Developers

EU demanding ‘concrete answers’ from Apple and Google regarding in-app purchasing concerns

Reuters is reporting that The European Commission has invited Apple and Google to discuss a flurry of user complaints surrounding in-app purchases. The move follows numerous media reports that center on disgruntled parents who were shocked to find that their children racked up vast credit card bills by making content purchases in free-to-play games.

The Commission is arguing that it's Apple's and Google's responsibility not to misleading consumers. The Commission also called upon greedy app creators to provide "very concrete answers" in respect to in-app purchasing concerns...

Apple releases iBeacon specification

Apple's iBeacons, an indoor positioning system that can detect nearby devices to optionally push promotional marketing messages, has been picking up considerable steam lately. For instance, such brands as Major League Baseball and Apple itself have implemented the system, as did various retailers, theme parks, grocery stores and even car accessory makers.

According to BEEKn.net, Apple has now released detailed specification for the iBeacon platform. Released through Apple's 'Made for iPhone' (MFi) initiative, the documents are apparently separate from Apple's main Bluetooth MFi specification..

Apple has acquired Burstly, the company behind iOS testing platform TestFlight

TechCrunch is reporting that Apple has acquired Burstly, the company behind the popular iOS testing platform TestFlight. There's no word on the details, or pricing, but the company has confirmed the acquisition and its employees are already working in Cupertino.

For those unfamiliar with the service, TestFlight allows developers to distribute its apps to beta testers before pushing them to the App Store for release. It's similar to HockeyApp, and several developers create their own testing platforms via Apple's enterprise program...

Good deal: name your own price on this ‘learn to code’ bundle

I don't know about you, but when I hear stories about app developers becoming near-overnight millionaires, it makes me want to get into the business. Unfortunately, I know very little about programming, and even less about programming for iOS.

That can be changed, though, by taking some educational courses on the subject. And wouldn't you know it, our friends over at deal site Stack Social are running one of their infamous 'name your own price' promos on a set of 8 online coding courses...

Google I/O Developer Conference slated for June 25-26 this year

Google senior vice president Sundar Pichai just announced via Google+ that the company's annual I/O event is scheduled for June 25-26 this year. For those unfamiliar with the conference, it's a lot like Apple's yearly WWDC gathering in San Francisco.

The timing is particularly interesting in that Google held I/O in May last year, well before Apple's WWDC event. It would seem that this time the search giant is hoping to get a glimpse at what Apple has cooked up this year before divulging all of its own secrets...

Apple posts update for iTunes Connect web portal

Apple has posted an update for its iTunes Connect portal this evening. Developers use this portal to track and manager their App Store apps, and tonight's update has brought about a new Sales and Trends sections that allows them to better parse sales data.

The move should appease developers, who have long-complained that the iTunes Connect portal lacked useful reporting tools. In fact, many developers have forgone using iTunes Connect entirely for app figures, opting for other analytics services like App Annie...

Apple seeds OS X 10.9.2 build 13C62 to developers

Apple has seeded the seventh OS X 10.9.2 beta to registered Mac developers this afternoon. The last few betas have each come about a week apart, but this one comes less than a week after beta 6.

The new build is available to all registered Mac developers through the Software Update tab in the Mac App Store, or as a full download via the Mac section of Apple’s online developer portal…

Developers say iOS 7.1 fixes issue impacting location-based apps

It appears that an issue in iOS 7 that disabled the geolocation functions on apps that were force-closed by the user is being corrected in iOS 7.1. Developers say that in the latest iOS 7.1 betas, force-closing an app does not disable its location-aware functions.

This has been a major problem for developers since the launch of iOS 7 last fall—particularly for those who had location-based apps. Some devs have even reported that their App Store ratings have plummeted in the last 6 months due to the technical change...

Apple seeds fifth OS X 10.9.2 beta to developers

Apple has seeded the fifth OS X 10.9.2 beta to registered Mac developers this evening. The last few beta releases have each come about a week apart, suggesting that they're nearing a final version.

The new build is available to registered Mac developers through the Software Update tab in the Mac App Store, or as a full download via the Mac section of Apple’s online developer portal…

Popular ‘Flappy Bird’ game earning $50k per day in ad revenue

While discussing the latest mobile gaming craze that is Flappy Bird on our recent Let's Talk iOS podcast, I wondered out loud how much money the developer was making from his newfound success. The game, which is free with ads, has enjoyed a spontaneous reign at the top of the App Store.

Apparently he's doing rather well for himself. In a recent interview with The Verge, developer Dong Nguyen says that Flappy Bird is earning an average of $50,000 per day from ads. It's been download over 50M times, and has been sitting atop iOS and Android app stores for nearly a month...

Apple seeds iOS 7.1 beta 5 to developers: here is what’s new

Apple has released the fifth beta of iOS 7.1 to registered developers this morning. The update, which carries the build number 11D5145e, can be downloaded OTA or via Apple’s developer center.

Today’s release comes just two weeks after the fourth beta, which only brought about a handful of changes including a refreshed slide to unlock animation and a new voice gender for Siri UK…

Google Cast SDK released, now iOS devs can integrate with Chromecast

Google's inexpensive HDMI dongle dubbed Chromecast offers great value for money. For just $35, users can stream Netflix, HBO GO, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Google Play TV & Movies and more, from their favorite mobile apps and websites right to their big screen TV sets - much like AirPlaying through Apple's $99 media-streaming box, the Apple TV.

While Google's been adding new Chromecast content sources, the device's true potential remained largely untapped because Google would only open up Chromecast to select few developers.

But not anymore. As of today, the official Google Cast Software Development Kit (SDK) is available to developers wishing to enhance their iOS and Android apps and websites with Chromecast integration...