Nokia could have more Android phones coming this May

Rumors of the Nokia Normandy are really heating up and soon it might just be the first of a whole pack of Android-powered phones.

Phone Arena posted a new report talking with an Artesyn Technologies source that says the Finnish phone company will have more Android phones coming this year including several higher-end models.

Supposedly this new slew of phones powered by Google's mobile OS will be revealed sometime between May and June. The source says the phones will come at different price points but there's no word if it will be able to reach the Play Store unlike the Normandy.

Shuffling technology around

The Phone Arena report goes on to say that Microsoft has put Nokia through the chop shop, leaving its new acquisition with the low-end Asha and feature phone departments.

Meanwhile, teams involved with Nokia's more notable hardware bits including PureView Cameras, HAAC microphones, and ClearBlack displays have been moved to Redmond.

Taking these technology shifts into account, its possible that a majority of Nokia's Android phones could come as budget handsets with the Asha overlay – essentially a faux-smartphone tiled, touchscreen interface.

Nokia's Android pathfinder

Thus far, the only Android Nokia handset we know about is the Normandy. The phone set to make its debut at MWC 2014 and its already shaping up to be an abnormal little droid.

Instead of accessing the Play Store, Microsoft plans to supply the handset with their own apps such as Here maps and Mix radio, and Nokia's own shop of Android apps.

Its already odd enough to see the Microsoft-owned company putting anything but a Windows Phone OS on just one of its handset, but we'll let you know if we spot any other goodies from Nokia featuring Google's green bot.

• Nokia might have some kind of Android, but the Motorola Moto G has KitKat, check it out in our revie

New Apple TV could land in April with US cable partner content in tow

The next version of Apple TV may be here as soon as April.

That's the word coming from Bloomberg News sources, who say Apple could "introduce" the refreshed set-top box in two months. The aim is to have it on sale by Christmas, though that release time frame isn't secure.

The reason for its instability? Apple is reportedly working out video content deals with Time Warner Cable in the US and other potential partners. The firms are said to be ironing out agreements with partners on the programming and distribution front.

A deal with Time Warner would mark a first such arrangement between Apple and a pay-TV provider.

While the Cupertino company has most of the key apps on Apple TV locked down, opening its App Store (or creating Apple TV's own) and securing more video content would likely help it compete against the likes of Google Chromecast - which may also be making its way Down Under this year.

And though this news will likely only effect Stateside users, it could open doors for more partnerships between Apple and Australian content providers.

More new Apple TV features

In addition to the new content offerings, Bloomberg's sources revealed the new Apple TV will have a faster processor than its predecessor.

An upgraded interface is also said to be part of the package. The new UI will reportedly make it easier to navigate between various content offerings.

An iOS 7 build uncovered earlier this week revealed "Apple TV 4,1" - a set that looks to be a significant upgrade from the current version, a.k.a. Apple TV 3,2.

The jump to "4" suggests we're in for upgraded internal specs, and a reference to "Game Controller" could mean the new set-top will support a gamepad.

• Stay grounded with our iPad Air review!

NSA could be snooping on you even when you're offline

If you thought that disconnecting your computer from the internet, unplugging the router and shutting the curtains was enough to keep the NSA out, you might be mistaken.

A New York Times report, which cites leaked NSA documents, claims that the NSA has a "secret technology" that alows it to monitor activity even when users are offline.

The NSA is allegedly able to access wireless transmissions sent from devices such as USB cards or tiny circuit boards that have been placed inside the computer either mistakenly by the users themselves or covertly by someone else.

We see you

The report claims that the NSA has been using the technology since 2008 and has allegedly installed surveillance on around 100,000 computers around the world.

But the NSA denies using the technology within the US. "NSA's activities are focused and specifically deployed against — and only against — valid foreign intelligence targets in response to intelligence requirements," said Vanee Vines, an agency spokeswoman, in a statement.

Right now there's no hard evidence of this technology actually being used, but the news of its possible existence will no doubt be unnerving to a lot of people.

• Internet founder says a little less privacy is worth a little more security

Microsoft could kill Bing and sell Xbox if Elop gets CEO job

The search for a new Microsoft CEO continues, and one name rumoured to be on the shortlist right now is Nokia's former head Stephen Elop.

We're now hearing that Elop has big plans to pitch during the interview process, the primary one being to get Microsoft focused on getting its Office software on a number of smartphones and tablets, including Apple's and Google's.

According to a Bloomberg report, Elop wants to get rid of any other distractions from this, and part of the plan would be to consider killing of the Bing search engine.

This talk is said to have come from people "with knowledge of his thinking."

Elopping off Xbox

Another item on Elop's alleged hitlist is the healthy Xbox division - his plan is to sell it off in order to keep Microsoft focused on the bigger goals.

Given Microsoft's continual move to unify its various sections, it seems unlikely that it would drop Xbox - especially with the launch of the Xbox One.

What's more, Microsoft is pushing Bing harder than ever in an attempt to integrate it across all of its experiences.

Also rumoured to be on the list of possible candidates are former Skype CEO Tony Bates, Ford CEO Alan Mulally and the executive vice president of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise group Satya Nadella.

• Is Elop really the best choice for the job?

Chromecast app list could grow as Google preps dev kit release

The number of apps Chromecast supports has hamstrung the otherwise excellent media dongle, but that could change once Google opens up its much-needed SDK to developers.

The Android company is ready to do just that, it confirmed to TechRadar, inviting whitelisted device developers to an event in two and a half weeks.

"The Chromecast team is hosting a two-day hackathon for developers to test-drive the upcoming release of the Google Cast SDK," read a copy and pasted invite sent to one of these developers.

"Engineers will be available to share changes from the developer preview, discuss best practices, and answer any questions."

What it means for Chromecast owners

The Chromecast SDK doesn't mean much for the average media streaming user out there, but having it in the hands of developers could quickly enhance the device, turning it into Google's secret weapon.

If Google releases these powerful software tools to everyday developers, we could see an Android-like store filled with all sorts of creative apps that are compatible with the Chromecast.

That's undoubtedly needed. Chromecast initially only beamed Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Music, Google Play Movies & TV to televisions via smartphones, tablets and computers. The Chrome browser did the same from computers.

With just five apps, it's a good thing buying the $35 (about £22, AU$38) Chromecast felt like a five-finger discount. The cheap price outweighed the disappointing number of applications.

Hulu Plus and Pandora were added last month, while HBO Go became the latest app to sport a cast button this week.

Chromecast could out-app Apple TV

The Chromecast app list is now at eight and still pales in comparison to the Apple TV ecosystem, which has about 100 compatible apps.

Apple is always adding more, too. Yahoo Screen and PBS were this week's additions in the US, for example. Because they're both video apps, they weren't available outside of the States.

The newer Chromecast could easily catch up if Google were to open the SDK. Apple TV, despite its long list of apps, is still subject to Apple's walled-garden.

As we surmised in our Chromecast review, the first company to open their respective media streaming device to average developers could win the TV war, seeing how the App Store and Google Play store turned out.

• See which is better: Apple TV vs Chromecast.