Breaking: Microsoft confirms intent to purchase GitHub for $7.5 billion in stock

Chris Wanstrath (left), Github CEO and co-founder; Nat Friedman, Microsoft corporate vice president, Developer Services; Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO; and Amy Hood, Microsoft Chief Financial Officer.

GitHub will retain its developer-first ethos. Operate independently and remain an open platform. -Microsoft

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Further to the earlier report that Microsoft is purchasing code repository and developer community hangout GitHub, we now have confirmation from Redmond that Microsoft intends to purchases GitHub for $7.5 billion in Microsoft stock.

Microsoft says that the "two companies will empower developers to achieve more at every stage of the development lifecycle, accelerate enterprise use of GitHub, and bring Microsoft’s developer tools and services to new audiences."

"The era of the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge is upon us. Computing is becoming embedded in the world, with every part of our daily life and work and every aspect of our society and economy being transformed by digital technology.Developers are the builders of this new era, writing the world’s code. And GitHub is their home," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated in a blog post. 

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It’s now easier for Google to find out if an app is asking too much info from you

There are apps on the Play Store that ask way too much information from you. And while Android apps have mostly been developed to entertain and help us with our daily lives, it makes sense they need certain access to certain features—like a camera app needing access to your camera sensor. But sometimes there are other apps that ask too much from its users. For example, what would a coloring book app need with your location and microphone? These can potentially lead to leaking your personal information that you didn’t want others to know. But it’s hard to spot which apps ask too much from its users. However, Google seems to be working on that.

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Apple developers have earned over $70 Billion since 2008

Apple today announced that its global developer community has earned over $70 billion USD since the App Store launched in 2008. The App Store is home to the most innovative apps in the world and in the past 12 months alone, downloads have grown over 70 per cent.

"People everywhere love apps and our customers are downloading them in record numbers," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Seventy billion dollars earned by developers is simply mind-blowing. We are amazed at all of the great new apps our developers create and can’t wait to see them again next week at our Worldwide Developers Conference.”

Games make up the most popular types of apps on the App Store with 25% of the total, followed by business, education, lifestyle and entertainment.

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Microsoft now accepting pre-orders for HoloLens Development Edition

If you’re a developer who applied for the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition, you’re in for treat. The company has started to send out pre-order notifications to select developers from Canada and the U.S. with their devices expected to ship on March 30^th. And once these units ship, developers will gain access to holographic experiences of certain apps, which can be downloaded through the Windows Store including HoloStudio, Skype, RoboRaid, Fragments, Young Conker, HoloTour, and Actiongram.