum-based gameplay
https://itunes.apple.com/app/tiny-wings/id417817520?mt=8

Where's My Water?
A simple and challenging puzzle game that features intuitive controls and a lovable mascot
https://itunes.apple.com/app/wheres-my-water/id449735650?mt=8

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Apple App Store surpasses 40 billion downloads

Apple has announced that the App Store has topped 40 billion downloads today. They also say that in December alone, users have made 2 billion installs in the App Store. The number excludes re-installs and app updates.

The App Store is now home to some 775,000 apps for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. 300,000 apps alone are designed for the large iPad display. Apple has also stated that they have paid out over 7 billion dollars to the developers.

“It has been an incredible year for the iOS developer community,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “Developers have made over seven billion dollars on the App Store, and we continue to invest in providing them with the best ecosystem so they can create the most innovative apps in the world.”

Apple last announced in June 2012 that the App Store saw 30 billion downloads.

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iTunes Store Opens in the Philippines and Eleven Other Countries

There are reports going on right now that Apple will have a launch event this day at Hong Kong where they will announce the expansion of it’s iTunes Store to seven Asian countries. And, here’s a good news – iTunes Store is already apparently live here in the Philippines as well as the other countries stated hours before the announcement!

Opening iTunes on your computer and clicking on the iTunes Store tab on the left will take you to the updated homepage which shows Music titles. With the opening of the iTunes Store in the Philippines, users can now purchase music, movies, and books and even rent movies.

Another good news is that the price matrix for the titles here in the country seems to be lower than that of in the US iTunes Store. For example, Maroon 5’s Walk the Moon album costs $6.99 in the US store, while in the PH iTunes Store it will only cost you $4.99. That also translates to lower price per song title, which is at $0.69 a pop in the PH store while it’s $1.29 in the US store. Movie titles have the same price matrix though with titles having a standard $14.99 price tag.

The opening of the iTunes Store in the country means that people who want to buy music, movies, or other contents previously not available in the PH iTunes Store can now do so without signing up for a US iTunes account. The countries included in the opening are the following: Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. We are just waiting for Apple’s press release which should be available later today for more details.

UPPDATE: Well it seems Apple has even added a dedicated OPM (Original Pilipino Music) section on the iTunes Store. Singles costs $0.99 each. Check it out.

UPDATE 2: Apple has already posted a press release and they are actually opening the iTunes Store to a total of 12 countries today including the Philippines.

UPDATE 3: iTunes Match is also present in today’s opening. Subscriptions cost $24.99 per year.

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