Developers

'Sophisticated' Hack Trapped Apple, Facebook, Says Dev Forum
February 21, 2013

The owner of the iPhoneDevSDK website involved in a major Java hacking incident has given his side of the story, saying a single compromised administrator account was the cause of internal computers at Apple and Facebook being infected after their users visited the site.

Why Free Apps Turn Me Off
February 21, 2013

Of the 300 million-plus people using iOS 6 in one form or another -- and millions more using iOS 5 -- I get the feeling I'm a dying breed. Why? I generally dislike and distrust free apps. I can blame some of this on the overwhelming influence of games, kids, and the psychology of the masses.

Theft of Apple UDIDs Mitigated by News the FBI Didn't Have Them
September 11, 2012

The case of the stolen database of Apple device identifiers is getting more intriguing by the day, with an entirely new player -- an app development company called "BlueToad" -- joining the cast of characters. BlueToad execs told reporters that the Apple UDIDs were stolen from it in a cyberattack launched two weeks ago.

Facebook Kisses HTML5 Goodbye With Rebuilt iOS App
August 25, 2012

Facebook has released a new version of its iOS app, one that the company rebuilt from the ground up using Apple's Xcode integrated development environment. In doing so, it got rid of HTML5, on which the previous version of its iOS app relied. The move to native iOS has sped up the app's performance, Facebook stated.

Facebook Steps Out on Mobile App Ad Tightrope
August 09, 2012

Facebook announced Tuesday that it is testing a new ad program for mobile apps in a limited beta. The system is aimed at iOS and Android developers who want to grow the audience for their apps, according to Facebook engineer Vijaye Raji. Anyone who clicks on an ad for an app will be sent to the App Store or Google Play to download it, assuming it is not already installed on the device.

Apple's Fancy New Social Play
August 08, 2012

Recent reports suggest Apple might be weighing a jump into the online social world. With Facebook and Google bringing in ad revenue and additional exposure from their social networks, the company may be looking to invest in a social startup of its own. Apple is reportedly in talks to purchase The Fancy, a social e-commerce site that has been likened to Pinterest.

App Developers Tilt Toward iOS
July 25, 2012

A survey of more than 3,600 Appcelerator Titanium developers has revealed that they would rather develop mobile apps for iOS than for Android. iOS led Android by 16 percent in the Appcelerator/IDC Q2 2012 Mobile Developer Report. Fifty-three percent of the respondents believed that iOS was winning in enterprise app development, whereas only 37 percent believed Android was.

Make Room for Mini: Will a 7-Inch iPad Make App Devs Sweat?
July 16, 2012

Some iOS app developers may need to take a long, hard look at their apps, as rumors about a forthcoming iPad mini continue to gain strength. "Apps custom-coded with Objective C and the Apple SDKs will need to be recompiled and rewritten," said George Adams, cofounder and CEO of ViziApps.

Devs Claim App Store Updates Are Coated in Crash Sauce
July 06, 2012

More than 70 iOS apps that were updated on or after July 3 are apparently crashing once they're launched, according to a few angry developers. Customers swamped Marco Arment, the creator of Instapaper, on July 4 with complaints that update 4.2.3 of his app had crashed immediately on launch, minutes after it had been approved by Apple.

iOS 6: Plenty of New Features but Where's the Innovation?
June 12, 2012

Among the highlights at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference was the presentation on Monday of a laundry list of enhancements to be found in iOS 6. The 200-plus new features and functions include Facebook integration, a Maps app that has turn-by-turn navigation and a new Flyover view.

What Will Star in Apple's Big Show?
May 30, 2012

Apple has released its schedule for its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference, which will take place in San Francisco next month. The event kicks off with a keynote address on Monday, June 11. The conference is an opportunity for developers to attend workshops and discuss the future of building for iOS and OS X, but in years past it's also been the stage for major company announcements.

Where Have All the Jailbreakers Gone?
May 29, 2012

The Absinthe 2.0 jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 was released Friday on the Greenpois0n website. This is less than a month after iOS 5.1.1 was released, on May 7. With Absinthe 2.0, iPhone users will be able to use the latest version of iOS while keeping the phone open to applications outside Apple's official App Store.