Apple reports quarterly earnings led by solid iPhone sales

Apple on Tuesday posted fiscal third quarter results led by solid iPhone sales. The Cupertino-based company brought in $37.4 billion in revenues, up six percent compared to the year-ago quarter. Profit checked in at $7.75 billion, up from the $6.9 billion during the same period in 2013.

Tim Cook and company sold 35.2 million iPhones during the quarter, a jump of 12.7 percent year-over-year although just shy of analysts' estimates. It's an impressive figure considering we're just a few months away from one of the most anticipated iPhone launches ever but it's worth pointing out that strong overseas iPhone sales certainly played a part in the quarterly figure.

While iPhone sales were solid, Apple once again turned in disappointing results as it relates to the iPad. Sales were down 9.2 percent at just 13.3 million versus the 14.6 million units moved last year. iPad sales were down 16 percent during the previous quarter.

Apple is clearly having a hard time moving its tablet in the wake of cheaper competition and large-screen smartphones.

Apple shares are up 0.83 percent in after hours trading as of writing, currently priced at $94.72. That may seem low if you kept up with Apple's ridiculously high stock prices not all that long ago but you have to remember, the company did a seven-for-one stock split back in June.

Looking ahead, Apple anticipates revenues of $37 billion to $40 billion during the next quarter.

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Apple to launch public OS X Yosemite beta program tomorrow

Apple announced OS X Yosemite during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference last month. Since then, developers have had access to the operating system via closed beta but that's all set to change real soon.

Starting tomorrow (July 24), Apple is opening the beta up to the public. Those that pre-registered for the public beta will receive an e-mail on Thursday with a link to download the Yosemite build from the Mac App Store as well as an activation key.

Unlike developers, public beta users won't receive bi-weekly software updates. Instead, these users should only expect a handful of updates between now and when the OS officially launches this fall. When the official build is released, however, those using the public beta will also be updated to the final build meaning a wipe and reinstall won't be necessary.

As with any beta program, it's always a good idea to back up any mission-critical data beforehand. Apple also recommends installing OS X Yosemite on a secondary Mac if possible since it may contain errors or inaccuracies.

Additionally, the Cupertino-based company points out that some features require iOS 8 which is not being offered as part of the beta program.

Do note, however, that while this is a public beta, spots are limited and only the first million signups will get access. As of writing, it appears there are still some spots available but if you want in, you'd better act fast.

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Report claims Apple has ordered 70-80 million next-gen iPhones

In the lead up to the launch of the new iPhone, Apple has reportedly placed its largest order yet for next-generation models: 70-80 million units by December 30th of this year. In contrast, Apple ordered 50-60 million units for the launch of the iPhone 5s and 5c.

There are several reasons as to why Apple has made such a large order of new iPhones. One is that they're expecting record demand for the upcoming phones, which are expected to be available as 4.7- and 5.5-inch models. The larger displays will close the hardware gap between the iPhone and other flagship smartphones, meaning demand will likely increase compared to previous launches.

The increase in orders could also be attributed to Apple's recent partnership with China Mobile, the largest wireless carrier in the world. The launch of the upcoming iPhone could be the first where Chinese buyers can order the smartphone at the same time as other nations, increasing global demand.

Either way, the launch of the next-generation iPhone is going to be a big one. Aside from larger displays, the new iPhones are widely expected to include tougher synthetic-sapphire glass, a better camera, and the usual selection of performance improvements.

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Apple responds to 'backdoor' services in iOS, claims they are for troubleshooting technical issues

A number of news outlets (TechSpot included) ran a story yesterday in which security expert Jonathan Zdziarski claims to have found several backdoors in iOS that can be used by law enforcement and government agencies to potentially spy on citizens. The Cupertino-based company has since responded to the claims, essentially calling them hogwash.

In an e-mail to Financial Times journalist Tim Bradshaw, Apple doesn't deny the backdoors in iOS. Instead, they refer to them as diagnostic functions which are primarily used by IT departments, developers and Apple for troubleshooting technical issues.

"We have designed iOS so that its diagnostic functions do not compromise user privacy and security, but still provides needed information to enterprise IT departments, developers and Apple for troubleshooting technical issues. A user must have unlocked their device and agreed to trust another computer before that computer is able to access this limited diagnostic data. The user must agree to share this information, and data is never transferred without their consent.

As we have said before, Apple has never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products of services."

Zdziarski said he wasn't suggesting some grand conspiracy but there are certainly some services running in iOS that shouldn't be there which were intentionally added by Apple as part of the firmware. He said he simply wants the services off his phone as they don't belong there.

If Apple's explanation is indeed accurate, then it seems plausible that someone in an IT department or a developer with experience using the services in question will come forward to back up Apple's claims, no?

With Apple having released a statement on the matter, it's unlikely that the issue will escalate any higher and Zdziarski and others probably won't get the answers they're searching for.

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