worldwide

Programmers who waited more than two minutes to try to get tickets for Apple's 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference -- and thus missed the boat -- will be happy to know they now have some other options.

In the briefest of announcements, Apple said Friday that it will be "posting videos of all our sessions during the conference" and also "hitting the road this fall with Tech Talks in a city near you."

The Next Web addresses the "city near you" vagueness by pointing to towns where Tech Talks involving iOS 5 were held … Read more

Well that was quick.

After just 2 minutes, tickets for Apple's upcoming annual developers conference in San Francisco are gone.

The show took 2 whole hours to sell out last year. Apple caught many developers by surprise last April when it began selling tickets immediately upon announcing the conference at 5:30 a.m. PT. This time around the company gave developers a little more than a day of advance notice. The event will be held June 10-14 at Moscone West Center.

Apple's WWDC, or "dub-dub" as it's often referred to casually, is a mecca … Read more

Students who impress Apple by creating their own app have a chance at attending this year's Worldwide Developers Conference for free.

Apple's WWDC 2013 scholarship will reward 150 winners with one free ticket apiece to join the conference, which runs from June 10 to June 14 in San Francisco. To qualify, you must be a full-time or part-time student, 13 years or older, and a current member of Apple's iOS Developer Program, iOS Developer University Program, iOS Developer Enterprise Program, or Mac Developer Program.

Assuming you meet those qualifications, what's your homework assignment to score a … Read more

Worldwide spending on IT is set to grow to new highs this year and next, according to a new study from research firm Gartner.

Total IT spending last year hit $3.6 trillion, Gartner said, representing a 2.1 percent gain over the prior year. In 2013, that spending will go up to $3.8 trillion, a rise of 4.1 percent. Things will get even better for the IT sector in 2014, when spending, according to the research firm, is expected to hit $3.9 trillion.

The big growth this year will come by way of device purchases, driven … Read more

In the brave new world of connected personal computing devices, Hewlett-Packard is a distant No. 4, with Samsung and Apple leading the way.

Think of IDC's "Worldwide Smart Connected Device Market" report as the 21st century equivalent of PC maker rankings.

Personal computing today includes tablets and smartphones, not just the laptop in your father's home office.

That global smart-connected device market grew 27.1 percent year-over-year in the third quarter to a record 303.6 million shipments valued at $140.4 billion, IDC said today in a research note.

"HP, which is virtually non-existent … Read more

Microsoft will have 44 retail stores in place by the end of its fiscal 2013, which means by the end of June 2013, officials said today

A year ago, Microsoft officials said that it planned to open 75 new Microsoft Stores in the subsequent two to three years. Apple currently has more than 300 retail stores worldwide.

Microsoft Stores sell Windows PCs, Windows Phones, Microsoft, and third-party software, games, peripherals, and more. Microsoft also is going to sell its recently announced Surface PC/tablets through its Microsoft Stores in the U.S. and through select online Microsoft stores, as well.… Read more

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

iPad buyers can now buy as many tablets as they want in one shot.

Apple has lifted its long-standing restriction of limiting iPad buyers to only two tablets at a time. Citing an internal Apple memo, 9to5Mac says the change has already gone into effect at Apple's global retail stores (with the exception of those in Hong Kong).

But online buyers will have to wait a few more days. Apple's online store will reportedly drop the limit of two iPads per order starting Monday, June 11, the same day the company's Worldwide Developers Conference gets off the … Read more

Apple will likely unveil a new lineup of Macs at its upcoming WWDC, but one analyst thinks the bigger news will be in the software arena.

The iPhone maker is expected to announce iOS 6 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off June 11, says Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu. Apple announced iOS 5 at last year's WWDC, though the OS didn't reach the market until October.

A new Maps app also has the analyst and other Apple watchers buzzing. Based on industry checks, Wu sees a new in-house Maps app replacing the current Google Maps … Read more