New Futurama episode titled “Calculon 2.0” has hit the tubes. Calculon returns along with Robot Devil.
Previews:
Google Chromecast is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com
You can now pre-order Google Chromecast at Amazon.com. For those who have Amazon Prime would save on the shipping cost.
Apple Developer System Status
Apple has created status page for its Developer Website as reveal in emails sent to registered Apple Developer.
Apple Developer System Status Update
We apologize for the significant inconvenience caused by our developer website downtime. We’ve been working around the clock to overhaul our developer systems, update our server software, and rebuild our entire database. While we complete the work to bring our systems back online, we want to share the latest with you.
We plan to roll out our updated systems, starting with Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, Apple Developer Forums, Bug Reporter, pre-release developer libraries, and videos first. Next, we will restore software downloads, so that the latest betas of iOS 7, Xcode 5, and OS X Mavericks will once again be available to program members. We’ll then bring the remaining systems online. To keep you up to date on our progress, we’ve created a status page to display the availability of our systems.
If your program membership is set to expire during this period, it will be extended and your app will remain on the App Store. If you have any other concerns about your account, please contact us.
Thank you for your continued patience.
As of this posting, Bug Reporter has just gone online.
Apple took down its Developer Website due to a hacking attempt on late Thursday July 18, 2013. Ibrahim Balic, a Turkish security researcher, believes that he is responsible for the intrusion that resulted in the downtime at Apple Developer Center.
While Apple is working to bring the Developer Webcite back online, Apple seeded OS X Mavericks Developer Preview 4 through Software Update. Apple has yet seeded iOS 7 beta 4 which was expected for release on Monday July 22, 2013 for its previous two-week release cycle. Apple has the mean to distribute iOS 7 beta 4 via Over The Air (OTA) software update. Apple prefers to distribute iOS 7 beta ipsw to developers along the OTA software update.
Google Chromecast
New product from Google:
Introducing Chromecast
To help make it easy to bring your favorite online entertainment to the biggest screen in your house—the TV—we’re introducing Chromecast. Chromecast is a small and affordable ($35) device that you simply plug in to your high-definition (HD) TV and it allows you to use your phone, tablet or laptop to “cast” online content to your TV screen. It works with Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, and Google Play Music, with more apps like Pandora coming soon. With Chromecast, we wanted to create an easy solution that works for everyone, for every TV in the house.
From the faded fine-print:
Subscriptions may be required to use with certain content providers. Chromecast is compatible with WiFi-enabled Android 2.3+ smartphones and tablets; iOS 6.0+ iPhones, iPads, and iPods; Chrome for Mac® and Chrome for Windows®; and Chromebook Pixel. Power cord required (not shown).
It seems that Chromecast does not work on its own and requires other device such as Android and iOS devices as the remote; even though Google says “Remote-free”.
Remote-free
Once your Chromecast is set up, you can use your phone, tablet or laptop to browse and cast content to your TV, play and pause, control the volume, and more. But unlike other streaming solutions, you can still multitask—send emails or surf the web—while enjoying what’s on the TV screen. It works across platforms—Android tablets and smartphones, iPhones, iPads, Chrome for Mac and Windows (more to come), so your personal device is also now your remote control.
Chromecast comes with 3 months of Netflix included when purchased from Google Play, Amazon or Best Buy.
Apple Reports Third Quarter Results
Apple reports financial results for its fiscal 2013 third quarter ended June 29, 2013.
CUPERTINO, California—July 23, 2013—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2013 third quarter ended June 29, 2013. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $35.3 billion and quarterly net profit of $6.9 billion, or $7.47 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $35 billion and net profit of $8.8 billion, or $9.32 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 36.9 percent compared to 42.8 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 57 percent of the quarter’s revenue.
The Company sold 31.2 million iPhones, a record for the June quarter, compared to 26 million in the year-ago quarter. Apple also sold 14.6 million iPads during the quarter, compared to 17 million in the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 3.8 million Macs, compared to 4 million in the year-ago quarter.
That means Apple has sold 68.6 million iPhones in the first half of 2013, including the 37.4 million iPhones sold in the first three months of the year.
iPad sales is down compared to the year-ago quarter. That is expected since Apple broke its previously set iPad release cycle. For the first three years, Apple release new iPad in the month of March and April. Both iPad mini and Fourth Generation iPad were released in Fall 2012, six month after the release of Third Generation iPad.
In addition to that, Apple did not even bother to mention iPod sales figure in the press release.
Apple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2013 fourth quarter:
- revenue between $34 billion and $37 billion
- gross margin between 36 percent and 37 percent
- operating expenses between $3.9 billion and $3.95 billion
- other income/(expense) of $200 million
- tax rate of 26.5%
Apple might be expecting around $6 billion to $7 billion of net profit for the next quarter.
Apple Seeds OS X Mavericks Developer Preview 4
Apple seeds OS X Mavericks Developer Preview 4 as scheduled while the Developer Center is being down.
Apple is expected to release iOS 7 beta 4 today. Even though registered developers can not access the Developer Center, Apple can still deliver iOS 7 beta 4 update over the air.
Hacking Attempt at Apple Developer Website
Apple has sent out emails to Apple Developers explaining the outage of Apple Developer Website.
Apple Developer Website Update
Last Thursday, an intruder attempted to secure personal information of our registered developers from our developer website. Sensitive personal information was encrypted and cannot be accessed, however, we have not been able to rule out the possibility that some developers’ names, mailing addresses, and/or email addresses may have been accessed. In the spirit of transparency, we want to inform you of the issue. We took the site down immediately on Thursday and have been working around the clock since then.
In order to prevent a security threat like this from happening again, we’re completely overhauling our developer systems, updating our server software, and rebuilding our entire database. We apologize for the significant inconvenience that our downtime has caused you and we expect to have the developer website up again soon.
It is indeed bad news, since there is no way of telling if the intruder managed to access any informations.
Apple is using its own Apple ID service for Developer login, which has been fully operational during this period. It seems that the hacking attempt only happened on Apple Developer Website.