Hawkinson's timing was good. Although home automation has been around for decades, it's still far from mainstream. At the same time that SmartThings launched, Nest Labs, a "smart thermostat" created by former Apple engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, was hitting the market.

The problem, of course, is that this experiment is a big change to the way Twitter has always worked. Part of what makes Twitter great is that the timeline is relatively unobstructed. You see tweets from individuals you choose to follow and the tweets they choose to retweet. It's not like Facebook.

The developers for BombGaza and Gaza Assault: Code Red could not immediately be reached for comment. Other games that simulate Israel's Iron Dome and Hamas rockets remain in the Play Store. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.