Editor’s Note: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
World’s biggest smartphone maker Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). is reportedly planning to launch its next iPhone on September 10. According to a news channel report, it is being speculated that Apple might introduce both an iPhone 5S as well as a cheaper iPhone for lower-end customers this year. The company has been losing its share in the smartphone market to Google’s Android platform in the last few quarters.
Google’s $2 million bounty milestone reinforces the boon of rewarding bug hunters (PCWorld)
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s bug bounty program isn’t just paying off for Google (and, by extension, you); it’s also paying off for security researchers scouring the company’s software for vulnerabilities. The search giant recently announced that over the past three years, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has received more than 2,000 security bug reports and paid out more than $2 million in rewards. Bug bounty payouts are becoming an increasingly popular way for software makers to keep their products more secure. Instead of relying exclusively on employees or reporting from private security firms, bug bounty programs create a channel for private individuals to report security flaws directly to the company. If the flaw meets the bounty program’s requirements, then the company will pay out a monetary reward to the discoverer of the flaw.
Microsoft: Xbox One Won’t Require Kinect to Work (PCMag)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)s complex list of onerous requirements for its upcoming Xbox One seems to be shrinking, item-by-item, as the software giant continues to cope with public backlash against what many consumers have said would be prohibitive costs to ponying up for the next-generation game console. In June, Redmond reversed course on a requirement that the console be connected to the Internet, while also announcing that it would not be imposing any limitations on using and sharing games as previously planned. Both of those early Xbox One protocols faced scathing backlash from gamers.
Apple Said to Prepare Holiday Refresh of IPhones to IPads (Bloomberg)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) plans to introduce new versions of the iPhone and iPad in time for the holiday shopping season, seeking to entice shoppers who delayed purchases amid a dearth of new models so far this year. The new iPhone will be unveiled at a Sept. 10 event, according to a person familiar with the plans. Updated iPad models, including an iPad with a thinner body design and an iPad mini with a high-resolution screen will be unveiled later, two people said. Software for the devices, as well as for Mac computers, will also be revamped, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) said in June.
Microsoft Windows franchise spurs analyst debate over future (ZNet)
Is Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Windows unit, likely to become the operating systems division, fighting a losing battle with falling profit margins or a cash cow that can bounce back if just a little goes right? The answer depends on what analyst guesstimate you want to believe. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Brad Reback downgraded Microsoft shares on Tuesday based on the theory that Windows average selling prices are going to fall. As those prices fall so does Microsoft’s profitability. Analysts were spooked by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s fiscal fourth quarter, which indicated Windows weakness.
