Android Key Lime Pie news

Google's showing no signs of slowing its pace of Android development, with Android 4.0 appearing on the Galaxy Nexus late in 2011, followed in July of 2012 by the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release that arrived powering the super Nexus 7.

But, forward-looking, update-obsessed people that we are, we can't help but imagine how Google's going to maintain the pace of innovation in its next major release of its mobile OS, Android 5.0.

All we know so far is that Google's working away on the K release of Android, which it's developing under the dessert-related codename of Key Lime Pie. Regarding the version number, it's likely that the Key Lime Pie moniker will be given to Android 5.0. We thought we might find out on 29 October 2012 but as yet there is no official word from Google.

So now as we wait on official news of the Android 5.0 release date and features, we can start to pull together the Key Lime Pie rumours from around the web, with the first sighting of Android 5.0 on a benchmarking website, apparently running on a Sony smartphone. There has previously been speculation that Sony is in line to produce the next Nexus phone, which may lend some credence to this rumour.

Android 5.0 release date

In December 2012 Google announced that its developer conference - Google IO - would take place from May 15 to May 17 2013, a month earlier than 2012's June dates. Given that Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at 2012's IO conference, it seemed reasonable to expect to see Android 5.0 at this year's event.

On 31 January, a Google IO showing of Android 5.0 looked more likely when screengrabs of a Qualcomm roadmap were leaked, showing Android 5.0 as breaking cover between April and June 2013.

But on 24 April 2013, we read that Key Lime Pie may not make its debut at Google IO after all. Apparently, "trusty internal sources" told a site called Gadgetronica that Google has decided to delay Android 5.0 for two to four months to give hardware makers the chance to properly roll out Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

At the time, we said to take this rumour with a pinch of salt, as even if Google decided not to ship the finished build of Android 5.0 until later in the year, that didn't preclude the company from talking up the new OS at what is, after all, a developer-focused conference.

However, the notion of Key Lime Pie being off the menu at Google IO raised itself again on 26 April when Android 4.3 surfaced in server logs over at Android Police. Those log entries supposedly came from Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 devices running an updated version of Jelly Bean - Android 4.3 - and apparently the IP addresses of those devices trace back to Google HQ. So might that point to a delayed Android 5.0 arrival?

And on 13 May, we got our (almost certain) confirmation that there would be no serving of Key Lime Pie at Google IO from Sundar Pichai, Google's new head of Android. Pichai told Wired that this year's IO is "not a time when we have much in the way of launches of new products or a new operating system". Boo! "Both on Android and Chrome, we're going to focus this IO on all the kinds of things we're doing for developers so that they can write better things," he added.

So now we wait.

Google wasn't entirely quiet on Android 5 at its IO conference, though. As Android Authority spotted, during a session entitled 'Android Protips 3: Making Apps Work Like Magic' Android developer relations tech lead Reto Meier teased attendees with a slide showing an Android eating a piece of Key Lime Pie and later with a game where the options included Jelly Bean and Key Lime Pie.

Android 5.0 phones

Rumours of a new Nexus handset started trickling in during the third quarter of 2012, as we reported on 1 October 2012. There was speculation that this phone would be sporting Key Lime Pie, but sources who spoke to AndroidAndMe correctly claimed that the handset, which turned out to be the Google Nexus 4, would be running Android Jelly Bean.

While the Nexus 4 didn't appear with a helping of Key Lime Pie, speculation that we reported on 21 January 2013 suggested that the Motorola X Phone was the Android 5.0-toting handset that would be revealed at Google IO. According to a post on the DroidForums website, the phone will also feature a virtually bezel-free, edge-to-edge, 5-inch display. The Motorola X wasn't on show at IO but we're still expecting to see it break cover this year.

The same leaked Qualcomm documents cited above also made mention of a two new Snapdragon devices, one of which will be, unsurprisingly, a new Nexus phone.

That Nexus phone is most likely the Google Nexus 5. We weren't surprised that it was absent from Google IO, given that the Nexus 4 only went on sale at the end of 2012.

On Monday 18 March, supposed images of the Nexus 5 surfaced, with the handset apparently being manufactured by LG. If the accompanying specs, leaked along with the photo by the anonymous source, are true, then the Nexus 5 will feature a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 OLED display, 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 3GB of RAM.

While we warned that a sighting of the Nexus 5 at Google IO was unlikely, rumours that we wrote up on 19 April reckoned that there would be an Android 5.0-powered Nexus 4 launched at the event. Apparently, the revised handset would feature 4G capability and improved storage of 32GB. That rumour turned out to be incorrect as the only handset launched at IO was Google's take on the Galaxy S4, which is running Android 4.2.

Android 5.0 tablets

The original Nexus 7 tablet was unveiled at Google IO 2012, so we thought it possible that we'd see a refreshed Nexus 7 2 at Google IO 2013. The speculation earlier in the year was that Google would team up with Asus for this, as it did with the original Nexus 7. We expect an upgraded display on the new Nexus 7 tablet, while Digitimes is reporting that the 2nd generation Nexus 7 will have 3G service and and range in price from $149 to $199.

We're still waiting to see the Nexus 7 2 as, like the upgraded Nexus phone, this tablet was a now-show at IO.

Samsung's Android 5.0 upgrades

Although Samsung is yet to officially confirm its Android 5.0 schedule, a SamMobile source is claiming to know which phones and tablets will be getting the Key Lime Pie upgrade. According to the source, the devices set to receive the upgrade are the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy Note 10.1.

Android 5.0 features

For 24 hours, it seemed as though the first kinda, sorta confirmed feature for Android 5.0 was a Google Now widget, which briefly appeared in a screenshot on the company's support forum before being taken down. As it was so hurriedly pulled, many people assumed it was slated for the big five-o and accidentally revealed early.

As it happened, the following day, on 13 February 2013, the Google Now widget rolled out to Jelly Bean.

On 28 February 2013, we learned from Android Central that Google is working with the Linux 3.8 kernel, which gives rise to the notion that this kernel might make it into Android 5. One improvement that the 3.8 kernel brings is lowered RAM usage, which would mean a snappier phone with better multitasking.

Android Geeks reported that Google Babble would debut on Key Lime Pie. Babble was the code name for Google's cross-platform service and app with the aim of unifying its various chat services which include Talk, Hangout, Voice, Messenger, Chat for Google Drive and Chat on Google+.

Android Geeks' source also (correctly) said that Google Babble will be supported by devices running Android 2.3 and above, which makes sense given that Google will want as many people as possible on the platform.

A screenshot that we were sent from a Google employee on 8 April confirmed that not only was this unified chat service on the way, but that it was called Google Babel not Babble. The service was to come with a bunch of new emoticons and Google+ built-in so you can jump from Babel chat to hangout. A leaked Google memo on 10 April provided a few more juicy details including talk of a new UI and synced conversations between mobile and desktop.

On 10 May, we discovered that Babel would launch as Google Hangouts, and on 15 May we saw it come to life for devices running Android 2.3 and up. So much for it debuting on Key Lime Pie.

Following an 18 April tear-down of the Google Glass app MyGlass by Android Police, it now looks as though there may be an iOS Games Center-like service coming to Android 5.0.

Android Police found references in the code to functionality that doesn't exist in Glass, which suggests that developers accidentally shipped the full suite of Google Play Services with the Android application package.

The files in the package contained references to real-time and turn-based multiplayer, in-game chat, achievements, leaderboards, invitations and game lobbies.

So it seems that Google Games (or whatever it ends up being called) is real, and we may find out more about it - and whether it will ship with Key Lime Pie - during the Google I/O conference. As Android Police points out "It being including in a shipping product suggests that it's finished and freely floating around Google HQ."

Android 5.0 interface

While this is pure speculation, we're wondering whether Android 5.0 might bring with it a brighter interface, moving away from the Holo Dark theme that came with Android 4.0.

Google Now brought with it a clearer look with cleaner fonts, and screenshots of Google Play 4.0 show Google's app market taking on similar design cues. Is this a hint at a brighter, airier look for Key Lime Pie?

Our Android 5.0 wishlist

While we wait on more Key Lime Pie features to be revealed and scour the web for more Android 5.0 news, TechRadar writer Gary Cutlack has been thinking about what we want to see in Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Hopefully the new mobile OS will feature some of these things...

1. Performance Profiles

It's bit of a fuss managing your mobile before bed time. Switching off the sound, turning off data, activating airplane mode and so on, so what Android 5.0 really needs is a simple way of managing performance, and therefore power use, automatically.

We've been given a taste of this with Blocking Mode in Samsung's Jelly Bean update on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 but we'd like to see the functionality expanded.

Something like a Gaming mode for max power delivery, an Overnight low-power state for slumbering on minimal power and maybe a Reading mode for no bothersome data connections and a super-low backlight.

Some hardware makers put their own little automated tools in, such as the excellent Smart Actions found within Motorola's RAZR interface, but it'd be great to see Google give us a simple way to manage states.

Another little power strip style widget for phone performance profiles would be an easy way to do it.

2. Better multiple device support

Google already does quite a good job of supporting serious Android nerds who own several phones and tablets, but there are some holes in its coverage that are rather frustrating.

Take the Videos app which manages your film downloads through the Play Store. Start watching a film on one Android device and you're limited to resuming your film session on that same unit, making it impossible to switch from phone to tablet mid-film.

You can switch between phone and web site players to resume watching, but surely Google ought to understand its fans often have a couple of phones and tabs on the go and fix this for Android Key Lime Pie?

3. Enhanced social network support

Android doesn't really do much for social network users out of the box, with most of the fancy social widgets and features coming from the hardware makers through their own custom skins.

Sony integrates Facebook brilliantly in its phones, and even LG makes a great social network aggregator widget that incorporates Facebook and Twitter - so why are there no cool aggregator apps as part of the standard Android setup?

Yes, Google does a great job of pushing Google+, but, no offence, there are many other more widely used networks that ought to be a little better "baked in" to Android.

4. Line-drawing keyboard options

Another area where the manufacturers have taken a big leap ahead of Google is in integrating clever alternate text entry options in their keyboards. HTC and Sony both offer their own takes on the Swype style of line-drawing text input, which is a nice option to have for getting your words onto a telephone. Get it into Android 5.0 and give us the choice.

UPDATE: Google heard us and this feature appeared in Android 4.2.

5. A video chat app

How odd is it that Google's put a front-facing camera on the Nexus 7 and most hardware manufacturers do the same on their phones and tablets, yet most ship without any form of common video chat app?

You have to download Skype and hope it works, or find some other downloadable app solution. Why isn't there a Google Live See My Face Chat app of some sort as part of Android? Is it because we're too ugly? Is that what you're saying, Google?

6. Multi-select in the contacts

The Android contacts section is pretty useful, but it could be managed a little better. What if you have the idea of emailing or texting a handful of your friends? The way that's currently done is by emailing one, then adding the rest individually. Some sort of checkbox system that let users scroll through names and create a mailing list on the fly through the contacts listing in Android Key Lime Pie would make this much easier.

7. Cross-device SMS sync

If you're a constant SIM swapper with more than one phone on the go, chances are you've lost track of your text messages at some point. Google stores these on the phone rather than the SIM card, so it'd be nice if our texts could be either backed up to the SIM, the SD card, or beamed up to the magical invisible cloud of data, for easy and consistent access across multiple devices.

8. A "Never Update" option

This would annoy developers so is unlikely to happen, but it'd be nice if we could refuse app updates permanently in Android 5.0, just in case we'd rather stick with a current version of a tool than be forced to upgrade.

Sure, you can set apps to manual update and then just ignore the update prompt forever, but it'd be nice to know we can keep a favoured version of an app without accidentally updating it. Some of us are still using the beta Times app, for example, which has given free access for a year.

9. App preview/freebie codes

Something Apple's been doing for ages and ages is using a promo code system to distribute free or review versions of apps. It even makes doing little competitions to drum up publicity for apps much easier, so why's there no similar scheme for Android?

It might encourage developers to stop going down the ad-covered/freemium route if they could charge for an app but still give it away to friends and fans through a promo code system.

10. Final whinges and requests...

It's be nice to be able to sort the Settings screen by alphabetical order, too, or by most commonly used or personal preference, as Android's so packed with a huge list of options these days it's a big old list to scroll through and pick out what you need.

Plus could we have a percentage count for the battery in the Notifications bar for Android 5.0? Just so we know a bit more info than the vague emptying battery icon.

Father's Day gift ideas can be the hardest to come up with because dads like to think that they have it all together and "don't need anything from anything from anybody this year" - and that's an exact quote.

The truth is, there are plenty of gadgets that the old man doesn't know about, as he clutches onto that AOL email address and stock of VHS tapes.

As he enters the world of smartphones and tablets, make his life easier this Father's Day with gadgets that bring him into the 21st century, fresh from the 1980s as if this were Back to the Future Part II.

1. Nest - 2nd-Generation Learning Thermostat

Get it at: Best Buy ($249.99)

Tagline: "A Thermostat for the Smartphone Generation"

If there's one rule that's ubiquitous among dads it's "Don't touch the thermostat." It's sometimes followed by a second Fight Club-esque rule of "Don't touch the thermostat." Thankfully, this year, you can destress dad by getting him the Nest Learning Thermostat as a Father's Day gift.

This auto-scheduling thermostat can program itself by learning your habits every time you (correction: your dad) adjusts the temperature. With auto-scheduling, auto-away, and remote control functionality, Nest can save your family money on the monthly energy bill, too. Dad's not going to argue with that.

2. VueZone Wireless Video Monitoring System

Get it at: Amazon ($159.99)

Tagline: "Meet the easiest way to view your world"

The only thing more important than a thermostat in a dad's home is the home itself. That's why it's important to reassure him that everything's okay at the homestead with a video monitoring system that he can use anywhere in the world via a smartphone.

Introduce him to the hassle-free Netgear VueZone Wireless Video Monitoring System this Father's Day, which includes convenient, wire-free cameras that stick to just about any surface thanks to their magnetized wall mounts. The VZSM2200 starter bundle comes with one motion-detecting camera and the required base station, and more of these tiny cameras can be purchased for a total of 15. Best of all, the new VueZone Night Vision VZCN2060 camera add-ons ensure that your dad's fortress is safe at night time, too.

3. Ancestry.com

Get it at: Ancestry.com ($79 for 6 months)

Tagline: "Ready to discover your family story?"

You've probably heard your dad talk about the old family tree one too many times, and he may have even attempted to map it out on paper - paper which no one knows the location of. Bring all of that work to the web with an Ancestry.com subscription that can preserve your dad's genealogical story and help him discover your family's long-lost roots.

Ancestry.com's comprehensive records search and its ability to upload GEDCOM files will keep dad occupied for several weeks, and the site's new iPhone, iPad and Android apps make it the most technologically driven personal hall of records around.

4. iTouchless 13-Gallon Touchless Trashcan MX

Get it at: Amazon ($72)

Tagline: "A germ free, odor free, automated environment"

Dads hate the never-ending job of taking out the trash - it stinks... literally. And while there isn't an invention that eliminates this task entirely, the iTouchless 13-Gallon Touchless Trashcan MX keeps things nice and tidy in the kitchen.

The neat motion-detecting lid keeps smells where they belong, while a plastic retainer ring holds that always-slipping plastic bag in place. The new MX model is a little more expensive, but its extra-wide opening makes taking out the trash as can-venient as humanly possible.

5. Logitech Harmony Touch Universal Remote

Get it at: Amazon ($199.99)

Tagline: "More than a remote"

If you have more than one remote for your entertainment system, you're doing it wrong. That's the idea behind Logitech's controller-condensing line of Harmony remotes, which can course correct dads who typically try to turn the channel up only to have the audio max out to a deafening level.

The Logitech Harmony Touch is the latest among them, featuring a color touchscreen that brings the total physical button count to under 30. With intuitive TV station icons to switch channels and gesture controls to move about the menus, Logitech makes your dad the master of his TV domain again.

6. Garmin nüvi 2597LMT 5-Inch GPS with Lifetime Maps

Get it at: Crutchfield ($219.99)

Tagline: "Real navigation"

Stop dad from having to stop and ask for directions - and for the rest of the day question his manliness for doing so - with a new GPS system like the Garmin nüvi 2597LMT GPS. A dedicated GPS device like this is always better than juggling a smartphone with navigation system, which may be illegal in your state under distracted driving laws.

Even if your dad already broke down and purchased a GPS unit a few years ago, there's a good chance that it doesn't have lifetime maps, traffic and Bluetooth, and is therefore outdated. The nüvi 2597LMT will literally bring him up-to-speed with its handy speed limit display and course-correct him with its lane-assist functionality, features that weren't on early GPS units.

7. iDevices iGrill Grilling/Cooking Barbecue Thermometer

Get it at: iGrill ($79.99)

Tagline: "Now you're cooking"

Your dad may claim to be the grillmaster, but iDevices' iGrill will hold him accountable as to whether or not his barbecuing skills are up to the right temperature. The newest version of the iGrill has two meat probes so that the Q in his BBQ doesn't stand for "Questionable."

He can also walk away, up to 200 feet, from the grill or oven thanks to the iGrill's Bluetooth support. The free iOS and Android app mean that only Windows Phone 8-owning dads should have burnt burgers and dogs this summer.

8. ZOMM Wireless Leash Plus

Get it at: Zomm ($79.99)

Tagline: "Alarmingly Smart"

We're all bad at keeping track of our belongings, namely keys and cell phones, but dads seems to be notorious for losing these items. That's why the Zomm Wireless Leash Plus is the ideal Father's Day gift for absent-minded dads.

This keychain-sized security device can be wirelessly tethered to any Bluetooth phone, allowing dads everywhere to recover their keys from their phone, or phone from their keys. An extra level of protection comes by the way of its one-button emergency assistance feature that allows him to get in touch with 911 during emergencies.

9. Pivoting Deluxe LED Fogless Shower Mirror

Get it at: ToiletTree Products ($49.95)

Tagline: "Fogless For A Lifetime"

Fog. It's that first-world problem that won't go away. You can solve the indiscriminate nuisance of hot water vapor for dad by buying ToiletTree's Pivoting Deluxe LED Fogless Shower Mirror for him this Father's Day.

Its patented water chamber design is "guaranteed" to keep the mirror fog-free for life and its LED lights keep his 9.5-inch by 7.5-inch reflection illuminated. The mirror's silicone adhesive also makes mounting it easier than other products out there. The competition tends to use unreliable suction cups, which is like saying "Here, dad, have seven years of bad luck. Happy Father's Day."

10. Rokbed v3 Golf Shooter

Get it at: Rokform ($129)

Tagline: "Precise, consistent, down the line view"

Be a caddy to daddy by surprising him with the Rockbed v3 Golf Shooter in his golf bag this Father's Day. Its club-like stand is designed to be embedded in the grass at the bottom and hold his iPhone in place at the top.

With it, your dad will be able to take accurate recordings of his golf swing - with the intention of getting him above par. Used by techy golf instructors, this golf-themed mount for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S also eliminates the need for you to follow your dad around the golf course with a camera all day long.

For postpaid subscribers, the Samsung Galaxy S3 may be last year's news, but the prodigal son is about to make a triumphant return courtesy of Sprint's prepaid brands.

Sprint owned Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA announced Tuesday that the Samsung Galaxy S3 will be offered as a pre-paid device on their services starting next month.

The Galaxy S3 joins other 4G LTE-equipped devices from Samsung and HTC for Boost and Virgin customers in 88 markets, while remaining backward compatible with existing coast to coast Sprint 3G service.

Specific date(s) in June have yet been announced, and the no-contract carriers plan to reveal pricing closer to actual release.

Boost adds virtual wallet

In a separate announcement, Boost Mobile also announced immediate availability of a Mobile Wallet app powered by Wipit, which turns Android smartphones on its network into a virtual wallet.

Billed as a "full-service virtual wallet," consumers will be able to load cash into accounts at any Boost authorized retail location, send up to $999 at once to more than 135 countries, pay bills or top up pre-paid wireless accounts from anywhere in the world.

Boost Mobile Wallet also includes a traditional pre-paid Visa debit card linked to each account for withdrawing money from an ATM machine or making a purchase anywhere Visa cards are accepted.

The free Boost Mobile Wallet app is now available from Google Play, although service is currently limited to select retailers in Los Angeles, San Diego and parts of New Jersey, with a national rollout planned for this summer.

• Read more about Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA

Fans of Google Checkout (do they exist?) will be dismayed to hear that the service is finally being retired, with Google Wallet acting as its replacement.

The news was announced on the Google Commerce blog, but little information was given as to why the transition was taking place.

Justin Lawyer, Senior Product Manager of Google Wallet, said that Google Wallet is "a platform that enables merchants to meet the demands of a multi-screen world where consumers shop in-stores, at their desks and on their mobile devices."

Out with the old, in with the few

The announcement was also accompanied by some regurgitated Wallet updates including the Instant Buy API, which allows people to purchase items online in a few clicks, and the Wallet Objectives API, which allows merchants to engage their customers with offers.

Merchants will be able to use Checkout until November 20 2013, after which all payments will be processed via Wallet.

Google assures us that customers will experience no difference in service and should be able to make purchases just as they did with Checkout.

An HTC developer has tweeted that Jelly Bean 4.2.2 will be available to HTC One users within a matter of weeks.

Described as a "notorious insider" by GottaBeMobile (we're not sure if that's a compliment or not), developer @LlabTooFeR let slip that the Jelly Bean update will be available at the "end of this month, beginning of the next".

TechRadar reported yesterday that the Jelly Bean test firmware for the Galaxy S3 had leaked online, so this looks like further confirmation.

One step forward...

If this turns out to be true, it should placate HTC One owners annoyed that the device came with an OS released in July last year.

There are, however, rumours that Android 4.3 could be arriving soon, which would put HTC One users behind the times once again.

HTC hasn't officially confirmed whether or not the HTC One will be receiving the 4.2.2 update.

• Find out why TechRadar loves the HTC One in our five star review

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." We often think of this wonderful Douglas Adams quote during crunch time. It helps us crack a smile when we're working late through the night on a review or breaking news post.

Now you can be the one to put a grin on our faces. Just think up a clever caption for this photo and put it in the comment section below.

The funniest comment will win a prize package including a 120 GB Crucial M500 SSD (worth $129.99) and one three-year licence of the System Mechanic software from iolo (worth $149.95).

If you're already registered with TechRadar, make your comment in the comments section of this article. If you're new to TechRadar, registration is easy and takes a few seconds. Here are more instructions about the contest and prizes.

Quick and dirty version of how to play:

• Contestants must be registered members of TechRadar.com to participate.
• TechRadar U.S. will post a picture on our site (it can be of hardware, the staff, or a tech event).
• Contestants can submit their caption for the photo in the comments section of the post.
• The funniest comment will win the item.
• Only one entry per household.

Make your comment in the comment section below to play. Good luck!

The rules (the short version)

NO PURCHASE REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia, and to legal residents of Canada excluding Quebec, who have reached the age of majority (usually 18+) in the state or province of their residence at the time of entry. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest has one entry period: begins 12:00 a.m. PST on May 10, 2013, and ends at 12:00 a.m. PST on June 10, 2013. See Official Rules for additional eligibility restrictions, prize descriptions/restrictions/values, odds, and complete details.

It's no secret that the web is a dangerous place, and a good antivirus package is a must-have for pretty much every home PC that could be used by the whole family.

If you're short of cash, then there are plenty of quality free alternatives around, as we highlighted in our Best free antivirus software feature.

Of course the free antivirus tools don't offer quite as much functionality as their most costly cousins, though. And independent testing also reveals that commercial packages will often (although not always) deliver the best protection. So if you're looking for the maximum security then you should at least consider a paid package.

Here we've found 11 of the best home antivirus tools available for you to buy, listed in price order.

1. F-Secure Anti-Virus

£19.95/US$39.99 (around AU$30) - 3 PCs, 12 months

While some companies try to win you over by the length of their feature list, F-Secure Anti-Virus takes a more back-to-basics approach. There's no anti-phishing support here, no icons in your search engine results, no real browsing protection at all. The program is solely about monitoring your PC extremely closely, detecting and removing any threats before they can cause any harm.

This focus seems to be working, too, with the F-Secure engine coming at or near the top of the list in recent testing by both AV Comparatives and AV-Test. Virus Bulletin don't report quite as impressive results, and we found the program delivered more false positives than we'd like.

Still, at half the cost of many competitors - and to protect 3 PCs, not just one - there's no doubt that F-Secure Anti-Virus is an exceptionally good deal.

Score: 4.5/5

• More info on F-Secure Anti-Virus

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2. Avira Antivirus Premium 2013

£21.99 (around AU$33.50/US$34) - 1 PC, 12 months

At almost half the price of some of the competition, you might expect Avira Antivirus Premium 2013 to be a little underpowered. But yet, if anything it offers more features than most, with the program including a browser tracking blocker and highlighting dangerous websites in your search engine results, as well as delivering all the real-time protection you'd expect from an antivirus tool.

The package is also a little more complex than some others, just marginally more likely to slow you down (though you'd probably need to be using a stopwatch before you would notice). But test results are generally above average, particularly for file detection. We've found the program performs well in real life, and on balance Avira Antivirus Premium 2013 is a good value for money choice.

Score: 4/5

• More info on Avira Antivirus Premium 2013

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3. BullGuard Antivirus 2013

£24.95 (around AU$38/US$39) - 1 PC, 12 months

If your inbox is always overflowing with junk, then BullGuard Antivirus 2013's bundled spam filter may seem appealing. The program also scans web links in your search engine results and social networking streams for potential danger, while of course monitoring everything you download and access for malware.

But the spam filter isn't particularly accurate, unfortunately. We found the browsing protection to be only average. And while the independent testing labs generally give the package solid scores, well inside the top 10, they're also not exceptional.

Put it all together and BullGuard Antivirus 2013 is a capable package, perhaps worth using if you like the company, but otherwise you'll find better programs elsewhere.

Score: 3.5/5

• More info on BullGuard Antivirus 2013

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4. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013

£24.95/AU$59.95/US$39.95 - 1 PC, 12 months

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013 offers all the usual antivirus detection, watching everything you do for potential threats. But that's just the start. Its USB Immunizer tries to prevent malware from infecting your USB flash drives. And the program also provides a host of web tools, checking social networking links, warning you of risky sites in your search engine results and preventing access to known phishing sites.

The Bitdefender engine is rated consistently highly by the independent testing labs, too, generally appearing in the top five.

You may see a small impact on your PC's speed performance, but Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013 is still an excellent package at a great price. And its value only gets better if you want to cover more packages: a 3-PC licence can be yours for £29.95 / AU$74.95 / US$49.95.

Score: 4.5/5

• More info on Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2013

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5. G Data AntiVirus 2014

£29.95/US$29.95 (around AU$45) - 1 PC, 12 months

It may be one of the more expensive packages here, but G Data AntiVirus 2014 does come with plenty of features. As well as all the regular antivirus functionality (on-demand and real-time scanning, behaviour monitoring, hourly updates), the package includes extra tools to help secure your online banking and shopping activity, an app for your Android tablet or smartphone and even a tool to improve your PC boot time.

What's more, all this technology really delivers. Independent labs seem to love G Data, with recent additions regularly coming in at (or close to) the top of the list for both raw detection rates and real-world protection.

If there's a small down side, it's that reports suggest G Data will slow your PC down a little more than some of the competition. We doubt it'll be enough that you'll notice, though, and if you need maximum protection then G Data AntiVirus 2014 looks like a great choice.

Score: 4.5/5

• More info on G Data AntiVirus 2014

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6. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013

£29.99/AU$39.95/US$39.95 - 1 PC, 12 months

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 is a good all-round package, which manages to tick all the main antivirus boxes: easy to set up and use, check; on-demand and real time scanning, check; highlighting of dangerous web links, check. There's a virtual keyboard to help you bypass keyloggers. And the new edition has plenty of welcome optimisation options (smaller and faster updates, reduced battery drain on laptops, and more).

This all works very well, too. The program does a great job of preventing access to malicious websites, and we found it offered capable and effective antivirus protection. Testing labs also rate Kaspersky highly.

There is a minor performance hit to your PC, and the price isn't the best, but on balance Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 is a solid and reliable security choice.

Score: 4/5

• More info on Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013

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7. Avast! Pro Antivirus

£29.99/AU$49.99/US$39.99 - 1 PC, 12 months

While most antivirus tools rely on detecting and blocking malware before it runs, Avast! Pro Antivirus provides a second line of defence. The program's sandbox means suspicious programs can be launched, but in an isolated environment where they can't infect your system, which is an excellent option that could protect you from even the latest, undiscovered threats.

Avast's more standard antivirus technology is a little more ordinary, at least in comparison to the commercial competition. The most recent independent testing places Avast! in the low end of the top 10, and our own tests show reasonable, but not outstanding performance.

Still, it's a capable program, and the sandbox alone could protect you from threats that other tools will never recognise. Avast! is definitely worth considering.

Score: 3.5/5

• More info on avast! Pro Antivirus

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8. AVG AntiVirus 2013

£29.99/AU$51.50/US$39.99 - 1 PC, 12 months

Every antivirus package needs a little something extra to help it stand out from the crowd, and AVG AntiVirus 2013's standout extra is probably its Android support, with antivirus and theft protection available for your Android smartphone or tablet.

The core features are unfortunately a little more ordinary. We found the package offered only average antivirus and online protection, and independent testing further shows AVG dropping to the lower end of the top 10 lists.

Of course this still isn't bad at all, but the problem for AVG is that it gives a basic version of its product away for free. And this makes it its own biggest competitor, because even if you like AVG, there's really not enough in this version to justify the extra cost.

Score: 3/5

• More info on AVG AntiVirus 2013

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9. Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus

£39.95/AU$59.95/US$39.95 - 1 PC, 12 months

Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus stands out immediately for its strong social networking protection. Not only does the product highlight dangerous links in your Twitter and Facebook streams, it also works with Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, MySpace, Mixi and Weibo.

There's a Facebook Privacy Scanner to help properly evaluate and control your Facebook privacy settings. And you get more general (and very effective) blocking of antiphishing websites, too.

The independent labs tend to give the program good ratings for its core protection, and we've also found Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus delivers when it matters. So although it's relatively expensive, if you need the extra social networking tools then the program could be worth a look.

Score: 4/5

• More info on Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus

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10. Norton AntiVirus 2013

£39.99 - 3 PCs, 12 months - or AU$59.99/US$49.99 - 1 PC, 12 months

Symantec's baseline security tool monitors your downloads, emails, instant messages and more for malware, looking to block malware before it can do any damage. There's also simple web protection, with the package checking a website's reputation, and letting you know if there are any problems. The standard package in the UK covers three PCs for one year, which is much better value than some of the competition - though in the US and Australia the standard package covers one PC for a year.

There have been some recent disagreements about the tool's effectiveness. AV Comparatives ranked the Norton engine very poorly for file detection in one test, but Symantec has questioned the validity of those figures, and labs such as AV-Test still place Norton in their top 10.

One area where the package really does excel, though, is in its impact on your PC. Believe what you read in some places online and you might think Norton's packages are "overweight" and "bloated", but this idea is very out of date. These days they install quickly, use minimal system resources, and testing from companies such as PassMark regularly shows they're among the most lightweight security tools around.

Score: 3/5

• More info on Norton AntiVirus 2013

11. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6

£29.99/AU$51.50/US$39.99 - 1 PC, 12 months

ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6 is a solid antivirus package which aims to keep you safe from a wide range of threats. The core engine watches the programs you run, your downloads, emails and more, looking out for and blocking threats. An antiphishing module detects and prevents access to malicious websites. And removable media control allows you to optionally block USB keys and other removable devices, so reducing the chance of infection, and making it harder for snoopers to copy files from your PC.

The independent testing labs can't quite agree on how effective all this technology really is, unfortunately, but the results are generally positive: even the worst results say ESET NOD32 Antivirus 6 is a good mid-range product, and the best say it's very good indeed.

One area where everyone seems to score the program highly is in usability. The program seems far less likely to raise false positives, block legitimate programs and generally get in your way, and if that's high on your list of priorities then you might want to give NOD32 Antivirus 6 a try.

Score: 3/5

• More info on NOD 32

Competition among browsers is more fierce than ever. Chrome and Firefox release 72 new versions every week, Microsoft has redesigned Internet Explorer to make it finger-friendly, and as we all race to tablets and smartphones we're being tempted with all kinds of alternatives to systems' stock browsers.

But which is the best browser for you and your hardware? Let's find out.

We tested the latest official releases of the big browsers - Internet Explorer 10, Firefox 19, Safari 5, Chrome 25 and Opera 12 - on a Core i5 PC running Windows 8 Pro. It's worth noting that Safari on Macs running OS X Mountain Lion is at version 6, but the PC version and older Mac versions are one behind.

Whether you've got a Windows PC, Mac OS X laptop, an Android tablet or something in between, we've got it covered.

The best browser for speed

Every browser we tested felt perfectly snappy in everyday browsing, but as ever we put them through the Sunspider benchmark tests to see how well they fared. IE raced through the tests in 97ms in desktop mode, while the touch-based IE took 113.7 milliseconds. Those numbers are amazing: it wasn't that long ago that IE benchmarks were measured in millennia.

Chrome was next, at 147.2ms, Firefox was narrowly behind with 176.6ms, Opera scored 180.5ms and Safari was narrowly beaten into last place with 182.7ms.

• Download Internet Explorer 10

The best browser for add-ons

Firefox has always been the king here, its combination of add-ons, App Tabs for web apps and Greasemonkey scripts making it the power user's friend. That's still the case, but Chrome is catching up fast, its Web Store positively packed. Apple and Microsoft's selections are fairly thin, but Opera's selection includes commonly used add-ons such as ad blockers, password managers and so on.

Opera deserves a special mention here because it's more than just a browser. It has integrated email, newsgroups and IRC chat, the Opera Unite file server, Opera Turbo to improve performance on crappy mobile connections, and Sidebar-style widgets for games, web applications and utilities.

• Download Firefox 19

The best browser for Windows 7

Safari simply doesn't cut it in this company: it's last year's browser, the slowest here, and we don't like the user interface very much. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but there's nothing particularly right with it either.

Long-term browser battle fans will be highly amused by IE's performance these days: it's really, really quick, comfortably ahead of its rivals, and now everyone's making their browsers as minimalist as possible there's no horrible UI to get angry at unless you start going crazy with third-party toolbars. Please don't. For sheer speed on Windows 7 PCs, IE is the browser to go for.

• Download Internet Explorer 10

The best browser for Windows 8

If you're sold on the new touchy-feely direction of Windows 8 then Internet Explorer is the star, at least in Metro/Modern mode: it's a very nice touch-based browser, although it doesn't support Flash. Firefox has a Metro version in development, but it's not quite ready for prime time just yet.

In desktop mode it's the same story as with Windows 7: Safari knocked out first, IE winning on sheer speed and Chrome and Firefox competing on syncing and extensions support.

• Download Internet Explorer 10

The best browser for Windows XP

Internet Explorer takes an early bath here, because it no longer supports Windows XP or Windows Vista. Our pick here would be Chrome: its system requirements are tiny (Pentium 4, 100MB of disk space, 128MB of free RAM), making it particularly good on even very modest hardware.

• Download Chrome 25

The best browser for OS X

We tried the main browsers on a Core i5 iMac, and while the results were similar on paper - Safari went through Sunspider in a reported 197.4ms, only slightly behind Chrome's 164ms and slightly faster than Opera's 201ms and Firefox's 204ms - the reality was different: where the other browsers raced through Sunspider in a matter of seconds, Safari took several minutes.

We also found its performance nose-dived when we had more than a handful of tabs open, and opening image-heavy sites such as Tumblr archives was a fairly reliable way to kill it completely. The other browsers felt noticeably nippier visiting the same sites.

There's more to the browsers than just speed, of course. Safari offers a clutter-free reading mode, Reading List for reading interesting things later on and iCloud syncing with iOS devices; Firefox has Firefox Sync; Opera has the Unite file sharing system and Visual Tabs and so on.

For simply browsing we think Chrome has the edge here, but you might find that your chosen sync service - iCloud? Firefox? Chrome? - makes the browser choice for you.

• Download Chrome 25

The best browser for privacy

While each browser offers a decent range of privacy protection, they're not all enabled by default - so for example Firefox's Do Not Track button is unchecked when you install it, and so is Opera's.

Safari for Windows doesn't have a Do Not Track setting - as we've already said, it's a comparatively old browser - and Chrome buries its privacy controls in the Advanced Settings section.

We like Microsoft's approach here: its Tracking Protection Lists offer something more useful than a broad-brush Do Not Track system, enabling you to block specific kinds of tracking such as advertisers who really want to flog stuff to your kids.

• Download Internet Explorer 10

The best browser for HTML5

HTML5 is the lingua franca of the modern web, and the better your browser's standards support the happier your online life will be. Using HTML5test.com, which awards up to 500 points for standards compliance, we found Chrome the clear winner with 448 points and 13 bonus points.

Opera had 404 and 9 bonus points, Firefox 393 and 13, Safari (OS X) 393 and 13, Internet Explorer 320 and 6, and finally Safari (Windows) had just 278 and 2 bonus points.

• Download Chrome 25

The best browser for Android

Android users are spoilt for choice these days. In our head-to-head of the best Android browsers, several apps shone.

Chrome shone for its speed and its integration with its desktop sibling; Dolphin Browser HD for its bulging features list; and Skyfire for its many bright ideas. Once again Chrome has the edge here in the speed stakes, but it's worth looking at rivals' features before committing to it.

• Download Chrome for Android

The best browser for iPad

The lack of tabs in Apple's Safari drove us daft on the original iPad, but now it's got tabbed browsing and iCloud syncing we think it's the best browser on the platform, especially on the newest devices.

In our experience it's faster and more reliable than iCab Mobile, considerably nicer to look at than Atomic Browser, and less likely to dump you back to the home screen for no good reason than non-Apple browsers.

That's unless you use Chrome on the desktop and want to sync tabs, bookmarks and passwords, in which case Chrome's the one to go for.

Ever forgotten your Windows password and locked yourself out of your PC? It's a nightmare, but there are several ways to get back in.

We're going to explore the method a professional hacker would use to get into your PC. It's straightforward and uses your Windows 7 installation disc, which contains all the tools you need to get in and change the password.

• How to make your passwords more secure

The technique we'll use contains a real life hack. We'll replace the Sticky Keys executable with a command prompt, so that even without logging in, we can pull up a command line and change the password, then use it to log in.

If you don't have a Windows installation disc, one option is to load up a password cracker. This is exactly what we'll do using the industry standard Ophcrack. You should only use these techniques to access your own PC. Hacking into another person's machine is a criminal offence.

Step-by-step: Recover Windows 7 passwords

1. Boot installation disc

To reset your Windows user account password, you must first boot the computer from the Windows 7 installation disc. Switch on your PC, and when you're given the option to boot from DVD, quickly hit any key to boot. After Windows loads its installation files, you'll be shown the language setup page. Select your country to set up the keyboard, then click the 'Next' button.

2. Repair the computer

Click 'Repair your computer'. The repair software takes a few moments to load from the installation disc, then begins examining the computer's hard disk boot table, looking for any current Windows 7 installations to repair. Unless you've installed many copies of the operating system by hand, there will be just one installation, so click 'Next' to continue the recovery process.

3. Find the C drive

The resulting screen gives you many options. Click 'Command prompt' and one appears. The C drive is usually not mounted as C at all, so you need to find out its current drive letter. To do this, type bcdedit | find "osdevice" into the command line. This command results in text ending in partition= and a drive letter. This is the letter you should use instead of C in the following step.

4. Prepare the recovery

Enter the following commands. Take care to ensure that you use the correct driver letter in place of C: copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\ and copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe. When prompted, confirm the second command by typing Yes. The first command backs up a file, and the second replaces it with the command prompt.

5. Reboot into Windows

Now remove the installation disc and reboot. On the login screen, press the [Shift] key five times in a row. As if by magic, a command prompt appears. Enter the following command: Net user <name> <new password>. Substitute the name of the account to reset and a new password as appropriate. Close the command prompt and enter the new password to log in.

6. Copy sethc.exe

The final step we must take to restore access is to restore the sethc.exe file we overwrote in step 4. To do so, click 'Start > Accessories', right-click 'Command prompt' and select 'Run as Administrator'. This gives you the right to copy sethc.exe back into the system32 folder. Now enter the command Copy c:\sethc.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe. Confirm the copy to finish.

7. Download Ophcrack

To crack an unknown password, we need to use a heavy duty password cracker like Ophcrack. You'll need to download it from http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/download.php. To get started, insert a blank, formatted DVD-RW, then right-click the downloaded image and select 'Burn disc image'. The disc being written is a bootable live CD containing both Linux and Ophcrack.

8. Boot Ophcrack

Once the DVD has been written, boot the affected computer and the DVD should begin to automatically load the Ophcrack software, which runs outside of Windows. Once the software has loaded, a menu should appear offering several options for running Ophcrack. Either press [Enter], or wait for the timeout and automatically select the Ophcrack graphical mode.

9. Crack passwords

Short passwords, such as '1234' or 'password', will fall to Ophcrack almost immediately because the software tries these first in a brute force attack. Complex passwords take more time, and the longer the password the longer it will take to crack - if it can be cracked at all. A complex password may take several hours to crack. Ophcrack doesn't store the passwords, so make a note.

10. Comprehensive cracking

Finally, let's perform a deep scan of the whole computer to reveal all passwords associated with Windows user accounts. Close any windows and double click 'Launcher', then scroll down to 'DeepSearch' and press [Enter]. Ophcrack will search all available media for any password files - not just the system volume - and then perform its password-cracking wizardry.

Windows 8 is a perfect match for the new breed of touchscreen laptops thanks to its touch-friendly interface.

This means you'll be using your mobile device for longer than ever, and needing to charge it more frequently too.

Improvements in internal design and advances in technology mean modern mobile devices are blessed with batteries that can last the length of a working day and beyond in moderate use, but if you're still having to charge up more frequently than you'd like, Windows 8 has lots of settings and tools that can help make its power go further.

• 50 Windows 8 tips, tricks and secrets

These options are easy to set up and configure, and you'll see a big difference in how long your device lasts between charges.

Although we're using Windows 8 here, there are similar settings available in Windows 7, Vista and XP as well, so you can use these tips to extend the life of an older laptop battery too. Let's get started!

Step-by-step: Boost your battery life

1. Check your battery life

Windows 8 makes it easy to keep an eye on your battery, no matter which part of the OS you're using. The first place to look is the Lock screen, which displays your remaining charge along with the time and date. If you're using the Start screen, you can see the battery status by flicking the right-hand side of the screen to access the Charms bar. If you're on the desktop, you can see it in the Taskbar.

2. Adjust screen brightness

The screens of mobile devices use a lot of power, so one quick way to prolong the life of your battery is to turn the brightness level of the screen down. To do this, bring up the Charms bar and select the 'Settings' charm. Click or touch 'Screen' and a draggable bar appears, where you can quickly adjust the brightness of the screen. This is also handy if you're working in low light levels.

3. Adjust Center settings

Windows Mobility Center is designed to make it easy to change computer settings when travelling, and is a great tool for optimising Windows 8 devices. To get to it, type Mobility into the Start screen and select 'Settings'. Click on 'Windows Mobility Center' to open up the program. From here you can change a number of settings that will help prolong your device's battery life.

4. Mute the volume

It might not be the most obvious thing to do, but you can make a big difference to the battery life of your laptop or tablet if you lower - or, even better, completely mute - the volume of its speakers when you're not listening to music or watching a video. This means that precious battery power won't be used up powering the speaker and pumping out sounds when you don't need it to.

5. Change the power settings

The Windows Mobility Center lets you change your laptop's power settings quickly and easily. The default choices are 'Balanced', 'Power saver' and 'High performance'. 'Power saver' tweaks the settings for a longer battery life, but at a slight price when it comes to your device's performance. The 'Balanced' plan lowers performance only when you won't notice the difference.

6. Advanced power settings

You can tweak the power settings by going to the Start screen and typing in power. Select 'Settings' and then 'Choose a power plan'. Select the power plan you want to edit, then select 'Change plan settings'. You can then alter various settings, such as how long it takes for the screen to dim when not in use, or how long it takes for the laptop to go to sleep.

7. Create your own power plan

From the Power Options window you opened in step 6, you can also create a new power plan to suit your specific needs. Select 'Create a power plan' on the left-hand side of the window, then select a power plan to use as the basis of your new one. Give your new plan a name, then select 'Next'. Now you can adjust the settings to your liking. Once you've finished, click or tap 'Create'.

8. More advanced settings

You can access even more advanced power settings if you're confident drilling down further into Windows 8. From the Power Options window, click or tap 'Change plan settings' next to a plan, then select 'Change advanced power settings'. From here you can change settings that determine when to turn off your hard drive, how USB ports are used and much more.

9. Turn off wireless

If you're using your device away from a wireless network, you can turn Wi-Fi off to save your battery power - there's no point in having your laptop hunt for a network that isn't there. Bring up the Charms bar in Windows 8 by swiping from the right-hand side of the screen. Now click 'Settings', then 'Change PC settings'. Click or tap 'Wireless' and then change 'Wi-Fi' to 'Off'.

10. Enjoy a better battery life!

Now that you've followed these steps, you should see a noticeable improvement in your battery life. You don't need to do each step to see a benefit, and be sensible with them; having your Wi-Fi switched off is inconvenient when you want to go online, and a pitch-black screen will mean fewer charges, but will lead to eye strain. Find the right balance and you'll be happy.

Dear old Linux, what are we to do with you? Developed for just over two decades and it's still barely made a mark on the consumer consciousness.

There was a vague peak during the netbook fad - as it enabled companies to eliminate the extra cost of a Windows installation - but that quickly faltered after people started taking them back because Microsoft Office wouldn't run on them. Have people never heard of Open Office?

The way we're complaining you'd think Linux is overlooked and underused. The amazing truth is that the majority of supercomputers run one type of Linux or another, and it's the leading OS on servers. Besides these, it's put to work on millions of low-power embedded systems around the world - a little something called Android.

• Is the Linux desktop becoming extinct?

So why then does the desktop remain a Windows bastion, while Linux is left shivering out in the cold? The same question could be leveled at the Apple Macintosh. Even with the hysterical success of Apple's wider products, the Mac as a desktop system accounts for just under seven per cent of the market. Linux is no higher than five per cent, and web use points the figure down to a pathetic 1.5 per cent.

Even with the attractiveness of the Mac's ease of use - which brutally contrasts with the stubborn user-friendly-free design of Linux - both still have the same fatal flaw: few games.

Until now. Valve, with its release of Steam for Linux - and more recently the announcement it's going to release an open gaming-platform based on Linux-powered PC architecture - could totally revitalise the desktop fortunes of this able OS.

We're going to take a look at how learning to run Linux, getting it installed and knowing the new gaming platforms can help you get gaming on a free and easy-ish to use OS.

Stop laughing at the back. It's okay to admit in these modern times that you've dabbled with Linux at some point in your life. You might have been drunk, or flirted with it during those care-free college days when life was still exciting and fun. But then you grew up a little and realised Windows was what everyone else used. It had everything you wanted and needed, without all the additional baggage that Linux brought with it.

• Best office suites for Linux: 5 reviewed and rated

Linux - or as insane people would like you to call it, Linux-based GNU - can be one funny old fish to fry. It's one of the most stable, secure and flexible operating systems on the planet. It's also free - anyone can install, create and release homemade distributions.

The implications are immense for an ever more locked-down DRM world, with devices that require an advanced OS springing up all over the place. Why should you have to pay the Microsoft tax on each one of those devices when Linux frees you from that expense while remaining totally legal? It enables you to throw installs on your desktops, your servers, your media centre and on as many virtual machines as you have time for. No one's going to try and take your money or, most annoyingly, continuously check and ask you to validate your copy if you happen to change a bit of hardware.

So why won't it take off on the good ship desktop? We think the big stumbling point is gaming. Originally, a large part of that stumbling point was a distinct lack of hardware driver support - more specifically, 3D graphics card drivers. If you can't install a 3D card, you simply won't be playing anything more exciting than Minesweeper or Solitaire.

The good news is that the big three, which is to say Nvidia, AMD and Intel, do provide acceptable driver support. We hesitate to use anything more positive than 'acceptable', as stable and optimised support tends to lag Windows drivers by up to a year. This effectively limits you to slightly older and less-able cards, but it's better than a poke in the eye with a VGA cable.

We'll talk at length on just how to get drivers updated in the box on this page, but to get playable 3D frame-rate performance you'll need to grab the updated ones from your card's manufacturer.

Now, when it comes to updating, that brings on another interesting side of Linux…

Terminal illness

If you manage to install Linux without seeing 'the terminal' then you're mistakenly using a Mac. Anyone who tries Linux will discover that at some point they'll have to contend with the terminal and yes, it's as bad as it sounds.

Let's be truthful, all operating systems have a command line interface - it's the base way of running commands. Even from the days of the Atari ST and Amiga, most companies realised that no one wants to use them. Almost thirty years ago, mankind could manufacturer a computer that held a full GUI OS on ROM, so you didn't have to use a bloody command line.

Apple, with its Macintosh, elegantly embraced the new graphical interface, so almost every program - bar the most low-level - offered a graphical interface for us puny humans to use. Linux followed its own path, stubbornly sticking to terminal input as a primary system. So, even today with Ubuntu - which has been diligently designed to be as easy to use as possible - there's no avoiding the terminal. At some point, that black slab of type-based interface is going adorn your screen, like a gravestone marking the death of your happiness.

Maybe we're being a little dramatic here, but when you've spent most of your computing life in a GUI, remembering and typing commands can be a shock. It could also make you look like some super hacker from the movies, but maybe that's just us...

There is, of course, a valid reason for requiring the terminal and that's because the graphical element of Linux is delivered by a system called X Windows or X11. It's a standalone system, badly described as bolted on to the GNU/Linux ecosystem - basically you can't be guaranteed it'll be available.

As Linux was developed, the majority of commands have to assume only terminal input will be available and this goes for a lot of the low-level OS updates and install routines. It simply means that for many of the more basic processes, a terminal is the primary input and output. Even installing the Steam for Linux Beta will involve a segment of updates, where you'll be endlessly typing [Y] into a terminal.

More critically, if anything should go wrong - other than just saying "Sod you, Torvalds!" and reinstalling - you'll be using a terminal to do some serious fire fighting and bug squishing. It's at this stage you realise just how powerful it can be, as you're able to install updates and entire programs over the internet from a single command.

It's also always there, unlike mother, so if the worst should happen pressing [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F1] always opens a terminal, and [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [F7] takes you to the first X11 interface. So if you know what you're doing, even with broken graphics drivers, it's possible to fight your way back to a working system. Hurrah, we love the terminal!

Games, you said?

Did someone make the mention of games earlier? The big great hope for Linux gaming comes in the form of Steam for Linux. Currently just out of beta, we take a quick look at the steps you need to get this installed.

Valve has done a reasonable job of making it easy to install, but even so it hardly fills you with confidence. The beta is officially only aimed at Ubuntu 12.04, though you can obviously try to install it on any flavour of Linux your heart desires, and it will work on many.

Steam for Linux is an ambitious project, as it's attempting to bring native Linux games to the Steam platform. The success of which seems rather limited, with around 55 games - minus demos and expansions packs - currently converted, the majority of which were already natively available on Linux.

Even Valve itself is hardly churning out the titles. It's main, and only, triple-A title for Linux is Team Fortress 2, and while it does run on the Source engine it's still a six-year-old game. The three other games from Valve are the original Half-Life and original Counter-Strike, both of which are nigh on 15-years old. Counter Strike: Source was added on 6 February 2013.

But the major benefit of having Steam on Linux, if you're already a Steam user, is that any game you bought on Windows will still be available. So it's likely you'll have at least one copy of FTL, Amnesia, Killing Floor, World of Goo, Defcon or Darwinia on your books. It keeps your library and the community elements of Steam that you know and love, but brings them to an open OS that you can install on anything.

Steaming ahead

That brings us on to the mysterious Steam Box from Valve. Little is really known about the project at this point, though Gabe Newell did talk about it a little at CES 2013, where Valve was holding closed-door discussions with up to 20 potential hardware partners.

From what was said, we do know that a Valve 'Steam Box' is going to be running Linux and likely be released in 2014. It'll be a small-box PC without an optical drive, and it should have the capability of driving remote screens around the home. It sounds like the base system could even be a smart-streaming box, using the processing power of your main PC to do the 3D donkey work, while extending the HDMI output to your HDTV.

It will, of course, run Steam in its Big Picture mode, providing access to your account, chat and games library. It's open in as much as it's a standard PC that other manufacturers can produce, but whether you'll be able to run standard Linux programs and how exposed the OS will be is unknown. Valve is also offering productivity software via Steam, so that might circumvent that issue to a degree.

You need to realise that Steam as an online gaming distribution platform is huge. Steam accounted for at least 50 per cent of the $4 billion worth online sales in 2011, and estimates go as far as 75 per cent. The huge disparity is no one knows how much money Valve actually makes, but we can imagine it's a pretty penny.

With all that muscle, could Valve really walk in with a Linux-based console and proclaim "Start making games!" and expect companies to do just that? Or indeed to re-engineer their entire back catalogue to run natively on Linux? All the while, expecting a gaming community to drop their PCs and pick one up? Surely there's a better way?

Wining away

There is another way and that's using Wine, a recursive acronym that proves how clever everyone is, standing for Wine Is Not an Emulator - an acronym that makes a very good point.

An emulator seeks to mimic the original runtime hardware and software environment by translating the code to run on an entirely new system. Wine does no such thing - it redirects system calls to suitable alternative Linux-based ones, all running directly on the native x86 processor.

An alternative name would be a wrapper, the like of which was used for the DirectX version of Half-Life. At the time it was an OpenGL-developed game based on the Quake engine. To enable a DirectX compatible version, the most elegant solution was to create a wrapper that would translate OpenGL calls into DirectX ones, with almost no slow down or side-effects.

The most interesting aspect of Wine is that it caters for more than just games, as it'll attempt to enable a host of standard Windows software to run under Linux. Wine is an awesome way of running Windows software via Linux - that is, if you like bugs.

Wine breaks compatibility down into four levels: Platinum for flawless compatibility, Gold for great use with special settings, Silver and Bronze are for games with minor issues and Garbage covers, well, garbage. Over 3,400 games are listed as Platinum, just over 5,500 as Gold or Silver, while over 6,000 games are rated Bronze or worse.

Interestingly, Wine concentrates on the core Windows API and doesn't concern itself with how well individual games or software actually work. This means there's a host of add-on systems that attempt to tune Wine for individual games, and a list can be found at http://wiki.winehq.org/ThirdPartyApplications.

Recently, id co-founder John Carmack tweeted that creating native mainstream Linux games makes no business sense for any company. Largely this comes from id's dabble with Quake Arena and Quake Live, with Carmack adding: "The conventional wisdom is that native Linux games are not a good market." He went on to say that a Wine-style layer "could allow developers to get Linux versions with little more effort than supporting, say, Windows XP."

They're interesting words, and perhaps that's what Valve is planning with the Steam Box - whatever it is, it'll be more than a little interesting.

Fighting talk

As a day-to-day OS, Linux is used by millions of people all around the globe. The X11 interface has been developed on for years and offers some lovely touches, while Ubuntu comes with multi-desktop built-in and it's easy to add more extensions than we have space for.

As it was created by programmers, for programmers, it's a fantastic development platform for coders - so if you've got a passion for code or are looking to give it a go then there's no better platform.

As we've already mentioned, it's also used to drive the majority of the world's web servers, so using it to learn and develop web APIs is never going to be a bad thing. It's not even like you have to abandon Windows - you can still cling to your favourite Microsoft OS and still dabble with a little Linux debauchery. It's one of the great advantages of Linux that you can head over to www.virtualbox.org, download it and fire it up on a virtual machine running Linux - just grab an ISO of your favourite Linux distribution and install.

This effectively gives you a perfectly safe and flexible environment to learn and use Linux within. Don't forget to create a snapshot of a clean build, so even if you utterly break an install, it's just a click away from being totally restored.

"Anonymously find friends who are down for the night!" reads the Bang With Friends mobile app description on Google Play. "Your friends will never know you're interested unless they are too!"

While the Android version of the Facebook-based, bang-finding application is still bumping and grinding, today Apple reportedly yanked it from the iOS App Store. Even after taking some of the naughty out of the name by rechristening it "BWF," it looks as though Apple still wasn't down to keep the party going.

It's not quite clear why Apple ended the relationship, but the Bang With Friends website confidently states "Be right back - We're working with Apple to get BWF back into the App Store shortly." God's speed, BWF.

More blips!

Our news nugget blips will never leave you high and dry.

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• EA calls quits on Online Pass system

Nintendo announced this morning that several of its unreleased Wii U games will be playable at 100 Best Buy stores across the U.S. and Canada during the week of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June.

E3 is gaming's biggest event, but these days Nintendo is more interested in interacting directly with fans.

That's evident in the company's Nintendo Direct videos, a series of live streamed presentations that anyone can watch online.

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime announced the partnership with Best Buy during today's Nintendo Direct.

Stomping the middle man

Fils-Aime did not reveal what games will be playable at Best Buy stores, and it's unknown what new games Nintendo will be showing off at E3.

"This year we're making E3 for the people," he said. "We want to make sure you get the chance to try our games as well."

The Mario maker announced in April that it will not hold a traditional press conference during the expo, instead hosting more low-key demos for press.

With Nintendo game demos coming to Best Buy stores as well, it seems press and fans will be getting the same E3 experience for once, at least where Nintendo is concerned.

During today's Nintendo Direct video Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata revealed new games like Sonic: Lost World and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games as well as release dates for The Wonderful 101 and Super Luigi U.

If there's one thing Google CEO Larry Page hates, it's stories talking about Google versus other companies.

Unfortunately he said that after Google introduced a whole bunch of things to take on Spotify, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and WhatsApp. That can only mean one thing: it's Google IO time!

Google IO is Google's developer conference, but it's still a place where it reveals a lot that's interesting to all of us.

There wasn't much on the hardware front this year - last year we got the Nexus 7 and the ill-fated Nexus Q - but we did see a Nexus-ised version of Samsung's Galaxy S4: this Google S4 dumps TouchWiz, runs Android 4.2 and costs $649 unlocked.

This year's Google IO was all about services - and "the end of search as we know it". Google doesn't just want to answer your questions. It wants to anticipate your needs - so for example if you search for the population of India, Google knows your next question might well be how that number compares to other countries. You won't even need to use your fingers: in the Chrome browser and Chrome OS you'll be able to bark Glass-style commands: "OK, Google," followed by whatever you're looking for.

As Matt Swider and Michelle Fitzsimmons explain, it's really very clever: "While traditional search typically relies heavily on keywords, the future of Google's core business will attempt to define 'it'. For example, with as little information as 'how far is it from here', voice search can collaborate distance and directions with current traffic conditions highlighted as well."

Hang with Google

Google+ is getting a massive makeover too. There's a radical redesign, hashtags for finding related content, a new Hangouts app and significantly improved photo features - including Auto Highlight, which judges your photos and picks the best ones, and Auto Awesome, which can create collages, panoramas and animated GIFs.

The Hangouts app is going to be a big deal: it's the project we knew as Babel, and it's going to replace Google Talk - not just on Android, but on iOS and in Chrome too. It combines text, photo and video, moves from device to device and includes the all-important Emoji characters too.

Google Play Music has been upgraded as well. The new and terribly named Google Play Music All Access service is "a music service that's about music", which we think sounds like a much better idea than a music service that isn't about music. It's a Spotify-style music subscription offering and it'll cost US$9.99 (around AU$10, £6) per month.

You've got to feel sorry for IO attendees - at over three hours, the keynote was a real bum-number - but the Google goodies did keep on coming. Fancy better Maps? Google has better Maps! The new Maps app brings Google's iOS design to Android, the app to iPads, real-time traffic improvements for everyone and much more information on the desktop - and unlike Apple's maps, when you ask for directions to the shops you won't end up on the Moon. We particularly liked the new Photo Sphere, which can provide 360-degree tours of landmarks - so you might virtually wander around a gallery to check out the masterpieces.

Nokia light up

Did someone say "masterpiece"? Yes, us, just there - and that's the word Nokia's using to describe its new Lumia 925. Does it make Nokia the Michelangelo of mobiles, the Stravinsky of smartphones, Leonardo Da Vinci with da Lumia? No! But it's very good. As Gareth Beavis explains, it's "a tricky beast to rate... but there's no doubting that it's going to be a market-leading cameraphone." We'll get our hands on it properly in June, so watch this space.

Apple has released another update for iTunes, with the 11.0.3 software bringing a redesigned MiniPlayer into the mix.

Now you'll be able to see the album artwork as you listen to the pop-out player, as well as a nifty new song view that lets you browse the other tracks on the album or playlist you're listening to from the MiniPlayer.

The pop out player also has a new progress bar which you can slide through if you wish.

Pop pop

As well as the MiniPlayer improvements, Apple has sorted out how iTunes handles multi-disc albums - you can now view them as a single album. We're not sure why it's taken Apple so long to come up with that feature.

Other bits and pieces that come with iTunes 11.0.3 include "performance improvements" to searching through and organising larger music libraries and a new app update screen.

Happily, a few security issues are patched in the update too, relating to https server certificate access and memory corruption issues - not things you'll need to worry about once you have the update installed.

iTunes should prompt you to download 11.0.3 next time you open it up.

Microsoft continues to reveal details about the update to Windows 8, now known as Windows 8.1 and formerly known as Windows Blue.

The new features for Windows 8.1 will be previewed at the Microsoft Build developer conference in June and the final version will be available as a free dowloadable Windows 8 update.

Microsoft also said in early May that there would be a preview version available before full release - we'll get the preview during Build.

Windows 8.1 release date

The final Windows Blue release date is late 2013, while there will also be some new Windows Blue hardware.

In a post on the official Windows blog early in May, Tamy Reller, Microsoft's chief marketing office and chief financial officer, confirmed what we already knew - the update will be available "later this year", and certainly by Christmas.

Reller went on to say that the update will provide "more options for businesses, and give consumers more options for work and play". Microsoft now has more than 70,000 Metro/Windows 8-style apps in the Windoes Store.

Reller later confirmed the Windows 8.1 name during a conference call with J.P. Morgan, where plans for the operating system were discussed.

Quite how the upcoming preview release will work in practice remains to be seen, but you might not be able to install it straight into an existing Windows 8 install.

If you happen to be one of the small number of users who have a Windows RT device like Surface RT, we're sure you'll be thrilled to know that the Windows 8.1 update will also be coming to your device.

• Microsoft: emphasis on Start Screen shackled Windows 8

There aren't likely to be too many massive surprises from Blue, which our writer Kate Solomon says "we feel a bit guilty for passing off as a minor Windows update" now that we've seen plenty of Windows Blue screenshots.

Windows Blue is actually Windows 8.1?

Windows Blue will not be the software's official name. Shame. Instead Windows Blue is just the internal name for the software.

So speculation has turned to what the software's actual name will be. Microsoft's Windows Blue will officially be deemed Windows 8.1, said a new report in early April.

Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet's All About Microsoft blog said the Windows 8.1 tip came from a reliable source and screenshots of the About Windows screen also appeared on Twitter - see below.

In stores, the update will still be called simply Windows 8, according to Foley's source - that means Microsoft isn't about to start naming its incremental OS refreshes like Apple does (like OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion). But it does indicate a new attitude to software updates that it's previously called Service Packs.

One thing we definitely would say, it's unlikely that Windows Blue will mean the merging of Windows 8 and with Windows Phone 8 into a single product.

New Windows 8 apps

As well as the operating system itself, Microsoft is apparently building some new Windows 8 apps, looking at new ways to run apps side-by-side on smaller-screened devices without needing hefty black-box-level resolution. That's in addition to the March updates for standard Windows 8 apps.

Blue is also bringing in new Snap Views so you can share your screen 50:50 between different apps rather than the current 70:30, including across multiple monitors.

As expected, Microsoft is upping the Sky Drive integration, with some new treats like auto-camera uploads and more back-up options, as well as tab sync which will see your tabs mirrored across devices.

The grabs also reveal the inclusion of IE11 but not much detail on the next iteration of browser beyond that.

And for the personalisation fans, the grabs show a quick and easy menu of options for customising your desktop background and other design elements

Windows Blue desktop

Could Windows Blue enable users to boot straight to the desktop? Some rumours think so. You can't boot straight to the desktop in Windows 8, though you can resume to it.

Some coden supposedly includes an option that disables the start screen so users would jump straight to the desktop layout - known as "CanSuppressStartScreen".

Certainly there are no plans to ditch the desktop any time soon. In an interview with TechRadar, Windows Product Manager Ian Moulster was candid about the desktop's important role in Windows.

"To be honest I don't have an answer because I don't know. I'm loathe to speculate. It seems highly unlikely to me. I haven't seen anything either way. I'd be surprised, but that's my personal view."

"I think it's a continuation of us always building on what's there. Windows 8 is built on Windows 7 and starts from where Windows 7 stops, and I don't think there will be a change to that approach. We'd be crazy to throw anything away.

"But what form that takes we'll have to wait and see I suppose. I think we have said that we'll be releasing updates more frequently, but precisely what that means I don't know. There's the apps as well, we've released plenty of updates to our apps."

Windows Blue sync

Further Windows development

According to a February 15 job posting on the Microsoft Careers site, the software giant is seeking an engineer to join its Windows Core Experience Team.

That part of the operation will be working on improving the centrepiece of the new Windows UI, including the start screen, application lifecycle, windowing and personalisation, according to the post.

This seems to suggest that Windows Blue will bring more than a few tweaks under the bonnet and offer tangible visual enhancements to the Windows 8 software.

Indeed, the post mentions Windows Blue by name and says the updates will look to "build on and improve Windows 8" as time goes on.

An excerpt reads: "We're looking for an excellent, experienced SDET to join the Core Experience team in Windows Sustained Engineering (WinSE). The Core Experience features are the centerpiece of the new Windows UI, representing most of what customers touch and see in the OS, including: the start screen; application lifecycle; windowing; and personalization. Windows Blue promises to build and improve upon these aspects of the OS, enhancing ease of use and the overall user experience on devices and PCs worldwide."

Windows Blue will extend to other platforms

It is also thought that Windows Blue updates will be extended to multiple Microsoft platforms, including Windows server, the mobile OS Windows Phone 8 and applications like SkyDrive and Outlook.com.

Indeed, another post on Microsoft's job site mentions Windows Phone Blue by name, so that is definitely on the horizon.

The plan from Microsoft's point of view is reportedly to move towards a more regular update pace, rather than the three year gap that separated Windows 7 and Windows 8, with little improvements in between.

Apple has enjoyed great success in this arena, gradually adding new strings to the bow of Mac OS X every year, through its feline-themed updates.

Google's opening day the IO keynote was heavy on the dev news and upgrades yet light on major announcements, and pushed hardware to the back burner in a rather intriguing fashion.

Yet there may be a bit of kit hiding in the Moscone Center's halls, an alternately hued handset we could see launch as soon as next month.

According to Android and Me, the rumored white Nexus 4 was more than just a keynote no-show at this year's conference, appearing behind the scenes as a clone of the current version yet in an alabaster shell.

How does the site know? Because Taylor Wimberly, the publication's founder, claims he laid hands on the glittery gadget.

The post-IO show

In Wimberly's words, the phone is a "carbon copy" of the black model, and will arrive on the Google Play Store June 10 with Android 4.3 on board.

We know, that's a lot to take in.

What little there is to know about Android 4.3 indicates it won't be an earth-shattering update, but it should bring Bluetooth Low Energy support. It may also support OpenGL for Embedded Systems 3.0, shepherding advanced graphics capabilities along with it.

Google apparently scrapped 4.3 from its keynote in favor of showing off its ability to introduce new services and APIs without bumping up Android firmware, a perspective courtesy of Android and Me's Google sources.

We did get Google's Galaxy 4 running stock Android 4.2, so perhaps we're in for some more Nexus news before mid-year.

BlackBerry will primarily target smartphones with the momentous expansion of its BBM messaging service for iOS and Android devices.

The company announced at its BlackBerry Live conference in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday that the celebrated instant messaging app would be leaving the sanctuary of its own ecosystem for the first time.

However, the company told TrustedReviews the focus would be purely on smartphones, while tablets like the iPad, Google Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 will not be supported at this time.

The reasoning? BlackBerry believes smartphones are more suited to BBM due to the on-the-go nature of the app, whereas user behaviour changes when switching to slates and desktop computers.

Engagement and activity

Vivek Bhardwaj, head of the BlackBerry Software Portfolio said: "Smartphone is our real focus and again it comes back to what BBM is. If you look BBM and the engagement and the activity, it's because it is mobile, because people are on the go."

"When you start looking at tablets, computers and other screens, the usage model changes and behaviour changes. For us right now the absolute focus is getting BBM onto smartphones."

Are you a long-time iOS or Android loyalist who's excited to try BBM for the first time? Or are you already more enamoured with the new Google+ Hangouts app? Let us know below.

Research conducted by the indie music agency Merlin and detailed today crowns iTunes the top source worldwide for digital music revenue.

But the data suggests that streaming music services are catching up to digital downloads, as Spotify took second place in terms of global revenue paid to labels.

Merlin looked to a recent survey of its 20,000 member labels as well as a close examination of 6.5 billion music streams from the last year.

The results aren't surprising, but it may paint a picture of what's to come, especially as Google enters the streaming music fray with its newly announced Google Play Music All Access.

Around the world

Merlin divided its results by U.S., U.K., Europe, and worldwide, and iTunes and Spotify took the top two spots for revenue in all four categories.

Amazon MP3 is in third across the board as well, with eMusic coming in fourth globally and in the U.S. and Deezer taking the fourth spot in the U.K. and Europe.

Both digital downloads and streaming subscription revenues are rising, Merlin reported, but streaming revenue is rising at a more rapid pace.

Check out TechRadar's comparison of Spotify versus Google Play Music All Access to find out how we predict the newly announced service will stack up.

Google made several Google Wallet-related announcements today, revealing that the mobile payment app has arrived on a handful of new phones.

On Google+, the company shared that Google Wallet is now supported on the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and the HTC One on Sprint, as well as the Galaxy Note 2 on U.S. Cellular.

"Just download the Google Wallet app from the Play store, enable NFC, and tap to pay!" the announcement exclaimed.

But it also cast a glaring light on the service's irksome absence on major U.S. carriers AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.

Where's my wallet?

Besides Sprint, three of the four largest U.S. carriers have thrown lots in support of Google Wallet competitor Isis.

This, in a nutshell, is likely why Google Wallet is unavailable on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, and why Google has been unable so far to make the service as successful as it should be.

Last year, Verizon went so far as to make public excuses as to why it blocks Google Wallet, but the facts remain the same.

We've asked T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon for each carrier's current stance on the service and whether there's any chance they'll support Google Wallet at some point, and so far an AT&T representative informed us that the company has no comment. We will provide an update when we hear back from the others.

Buying and selling

Today Google also singled out "new features that let you easily send money and buy online" with Google Wallet.

The search company invited U.S. developers to sign up for its new Google Wallet Instant Buy Android API, which will simplify the checkout process for online merchants selling physical goods and services online.

In addition, Google revealed that Google Wallet's newfound integration with Gmail allows users to send money to others from within Gmail, even if the recipients don't have Gmail themselves.