Software : Mozilla and Opera will keep Windows XP alive and kicking

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Mozilla and Opera will keep Windows XP alive and kicking Posted: Mozilla and Opera have followed Google's lead in pledging to pump life into Windows XP's dying corpse after Microsoft stops supporting the 12-year-old platform next year. In an emailed statement to TRPro, Johnathan Nightingale, VP of Firefox, said that the company has "no plans to discontinue support" for XP after the April 8 deadline, while Opera Software told PCPro that it will support XP while the OS remains popular among its users. Unlike Google, which has already pledged to release "regular updates and security patches" for Windows XP until April 2015, neither company said how (or how long) it will support the platform. Taking risks Microsoft has sounded multiple warnings that remaining on XP could leave businesses wide open to security and compliance risks in the absence of regular patches and updates. Despite this, the platform still remains relatively popular among both business users and consumers. According to web analytics firm NetMarketShare, 31.4% of the PC users it tracked in September were running Windows XP - the second most-used operating system tracked that month - behind leader Windows 7 (46.39%). Businesses are similarly dragging their feet. A recent study by IDC found that 28% of 750 executives and IT professionals are yet to migrate half of their application estates to Windows 7, and 3.7% haven't even started the process. The reason for that? They're too tied up with BYOD projects, apparently. Now we're going to throw you 80 Windows XP tips and tricks. Catch.

Facebook testing tech that can track your cursor movements on the site Posted: It's bad enough that Facebook openly sold user photos and information to sponsors. Now a new privacy breach is potentially on its way as the company is testing technology that can track minute user activity, even down how a someone's cursor is behaving on the site. Facebook analytics chief Ken Rudin revealed the test during an interview with the Wall Street Journal, and said the social network may significantly expand the data it collects on its users. The tracking tech extends to measuring things like how long someone holds their cursor over a certain part of the Facebook website and whether a user's News Feed is visible on their desktop or mobile device. Rudin told the Journal that this information could be added to the company's data analytics warehouse, where Facebook could use it to better gauge product development (like implementing a redesign) and create more targeted advertising. Detailed privacy Facebook collects two kinds of data, demographic and behavioral, according to the Journal. Demographics documents things like where you live or went to school, while behavioral keeps tabs on your social interactions with friends and likes in real-time. Rudin said the info collection tests could generate burgeoning behavioral data for the social network. The tests are part of a larger technology testing program, and it won't be for a few more months until Facebook decides whether the data makes the cut. Naturally Facebook's plan raises issues of privacy protection, though it wouldn't be the first company to collect such small user activity info. Image repository Shuttershock uses Hadoop to analyze even the tiniest interactions, like how long a user lingers over an image before deciding to buy it. Privacy has been a controversial topic for Facebook in the past, and the company has already settled one $20 million (about £12.9m, AU$22m) settlement over the use of Facebook users' names, photos and personal info in ads without their permission. How much protection can be afforded a cursor hover isn't as cut and dry, but we'll keep an ear out for further developments. Facebook and mobile fit together like cherry pie and ice cream.

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Software : Oculus Rift to launch VR headset for Android mobile gaming

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• Oculus Rift to launch VR headset for Android mobile gaming
• Twitter's 'more visual tweets' look and feel like Instagram
• Facebook amping Messenger app, lets you text your non-FB friends and more
• Hangouts gets SMS support, more as Google+ laps up photo, video updates

Oculus Rift to launch VR headset for Android mobile gaming Posted: Just last week, John Carmack was waxing poetic about an untethered Oculus Rift experience powered by Android and a system-on-a-chip. Well, seems like the Oculus Rift CTO's vision has come to fruition. CEO Brendan Iribe announced today at GamesBeat 2013 that the company is definitely working on a lighter mobile virtual reality headset aimed at consumers. The headset will use the Android device's processor, according to Iribe. If that isn't exciting enough, the team is shooting to launch the mobile version with the PC headset in 2014, which means we would see the device next year as opposed to our previous 5-year estimation. The Oculus blog further elaborates a standalone headset as the future of virtual reality noting that an Oculus Android software development kit is already running, with the team "working on core optimizations for mobile chipsets now." No iOS? While the Android SDK is merrily frolicking with the Oculus, it seems like iOS has been left in the dust. The lack of Apple support hasn't been addressed by the company yet, though it's apparent the Android OS is a more open platform for console gaming devs - with the Android powered Nvidia Shield, Ouya and Mad Catz Mojo being a few notable examples. Rift doesn't see Apple's absence as a hindrance, either. As quoted by Venture Beat, Iribe said, "We have some exciting plans on the mobile VR side as the PC VR side ... It's pretty incredible what [John Carmack has] been able to do." Iribe also echoed Carmack's sentiments about watching television and movies in virtual reality home theaters as a possibility. Seeing that a mobile Rift system is almost here when we thought it would take much longer to hit the market, this concept doesn't sound too far off either. The new Archos Gamepad 2 also packs Android OS.

Twitter's 'more visual tweets' look and feel like Instagram Posted: Twitter announced some changes to timelines today that make it easier to interact with tweets, as well as putting photos and Vine videos front and center. The changes apply to Twitter's mobile apps on iOS and Android, as well as Twitter.com, and they take effect today. Users scrolling through their timelines will now see previews of tweeted photos and Vine videos, and a tap or a click reveals the full version. In addition, the buttons to reply, retweet or favorite a tweet are now available from the timeline itself on mobiles, rather than requiring users to tap through to the message to see those options. Enriching tweets Twitter revealed the changes on its blog and posted a Vine video showing the improvements in action. "So many of the great moments you share on Twitter are made even better with photos or with videos from Vine," Twitter VP of Product Michael Sippey wrote in the blog post. "These rich Tweets can bring your followers closer to what's happening, and make them feel like they are right there with you. We want to make it easier for everyone to experience those moments on Twitter." Overall, the changes make Twitter look and feel a lot more like rival Facebook's photo-focused Instagram service, though tweeted Instagram photos still won't appear in users' timelines. There's no word on any changes to the Windows Phone Twitter app. Twitter on your Windows Phone might be racking up data usage.

Facebook amping Messenger app, lets you text your non-FB friends and more Posted: Facebook is upping its messaging game in a bid to win you over. The social media site announced that staring today a select amount of Android devices will see a new Facebook Messenger system - one that is faster, easier on the eyes and best of all, provides more functions. Facebook's main aim is a better "mobile-to-mobile" system where it can stack up more competitively against other messaging clients like WhatsApp. The good news for FB is that it may actually succeed in this as the changes seem to drastically improve the Messenger experience. What's new? The biggest and perhaps best change is how Facebook Messenger now lets you use the system to text everyone you know, like that friend who refuses to give in and get Facebook. Confirming phone number seems to be the only obstacle to chatting with contacts. To make texting faster, the lightening bolt Messenger icon will let you know which friend is also using the mobile app, allowing messages to be sent and received instantly. The icing on the cake is the new color scheme attached to the revamped app - Messenger is now dressed up in a new blue hue to help you better differentiate between Facebook apps. TechRadar asked the social networking giant for info on a wider release for more devices, but we were told the app is being tested with a limited amount of people with it coming to "everyone on iOS and Android in the coming weeks." The Nexus 5 seems so close yet so far...

Hangouts gets SMS support, more as Google+ laps up photo, video updates Posted: Google often rolls out updates en masse, and today was no different as it introduced 18 features to its social media platform, Google+. Hangouts, the Talk replacement Google made official at IO, is seeing a handful of enhancements as well. We'll start with Hangouts - among the additions to the Android app is SMS support, or the ability to send and receive a message without having to exit and enter a new app. Location sharing has also found its way to the app, letting users message a map of their current coordinates with whomever they're hangin' with. A simple tap of the place button on the bottom of the app will input a map into the convo stream. And because GIFs rule the world, animations will now play inline. All these add-ons will be available in the coming days, according to Google. Now On Air For those using Hangouts On Air, a few new features are entering to the mix, including the ability to schedule an H.O.A., dedicated watch pages, and a Control Room function with eject and remote mute. On both the mobile app and desktop version of Hangouts, users will notice (or maybe not, since it's automatic) that webcam lighting during video calls will be much improved. Conversations in either mode will now take up the full screen too. Look for the video calling features to land in a few days with On Air's improvements rolling out in the "next few weeks." Google+ photo and video improvements Call it the quiet creep, but Google+ now has 540 million active users across Google with 300 million active users participating within the core social experience itself. Photo uploads have hit 1.5 billion a week, with momentum increasing. Google has seen a 20X increase in video uploads to boot. Those are respectable numbers for a social media service generally written off as forgotten/useless/not Facebook. Photos and videos are clearly an area Google wants to own with Google+, and to that end it's introducing a number of image-related enhancements. Auto Awesome, also unveiled at Google IO, is being gifted with three new techniques. Auto Awesome Action will create a strobe effect with an image, so there's a trail of the subject moving through space. Eraser lets users wipe out obstructive objects in a photograph. It takes a sequence of photos, say of your friend in a busy intersection in front of the Arc de Triomphe, and removes cars and pedestrians to create a clean image of your ami. Lastly, Movie pumps out highlight reels from your photos and videos and automatically puts in effects, transitions and music. During a presentation to introduce the new features, Google SVP Vic Gundotra demonstrated how users can choose different soundtracks, trim clips, set length of time and add different filters to customize their mini movies. There is a twist with this Movie, however. According to Google, the feature works on "certain devices with Android 4.3+." All the other app features are widely supported and will be available this week (and for some even as early as today), but it looks like Movie won't see mass adoption anytime soon. Oh, but there's more Google has also improved photo search within Google+, upping the number of objects it recognizes to over 1,000. Searching for a photo of the epic snowman you built last weekend should be quicker with the smarter search function. Users now have the ability to turn enhancements in Auto Enhance up or down, putting greater control in their hands when it comes to "improving" their pictures. And if users process their images elsewhere, Google is offering an exemption for the whole album. Don't worry iOS users - Google hasn't forgotten about you. The Google+ app on the Apple-made system will soon see full size backups and background sync coming its way. Read our full run down of rumors for the next Google phone, the Nexus 5.

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Apple : iPhone 6 5-inch screen said to be done deal, due September 2014

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iPhone 6 5-inch screen said to be done deal, due September 2014 Posted: A Japanese magazine claimed recently that the next Apple phone will feature a 5-inch screen and launch in September 2014. That's right! The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are barely out, and the iPhone 6 hype train has already left the station. The magazine is Mac Fan, with a report of the article coming from a Japanese website, Macotakara, today. The 5-inch iPhone 6 rumor is just one of many, but it builds on previous reports that Apple is experimenting with different display sizes. Choo choo Those reports said that the new iPhone could go as big as six inches, but Mac Life claimed that the iPhone 6's screen size is now set in stone at 5 inches. That's still up from the current iPhones' 4-inch displays. The new 5-inch iPhone 6 display will be a full HD 1080p Retina screen, allegedly. It's unclear where the magazine that issued the original report got its information, but this claim seems as likely as any other we're hearing about the iPhone 6. Other iPhone 6 rumors have claimed that the next iPhone will feature NFC, wireless charging, and other new features. It's early now but be sure to keep an eye on TechRadar's iPhone 6 release date, rumors and news hub for everything there is to know about Apple's next flagship!

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Software : Google watch reportedly ready to enter mass production 'within months'

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Google watch reportedly ready to enter mass production 'within months' Posted: If it's up to Google, Samsung and Sony won't have the smartwatch spotlight all to themselves - the search giant has their own device in development and it may be headed to manufacturing soon. The Wall Street Journal today reported that Google is "in talks" with various Asian suppliers about an Android-powered smartwatch that could land in an increasingly crowded market early next year. According to unnamed sources familiar with Google's plans, the wearable device will integrate existing personal assistant features from Google Now, such as answering questions, predicting information based upon what the user is doing and offering recommendations. Like the current Samsung Galaxy Gear and Sony Smartwatch 2, Google's smart watch would also be capable of communicating with other devices including smartphones, while also tapping into information from the wearer's Google account. OK, Google Watch? Google is said to be in the late stages of developing its smartwatch, which could be readied for mass production "within months," according to one source. First, the Android maker will need to shore up manufacturing plans with Asian suppliers, a process sources claim are well under way. Meanwhile, Google is reportedly looking a methods to reduce the power consumption of its prototypes in an effort to cut down on how frequently the wearable device would need to be charged. According to ABI Research noted in the report, wearable devices are expected to hit 485 million units by the year 2018, a market that Google has already been exploring with its Google Glass eyewear. Check out our review of Microsoft's new Surface Pro 2!

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Apple : New MacBook Pro Retina models reportedly freezing, Mavericks to blame?

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• New MacBook Pro Retina models reportedly freezing, Mavericks to blame?
• Buying Guide: Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013
• One-off Product (RED) Mac Pro, designed by Jony Ive, set for charity auction

New MacBook Pro Retina models reportedly freezing, Mavericks to blame? Posted: Owners of Apple's recently released 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina laptops are experiencing a whole heap of issues with their new devices, judging by reports on the company's support forum. According to one 17-page thread, users are having trouble with the Haswell-toting models randomly locking up and freezing - with anything from the trackpad to the keyboard or whole system refusing to respond. "Luckier" users are managing to get their MacBooks working again by closing the lid for anything up to a minute before reopening, while others are having to resort to turning the device off and on again to resolve the issue. Bad Mavericks? In a bid to get to the root of the problem, some users in the thread are reporting that rolling Mavericks back to OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion puts an end to the lockups, suggesting that the issue may be software related. Others have had mixed results when attempting to install Windows 8.1, with some finding success and others running into problems when installing the OS through a USB pen or Apple's SuperDrive. We've quizzed Apple on the issue and will provide an update if and when the company responds. Apple has had a tough time of it recently where faulty products are concerned. It moved to recall a batch of MacBook Air models purchased between June 2012 and June 2013 last month after discovering that they were plagued by faulty SSDs. Why not check out our MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air buying guide?

Buying Guide: Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013 Posted: Apple has five types (SKUs) of 13-inch laptops, split between the MacBook Air (MBA) and the MacBook Pro (MBP), more than other notebook types in its portfolio. They range from £949 (US$ 1,535, AU$ 1,600) for the 13-inch MBA to £1,499 (US$ 2,425, AU$ 2,527) for the 13-inch MBP. Today, we're comparing the £1,129 (US$ 1,827, AU$ 1,903) MBA to the £1,099 (US$ 1,778, AU$ 1,852) MBP, the two closest models in terms of pricing and the most likely to be pitched one against the other. Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Design Let's start with the size. The MacBook Air is up to 17mm thick, just 1mm thinner than the MacBook Pro. In reality, the former's tapered shape means that it feels significantly thinner. Surprisingly, the MacBook Pro is smaller than the MacBook Air (314 x 219mm vs 325 x 227mm) even if it is still marginally heavier at 1.57Kg, a sixth more than its lighter counterpart. Overall though, the MacBook Air will feel more portable with the MBP not far behind. Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Processor Both laptops are powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core 'Haswell' processor. The MacBook Pro comes with a dual-core Core-i5 clocked at 2.4GHz with a Turbo Boost of up to 2.9GHz and 3MB L3 cache as well as an Iris subsystem. In comparison, the MacBook Air adopts a much slower dual-core Core i5 model clocked at 1.3GHz with a Turbo Boost of up to 2.6GHz with 3MB L3 cache plus an Intel HD Graphics 5000 GPU. Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Battery Having a much more powerful processor and more advanced graphics capabilities means that compromises had been done. The processor on the MacBook Air for example is likely to be an ultra low-voltage model which would explain its 100% Turbo Boost capabilities. Hence, while the 95Whr battery that equips the MacBook Pro may well offer nearly twice the capacity of the one in the MacBook Air, the latter trumps its big brother when it comes to battery life with up to 12 hours worth of wireless web browsing, 50% more. Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Display Perhaps one of the reasons behind the relatively low battery life of the MacBook Pro has to do with its 'Retina' display. With a monstrous 4.1MP (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) spread over 13.3in, the MBP offers more than three times the pixel density and the absolute number of pixels compared to the MacBook Air. The MBP can drive two displays at 2,560 x 1,600 pixels compared to only one for the MBA and also boosts support for 4K displays albeit at 30Hz. Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Hardware Both laptops come with 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory and the MacBook Air offers 256GB SSD compared to 128GB for the MacBook Pro. As expected they both are devoid of optical drives and have a SDXC card reader. Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Connectivity When it comes to connectivity, the MBP wins hands down. It offers one extra Thunderbolt 2 port and an additional HDMI one. Both have two USB 3.0 connectors, a headphone jack, a card reader, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Others The rest of the specification is remarkably similar on both devices with a Facetime HD camera, two speakers, two microphones, a full-size backlit keyboard, a multi-touch trackpad and OS Mavericks (that comes with an assortment of apps). Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Conclusion In conclusion, choosing either will depend on your priorities. The MacBook Air wins when it comes to battery life, overall portability and storage capacity while the MacBook Pro will appeal to those looking for a cheaper and more powerful solution with a much sharper, higher resolution screen. Check out our comparison between the Apple MacBook Pro 2013 and the Dell XPS 15.

One-off Product (RED) Mac Pro, designed by Jony Ive, set for charity auction Posted: The new, redesigned Mac Pro wowed the world with its cylindrical form factor and chic, glossy black coat, but we must say we like the look of this specially-commissioned red model. Unfortunately, anyone interested in obtaining this lovely bit of objet d'art is going to have to fork out much more than Apple's $2,999 starting price for the desktop powerhouse. The one-of-a-kind model has been designed exclusively for Product (RED) by Sir Jony Ive and will go under the hammer in a charity auction at Sotherby's on November 23. It is expected to fetch somewhere between $40,000 (£24,724, AU$41,723) and $60,000 (£37,062, AU$62,584), adding to the $65 million (£40.1m, AU$67.7m) Apple has already raised for the AIDS charity. December for the rest of us The configuration isn't listed on the auction site, but that's unlikely to matter to the affluent so-and-so who's going to be handing over a small fortune for the professionally-specced desktop. The device will go on sale to us Regular, albeit still quite wealthy, Joes in December. Check out our hands-on review of Apple's latest tower of power.

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Apple : INFLAME: Why are Apple keynotes no longer hitting the right notes?

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INFLAME: Why are Apple keynotes no longer hitting the right notes? Posted: The half-life of excitement levels surrounding Apple events is now measured in minutes. People go from joyous sobbing to complete disinterest in the time it takes to compose and edit a cynical tweet. The latest Apple launch followed the format we've come to know and expect of big technology showcases, with months of leaks telling us exactly what to expect, before, about three minutes after the event, the world shrugs and gets on with its business. This week saw Apple use its latest gathering to reveal the new, slightly thinner iPad Air, about which Apple seemed most keen to talk about the reduction in bezel size. Men in shirts also droned on about Haswell-powered MacBook Pros, plus, in a pretty brave move for the money-loving tech giant, it announced plans to take its Garageband music software into the "freemium" world and release the actually-really-free OS X Mavericks update. But, after the usual bit of teatime live-tweeting excitement, everyone soon got back to discussing more important matters, like when Kyle and Gavin's GarageBand album will be released. Apple hardware may still sell like the clappers to the mainstream buyer, but the cynical internet population seems to be over its Apple keynote obsession. Royal Gala The apathy toward Apple's latest software launch was summarised in a rather vicious manner by TechCrunch commenter IlikeIT, who scoffed: "Do people not realize Apple has been pawning off the same OSX on us since 2001? Every named 'newest version' has only been a slight upgrade from the last. Basically we have been using the same OS for over 12 years. They did the same to us with iOS for the past 6 years also." You could complain about that, but then you could also complain that they haven't changed the recipe used to make bourbon biscuits for decades, and that's actually a good thing because everyone likes them already and hates it when things change needlessly. Cash crunch Mr Resetti over on The Verge posed the question many ask of the Apple hardcore, saying: "Who the hell buys the new version of their $2000 computer every year in the first place?" People who sell their old ones to buy the new ones was the answer, plus, we suspect, self-employed artists who can buy them for work as tax dodges are also keen annual upgraders. Further down The Verge's list of reader indifference, reader Lkthog asked of the disappointed masses: "In an era of 24-7 coverage of everything Apple does, fuelled by copious Apple supply chain leaks, what could possibly be surprising about an Apple event? Were you expecting the teleporter nobody knew was coming? What?" Jobless total Over on the New York Times Bits Blog, the writer led the commenters down the path of fury by suggesting the keynote was a rather boring affair. This ensured it all kicked off and a large number of page views were generated, meaning someone somewhere is considered a winner on the internet. However, this attempt at rousing the rabble mostly failed, with the sensible likes of Lionz pointing out that there are bound to be some calm spells between the new tech storms, saying: "Because Apple has created so many revolutionary products, some consumers and bloggers are primed to expect a revolutionary product every year, and are disappointed when they don't get one every year. Relax, and enjoy products that are more advanced than those anyone else is making." And as tends to happen when people dissect Apple's present-day performances, the workmanlike nature of the streamed presentation naturally had many yearning for some hot Steve action. DavGreg summarised the Jobs-for-sainthood feeling with his comment: "The millionaires we saw on stage the other day are all smart guys with many talents, but I think not one has the fire in the belly and clarity of vision of Steve Jobs." Religious conversion One bizarre winner emerged in the commentary beneath BGR's hatchet job on the new iPad Air that focused on Apple's continued lack of multi-user support - Microsoft. Reader Malia Obama came out with some words we never thought we'd see in this specific order, saying: "That's why I love Windows 8 tablets and expect them to get better and better. There are so many limitations to tablet operating systems that OSX and Windows already figured out." And two people agreed with that out-there thought. Apple's iPad events are now so boring and predictable that even Microsoft hardware seems more appealing. Inflame is TechRadar's weekly dose of web rants. Check out the archive

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Apple : Is Apple plotting a thinner, 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina Display?

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Is Apple plotting a thinner, 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina Display? Posted: We're usually not overly keen on analyst prediction type stories, but even if this particular one turns out to be absolute cobblers, it's still a relatively interesting proposition. Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities reckons Apple will launch a new MacBook model with a Retina Display in mid-2014 that'll be both thinner and lighter than the current-generation of MacBook Air laptops. The bold forecast suggests a redesigned body and a display size that sits at 12-inches, plugging the gap between the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Airs currently up for grabs. For what its worth, Kuo, who has a better record than most of the analyst fraternity, reckons Apple will 'redefine laptop computing' once again. Unprecedented In his projection to analysts, Kuo wrote: "We expect the unprecedented 12" model will boast both the portability of the 11" model, and productivity of the 13" model. The high resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro. "The offering will likely be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air to further highlight ease of portability in the cloud computing era. We think the form factor will showcase a much improved clamshell structure, and that it will redefine laptop computing once again following the milestone created by the MacBook Air." Naturally, we'd advise our dear readers to take this information with a healthy dose of scepticism, but it's certainly something to think about going forward. A thinner and lighter MacBook Air with a super-hi-res display? We'll have some of that. MacBook Air with Retina Display rumours have been doing the rounds for a while. Some expected it at WWDC this summer. They didn't get it.

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Apple : Moga Ace Power gaming pad for iPhone pictured, bringing own battery power

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• Moga Ace Power gaming pad for iPhone pictured, bringing own battery power
• Fighting Talk: WTF is this iPad Air thing?
• Week In Tech: Air we go: iPads slim down and Mavericks goes free
• Mavericks adoption rate mauls Mountain Lion as Mac users enjoy the free ride

Moga Ace Power gaming pad for iPhone pictured, bringing own battery power Posted: Help appears to be on the way for ardent iPhone gamers keen to ditch the touchscreen and preserve battery life for other activities, according to snaps and information leaked online on Friday. The first pictures of the anticipated Apple-certified game pad from accessory manufacturer Moga have emerged courtesy of @evleaks, along with a name - the Moga Ace Pro. The notorious Twitter leak artist also revealed a few details, the most pertinent being the presence of an 1800mAh battery, which will allow gamers to play at leisure without draining their iPhone's lifeforce. Judging by the photos, the Moga Ace Pro will be extended out to accommodate the iPhone, with the Apple handset handily docking into the Lightning connector Look out, Nintendo and Sony Moga has developed a host of similar peripherals for Android smartphones, such Bluetooth-powered Pro and Hero Pro controllers but this will be the company's first iOS-friendly gadget. The docking accessory has been on the cards since Apple's WWDC event this summer when it first revealed third-party controllers would be supported. Earlier this month we saw purported pictures of Logitech's planned solution (also courtesy of @evleaks), the other manufacturer on board with Apple's certification program. No news yet on when either peripheral may be released, but the likes of Sony and Nintendo will probably be hoping it won't be until after Christmas.

Fighting Talk: WTF is this iPad Air thing? Posted: Apple fans, you better duck. I'm taking aim. And you know what's coming. iPad Air? iPad Mini with Retina display? Is that it?! OK, I'll admit it - I will probably get one. But before you call me a hypocrite, hear me out. The fact is, I'll probably end up taking it back, too, thanks to that 14-day returns period. Let's be honest here. Apple seems to have lost the plot. I watched the announcement like everyone else, waiting for a shooting star to appear on stage. Instead, I got the splatter of a wet lettuce - albeit one that's significantly lighter with a smaller bezel. Circle of strife I'll give Apple its dues - the iPad Air is a great step forward. But look at what it is replacing - the iPad 4, which was not much different to the iPad 3. There is nothing really innovative here. Yeah, the bezel has been slimmed. Yay! It's lighter. Whoop! But it still can't do the laundry or make me a frickin' cup of tea, can it? Can it? The first iPad was a revolutionary product. It may have initially been derided as a large iPod Touch, but it set the tone. I'll give Apple that. And the second iPad was pretty damn pleasant too - because it changed the dimensions of what we already had. But the thing is, right from iPad 1, there's been another strategy Apple's been working on... and that is to only give 90%, dressing it up as one hundred. To always keep something back. Holding back What am I talking about? Hands up if you screamed, kicked, bit and threatened to torch the joint because the first iPad came without a camera. Why? It was such an obvious omission. The theory was Cupertino was keeping that for iPad 2 to give us reason enough to upgrade. Then iPad 2 came along, a lot sexier with a camera, but packing a crap display at a time when Retina was just taking off. WTF Apple? You're better than this. And so, for the last two iterations, we've got little improvements and now, we're told something lighter will make it all OK? Give me a break! And don't get me started on the missing Touch ID. What is that about? Clearly, it's being kept for the next model, to give us extra incentive to upgrade next year. You can see this strategy all over - the iPad Mini only just got a Retina display. Why? Why did it not launch with one 12 months ago?! I'll tell you why - because then there would have been nothing to set it apart for customers come October 2013. This is an appalling strategy, smacking of desperation from a company that is anything but. And before you shoot me down telling me the specs are higher internally, remember that for many people who are sold on looks, that's insignificant. A cuter design or a nicer screen will shift infinitely more units than the difference between an A1 chip and an A9000000 chip when you're pitching to someone asking "Does this thing do Facebook?" World leader's woes Apple's pride was evident on stage. We were told in reverential tones that "Apple has listened". Here's an idea: how about you don't listen, Apple? How about you shut your ears and get to work on something that's going to wow us. Like the day we got the first iPad announcement? Like the day Steve Jobs pulled a MacBook Air out of an envelope? Apple doesn't listen. Apple leads and we listen. Or that's what's meant to happen. I know the iPad is the biggest selling tablet line on the planet and I completely get that it's the best - in some people's eyes. The iPad Air is beautiful. But it's not amazing. That gap between iDevices and competitors is getting narrower every day, and Apple's got to innovate if it wants to stay in the lead. I can't help thinking that aspect - the real innovation - died with its co-founder, two years ago. Previously in Fighting Talk: Why the iPhone 5C deserves to die

Week In Tech: Air we go: iPads slim down and Mavericks goes free Posted: This week, we sensed a disturbance in The Force. Maybe it was a broken autocue. Maybe something catastrophic happened immediately before it began. Whatever the reason, Apple's latest keynote was the kind of thing you watch from behind your fingers. As execs fluffed lines and made a hash of their obviously scripted banter, we all had the same thought: "This is about as cool as Microsoft!" The launch may have been a horror show, but Tim Cook's World of Charts was mercifully short this time around and we quickly got to the meat: new products. OS X Mavericks was released for free, new versions of iLife were released for free, and new versions of iWork were released for, you've guessed it, free. Never mind the software, though. What everybody wanted to see was the hardware. There were new MacBook Pros with spec bumps and price cuts and the new Mac Pro was teased again: you still can't buy it - you'll have to wait until December - but at least you now know how much you'll need to save. Prices start at a hefty $2,999 (about £1,846, AU$3,088), and as with previous Mac Pros a few minutes messing around with the options list will produce a price so high even a Russian billionaire might balk at it. Air raising What everybody really wanted to know about wasn't the Mac Pro, though: it was the iPad 5, whose new name - it's the iPad Air - caused some red faces in newspapers the following morning when it became obvious who'd written their in-depth guides before the product was actually launched. It's 64-bit and boasts the usual improvements: twice as fast, twice the graphics power, and so on. It's also significantly thinner and lighter, but surprisingly there's no Touch ID sensor like the one you'll find in the iPhone 5S. Is it any cop? Over to you, Patrick Goss: "It's hard to put into words how much Apple has improved the iPad, offering a stunning level of detail and power with a build quality that's unrivalled," he says. "But the reduction in thickness, and especially weight could well ensure that the iPad Air is the finest tablet on the market." Not everybody agrees. Our phones and tablets expert John reckons that it "fails to bring anything groundbreaking to the table," while news editor Kate reckons that it's "probably the nicest of the pointless devices available." Our total knee-jerk score? 4.4 out of 5. We also wanted to know how the latest iPad stacked up against the competition. To the compare-o-meter! Here it is against the Surface 2; and here it is against the Nexus 10, the Xperia Tablet Z and the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9. The iPad Air wasn't Apple's only new iPad. There's also the iPad mini 2 with Retina Display, which - yes! - is an iPad mini with a Retina Display. It's a big step up for the little tablet, as Patrick Goss explains: "A much-improved screen, a huge step up in processing power (hello A7, glad to see you could join us) and connectivity, and improvements to the camera make the iPad mini 2 with Retina a hugely improved tablet on the original." Can Nokia light up tablets? You've got to be pretty confident to launch a new product on the day of an Apple event, and you need to be doubly so if the new product is a tablet and the Apple event is for new iPads. Say hello to Nokia, who decided that this week would be a great time to unveil its Lumia 2520 tablet. We love the design and the price and, as your correspondent points out, Nokia is great at getting its hardware into the high street, subsidised by carriers and sold by salespeople. Of course, there's a but - and it's a but so big that even Sir Mix-A-Lot might find it a bit much. The 2520 runs Windows RT, and some of us fear that "the problem with Windows RT tablets isn't the 'tablets' bit of the equation." Take a stroll down memory lane and relive past glories with our Week In Tech back catalogue

Mavericks adoption rate mauls Mountain Lion as Mac users enjoy the free ride Posted: The best things in life are free, according to Mac users who have installed the new free-for-all OS X 10.9 Mavericks software in droves since the update went public on October 22 According to new figures from Chitika, in the first 24 hours, 5.5% of Macs it tracks were running Mac OS X 10.9, which made headlines as the first major Aple update to be available without charge. That's compared to just 1.6% of machines that were running its paid-for predecessor Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion after the first day. In fact, Chitika claimed, it took the previous version four days reach the same level. Not so fast... While it's no shock the offer of free software, which gives all compatible Macs built since 2007 the chance to get up to speed with the new features in one jump, is being well received by users, it's actually a bit surprising the adoption figures aren't higher than 5.5%. Reports following the launch of iOS 7 in September claimed that the adoption rate was as high as 35% after day one. It grew to over 50% in the first week. Of course, the mobile operating system boasts a much higher profile than the computing platform these days, while iOS 7 brought a much larger revamp than Mavericks and carried a larger weight of expectation and excitement. However, is it outlandish to think more Mac users may have jumped on board at this stage? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Getting to grips with Mavericks? Here's 20 handy tips and tricks

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Software : Windows 8.1, Surface and Xbox One help lift Microsoft to $300bn valuation

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• Windows 8.1, Surface and Xbox One help lift Microsoft to $300bn valuation
• Instagram ads arrive next week, Facebook likes govern what users see
• Vine grows new editing features, including saved clips and shot removal

Windows 8.1, Surface and Xbox One help lift Microsoft to $300bn valuation Posted: Once more, Microsoft has proved industry analysts wrong by posting revenues of just over US$18.5bn (about £11.4bn, AU$19.3bn) and earnings per share (EPS) of $0.62 (about £0.38, AU$ 0.65) for the first quarter of the company's 2014. That's respectively 4.1% and 15% than the expert consensus amongst the financial community. Net income stood at $5.24bn (£3.24bn, AU$ 5.47bn) while operating income reached $6.33bn (£3.91bn, AU$ 6.6bn). The surprising numbers caused Microsoft's share price to jump by more than 7%, pushing the company's valuation to just over $300bn (£186bn, AU$ 314bn), still less than Google or Apple. Perhaps more importantly, Microsoft's cash reserves now stand at more than $80bn (£50bn, AU$ 83.4bn), probably more than Google and Apple combined. Are worries over? The earning reports are the first since Steve Ballmer announced he will be leaving the company and come amidst a flurry of major products & services launches. Over the last quarter, Microsoft announced the acquisition of Nokia Devices and Business division, Xbox One, Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 as well as a refreshed Windows 8.1. The only worrying sign amidst a swathe of good news (including a $400m revenue bonanza from the berated Surface) is the fact Windows OEM revenue declined by 7%, although Windows Pro revenue (which includes Windows 7 and Windows 8, presumably) grew for the second consecutive quarter. It is the commercial side of the business however that helped Microsoft keep its winning ways. Double digit growth in SQL server revenue combined with more than 100% growth in the cloud segment pushed the commercial revenue to a whopping $11.2bn (£6.92bn, AU$ 11.68bn). Microsoft has just released a new version of its flagship tablets and you can check our hands on reviews of the Surface 2 (née RT) and Surface Pro 2.

Instagram ads arrive next week, Facebook likes govern what users see Posted: Sorry Instagram users, but the grace period following Facebook's buyout is all but over. Ads are invading imminently and today we got our first glimpse at what we can expect from the commercial interruption. In a post on the Instagram blog, the photo sharing app said photos and videos marked as 'Sponsored' will start to appear in feeds in the US next week, beginning with a small number of brands already using the app. The company says it is encouraging advertisers to be creative and engaging with their posts, while a FAQ post on its website says the posts will remain in 'the spirit of the community.' That could mean a number of things, but it's likely the ads will have some sort of faux artistic merit and deploy the famous filters, frames and blurring tools. No hiding from ads, but ads can be hidden Interestingly, the company will tap into a user's Facebook likes and their basic profile information to determine which ads will display on that individual's Instagram feed. However, those who aren't connected through Facebook won't avoid Instagram ads. The company will make use of previous Insta-likes or, failing that, just throw stuff at your wall and see what sticks. "We want to show ads from businesses that are interesting to you, and to do that we will use information about what you do on Instagram and Facebook [our parent company]," the company said. "For instance, this might include the people you follow and the photos and videos you like on Instagram, and your interests and other basic info on Facebook." Feedback In somewhat better news, users will also be able to hide ads from their feed (not without seeing them first, of course) and offer Instagram some feedback on why they don't want to see anymore like it. In its blog post the company wrote: "If you see an ad that doesn't interest you, you can tap the '…' below it to hide it and provide feedback about what you didn't like. This will help us show you more interesting ads in the future." Have you played around with Video on Instagram yet? These were our first impressions.

Vine grows new editing features, including saved clips and shot removal Posted: Vine has sprouted scores of users, and now editing the perfect six-second clip just got easier. Today the Twitter-owned app for iOS and Android received an update that introduces "Sessions," a function that lets you save your clips for later. Although the Vine app has never forced users to post a video immediately, before this update there was no way to roll back to an older clip once a new one was recorded. The new update lets users save up to 10 posts at once, giving plenty of wiggle room to edit and share all your snappy masterpieces at a later time. OUTTATIME The other new feature the Vine update introduces is called "Time Travel." The new functionality lets users remove, reorganize and even replace any shot within a clip. Now when you're editing, the video will be split into smaller image boxes which you can move around to rearrange, etc. Did someone Vine-bomb your short clip? Now you can jump back into the short video and remove any instance of their existence. The update is available for download now. Vine isn't the only thing getting a significant up...grade. Check out the 102-inch Surface 2.

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