Roundup of developers and apps to help Japan
The developer community is stepping up its offers of help to disaster-struck Japan with increasing ways to send money to those in need. This is a roundup of offers we've heard about -- let us know in comments of any others.
Simplest of all is the offer from Japanese startup Lunascape: download the free iPhone or iPad version of its tabbed web browser app, and the company will donate ¥50 (about US$0.63) up to a total of ¥5 million (about US$65,000 -- in addition to the ¥1 million it's already given) for the Japanese Red Cross and other similar relief organisations.
Marketcircle is going to give 100% of all proceeds made from its professional time billing programs Billings 3 and Billings Touch to the Red Cross starting on Monday, March 21, until the end of Wednesday, March 23.
Capcom has reduced the price of Street fighter IV to US$0.99 and is giving 100% of iPhone sales to relief efforts until Monday, March 21.
Real Software of Austin, Texas, is giving 5% of all sales of its web development tools next week to the American Red Cross's Japan fund.
The Square Enix Group -- maker of Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider and Space Invaders -- is donating ¥100 million (about US$1.25 million) to recovery efforts.
Ohanaware, maker of Mac photo software, such as HDRtist Pro and Funtastic Photos, is selling all of its software at half-price until Friday, March 25, with all profits going to the Red Cross for Japan relief.
Users of SmartRoam's VoIP app for iPhone ChatTime can make free calls to Japan until the end of March, which usually costs $15 a month. Users who have already called Japan since the earthquake began will have charges for those calls waived.
Devon Technologies, makers of data-management Mac software Devon Think and Devon Agent, will donate 20% of its March proceeds to Japanese relief efforts, such as Doctors Without Borders.
Interval Studios, producers of the Thicket and Snowdrift apps for iOS, is donating 100% of its proceeds from March 11 to March 31 to the Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund.
Tesla Software is also donating proceeds from the weekend to the Japan Relief fund and will post results on the company's site.