Weekend Wrap-up: Apple hacked, new Nexus 7 & Chromecast on sale

Thanks for stopping by for the Weekend Wrap-up, where we take a look at some of the top stories from this past week.

Apple attacked

Apple’s developer site, which was down for over a week, was apparently the target of an attack by a security researcher. The researcher obtained personal information about users, which then forced Apple to disclose the attack in an email that was sent out on Sunday. Fortunately, it appears the site is beginning to come back online.

Google’s next Nexus 7, Chromecast go on sale

We’ve been reporting on the rumors of a next-generation Nexus 7 for a while now, and this past Wednesday’s breakfast event with Google confirmed the tablet’s existence. It’s a much-improved device when compared to last year’s model, which was already pretty good, though this year’s N7 will cost you $30 more ($229).

In addition to the new Nexus 7, Google also began selling the Chromecast, an HDMI dongle that plugs into your TV and allows you to stream almost anything from a Chrome browser, as well as supported apps on iOS and Android. The Chromecast rings up at $35, though good luck finding one in stock anywhere.

Microsoft built too many Surface tablets

In a town hall meeting with employees on Friday, Steve Ballmer reportedly expressed his disappointment with Windows sales and, when talking about the Surface line of tablets, said that the company built “a few more devices” than it could sell. The Surface RT, which is Microsoft’s entry-level Windows tablet, was recently discounted from $499 to $349, a drop of $150. We’re still waiting to see whether or not that spurs sales of the device.

Other news

In other news, Nokia introduced another Windows smartphone, the large Lumia 625. The Dell shareholders vote was again delayed, this time until August 2, as Michael Dell and his financiers raised their valuation of the company ever so slightly — by ten cents per share. And finally, it looks like Samsung may have finally passed Apple as the world’s most profitable smartphone maker, according to one firm.

That’s our wrap-up for this week. Be sure to check in next Saturday to get all caught up on the week’s news.