Weekly News Roundup – 22 February 2013

Once again the week is coming to an end and that means it’s time for a roundup of the past weeks news!

Apple releases iOS 6.1.3 beta 2 with lock screen bug fix – Apple on Thursday pushed out to developers a new beta build of its iOS mobile operating system designed to address a bug that can allow users to get past an iPhone lock screen even when a secure passcode is enabled.

Spotify’s Free Streaming Music Service May Be Coming to iPhone and iPad  – Streaming music service Spotify is reportedly in negotiations to make its free subscription tier available on smartphones and tablets, according to a report from The Verge.

Google Introduces the Chromebook Pixel to Compete With the MacBook Air – Google today announced the Chromebook Pixel, a new Chrome OS-based notebook that Google is aiming directly at Apple’s MacBook Air.

Apple Chairman Art Levinson Speaks About Life Without Steve Jobs – Apple Chairman and longtime board member Art Levinsonspoke Tuesday afternoon at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, including participating in a Q&A with Stanford students. Fortune published selected portions of the talk.

Teen iOS app developers hit download lottery – You wouldn’t expect two 16-year-olds to spend their summer break working for free. But, that’s exactly what Ryan Orbuch and Michael Hansen did when they created the anti-procrastination iOS app called Finish, which launched January 16. And, it’s paid off.

Samsung overtakes Apple as top ‘smart connected device’ vendor in 2012 – Fresh data from IDC shows that Samsung surpassed Apple in collective PC, portable PC, tablet and smartphone shipments for 2012, with the Korean outfit moving 250 million devices over the 12 month period.

Gamers Spent More On iOS And Android Than Dedicated Gaming Handhelds In Q4 2012 – Sony and Microsoft, are all coming out with new gaming consoles this year, but when it comes to handheld gaming, Apple and Google have got them beat. A new report claims that in the fourth quarter of 2012, gamers spend more money on iOS and Android games combined than the amount spent on dedicated handheld devices.

Apple Shares Slip 2.8% On Foxconn Hiring Freeze, But It May Be Because Of Robots, Not Slack iPhone 5 Demand – Apple’s stock price fell 2.8 percent after investors worried that a hiring freeze at Foxconn’s China plants is related to slowing iPhone 5 sales. Foxconn suspended recruitment at its factories in Zhengzhou and Shenzhen and it also reportedly postponed the construction of a new factory.

Apple Hit with ‘Planned Obsolescence’ Lawsuit in Brazil over Fourth-Generation iPad – Brazilian newspaper Jornal do Comércio reports that Apple has been hit with a class action lawsuit over its introduction of the fourth-generation iPad in the country.

Leaked images supposedly show off parts of a Retina iPad mini – Images posted to a Chinese Internet forum on Thursday show what is claimed to be the rear casing for an iPad mini with a high-density retina screen.

Netflix 3.0 for iOS brings UI improvements  – Netflix has been steadily improving its iOS app since it debuted back in 2010. The latest version hit the app store yesterday and includes a few tweaks that improve the overall experience of the app.