developers

Twitter developers dismayed by promise of stricter API rules

Twitter's announcement that it will tighten the rules governing its APIs sent a shock wave through the developer community, leaving many feeling jilted by the microblogging service and worried about the direction the company is heading.

Ending a policy that had been in effect for the past two-and-a-half-years, Twitter announced Friday it planned to institute stricter rules for its application programming interface to ensure that "the core Twitter consumption experience" includes "a consistent set of products and tools."

In a company blog post announcing the forthcoming policy, consumer product manager Michael Sippey discussed broadening its &… Read more

Apple's App Store travels to 32 more countries

Apple yesterday widened the reach of its popular online App Store to an additional 32 markets.

Citing an e-mail sent to registered iOS and Mac developers last night, 9to5Mac said that the new markets are mostly in Africa, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The App Store expansion follows an announcement by Apple CEO Tim Cook at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference that the online store would branch out to the 32 new markets, adding up to 155 regions across the world.

The 32 new areas: Albania, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Fiji, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, … Read more

Android developers can now reply directly to Google Play comments

Android developers now have the ability to reply to user reviews and comments left in the Google Play store, according to the official developers blog. Starting today, those listed with Top Developers badges can log into the Developer Console and leave replies and other messages to users. A wider release is expected once additional feedback is gathered from developers and the Android community.

Ideally, this is a good way for companies to show its users that comments and criticism don't fall on deaf ears. Using the new tools, developers can create dialogue with its base and let them know … Read more

Amazon Appstore readies for international distribution

For all the success that Amazon has enjoyed with its Appstore for Android, that's largely been the case only in the United States. Yet, that looks to change later this year as developers can now ready their apps for distribution across a number of European markets.

Android developers logging into the Amazon Developer Portal will find that they can submit apps and games for release in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. It's not immediately known when the internal expansion will begin, however Amazon promises even more markets are on the horizon.

Since its launch a … Read more

Facebook's payment platform changes its currency

Facebook made a simple announcement today -- its virtual currency, "credits," is to become real currency, such as dollars, pounds, or rupees. Despite this being a seemingly straightforward notice, a lot can be read into this plan.

It points to the social network looking for additional ways to make money besides advertising and it shows the company's goal to grow as a payment platform embarking on a similar path to Apple with its iTunes store.

The idea of Facebook credits were first debuted in 2008 when the social network changed the monetary units for its "gifts&… Read more

How to install iOS 6 developer preview on Apple TV

On Monday, shortly after Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, we showed you how to install the first iOS 6 developer preview on your iOS devices, but not an Apple TV.

As I previously warned, and will warn again, installing a beta operating system is for developers who are testing applications. It is not for individuals. There will be bugs and issues, sometimes rendering your device near useless.

You will need to be part of the iOS Developer Program with Apple and have access to the proper files, as well as access to registering the UDID (Unique Device Identifier ) of … Read more

MacBook Pro, Siri, iOS6, take WWDC spotlight (live blog)

Editor's note: This live blog has concluded. You can replay it by clicking here, or check out our roundup of WWDC stories. Also note our two first take reviews: Apple's MacBook Pro with Retina Display and its new MacBook Air.

Apple once again takes over San Francisco's Moscone center for its annual developers conference, and CNET will be there to bring you the news live.

The tech giant today is expected to show off a new version of iOS, spruce up its Mac lineup, and offer a little more information on Mountain Lion, the next major version … Read more

Microsoft stumbles with off-color quip in Norway

Some things are too idiosyncratic to make up. Others, well, you just wouldn't want to make them up.

So this morning I find myself trying to get inside the gray matter of those who created an extraordinary singing and dancing number for last week's Microsoft Developers Conference in Norway.

Microsoft is quite renowned for enjoying the act of stirring its employees and customers to great emotional heights. And this number most certainly had its heights.

I think I am grateful to Geekwire for awakening me to this one-of-a-kind piece. For, as the so-called Azure Girls cavorted on stage, … Read more

Apple reportedly mulling tracking tool for app developers

Only days before Apple's big developer shindig gets underway, the ship of state is leaking one rumor after the next.

The latest, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, has to do with Apple coming up with a new way for its mobile app developers to "track who uses their software."

The new tool, which could be detailed in the coming weeks, aims to better protect user privacy than existing approaches, these people said. It comes after Apple last summer rattled the mobile industry by saying it would stop allowing app makers to use a unique identifier embedded … Read more

iOS still tops Android with app developers

Despite Android's greater share of the smartphone market, Apple's iOS continues to attract greater support from app developers.

Nearly seven of every 10 apps being created in the first quarter of 2012 were for the iOS platform, with the remaining three going to Android, according to new data released today by research firm Flurry Analytics. iOS generates twice as many apps as Android despite Google's mobile operating system commanding 50.8 percent of the smartphone market compared with Apple's 31.4 percent, according to ComScore data release last week.

One key reason for Apple's popularity … Read more