Google’s Maps is seen as the authority in the field of navigation, and of course, mapping, and having established a large user base already, the company is preparing to revamp the mobile arm of the service in the coming weeks and months. Following on from the new-look desktop version, Google will now be bringing the look of iOS Maps to Android, and an iPad version is also going to be hitting the App Store in the summer along with a revamp of the desktop version of Maps. More details after the break.

Hot on the heels of BlackBerry’s announcement that BBM would soon become a cross-platform experience, Google has showcased its new Hangouts messaging system, unifying iOS, Android and Chrome users all in one convenient place. This revelation makes for an exciting face-off between the major instant messaging services, and it’s fair to say, this kind of feature from Google as been a long time coming.

In amongst all of the other announcements at today’s I/O developers conference, Google has taken the wraps off its new ‘All Access’ Music service, and judging by the business model and pricing, it looks a sure-fire shot at the popular alternatives Spotify, Pandora and Rdio. More details after the break.

Today at I/O, Google has launched its rumored Google Play Game Services, which will finally give the Android platform a Game Center-esque experience for those looking to enjoy multiplayer competition on some of their favorite titles. Then again, if the demonstration of the multiplayer feature in action today (note: it didn’t connect) is anything to go by, Android users will be hoping the hit-and-miss demonstration of the service is not representative of the eventual experiences.

Here’s our complete step by step tutorial on how to download and install ClockworkMod (CWM) Recovery on the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500.

The Frostbite 3 engine is heavily lauded as one of the most powerful and advanced of its kind, and with the technology being the driving force behind the supreme graphics performance of Battlefield 4, it looks like a variant of the engine will soon push the boundaries of mobile gaming experience even further. EA has already indicated that the Frostbite 3 engine cannot run on the Nintendo Wii U, but the publisher remains keen to offer “true Frostbite experiences to all major mobile platforms,” and with the Frostbite webpage offering details of a project called “Frostbite Go,” we could certainly see some truly high-end gameplay on our smartphones and tablets.

Galaxy S4 certainly has its fair share of critics, but in terms of early sales, the latest and greatest flagship handset is a standalone record-breaker for makers Samsung. According to Korean news outlet, which has published the utterances of an unnamed Samsung executive, the company shipped an incredible four million Galaxy S4 handsets in just four days; far in excess of the early numbers of the Galaxy S III which, by comparison, took 21 days to ship just three million.

The general consensus on the current state of iOS is that Apple’s mobile operating system has stagnated somewhat, and there’s certainly a considerable amount of more interest than usual with regards to what exactly Apple is cooking up this time around. In addition, several sources have suggested Apple will also be bringing a budget iPhone at some point in the very near future, and resident concept maker Martin Hajek has once again come through with another rather interesting “iPhone mini” design, which also incorporates a rather enlarged iOS interface by Dámaso Benítez.

As planned, Mozilla has just dropped Firefox 21 for Windows, OS X, Linux and Android. Full details, as well as where to download Firefox from, can be found right after the break.

It has only been a couple of weeks since Microsoft brought Skype integration to the Outlook.com inbox and already, the Redmond company is back to bring Google’s Talk instant messaging service to its webmail service. It’s certainly an eyebrow raiser, no less since it looks as though the Big G looks all set to integrate GTalk and Hangouts into one unified – and rumored – “Babel” service, and it does also perhaps show a side to Microsoft we simply do not see often enough.

Google’s I/O developer conference kicks off from Wednesday, and although precise details on what will be revealed remain under lock and key, 9to5Google has come through with some shots of the Moscone West venue as the Big G prepares for what is easily one of the biggest dates in the tech calendar. Check out the images after the leap.

Via the official Windows blog, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 8.1 (formerly known as Windows Blue) will be a free update for those running the current Windows 8 operating system. Many had suspected that the Redmond company might try its hand at Apple’s system of meager updates for a minimal fee, but, as per the blog post, the update will in fact be called Windows 8.1, and will be offered as “a free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store.”

Thanks in part to the limitations of Windows Phone, Nokia is quite some distance behind the major Android and iOS vendors in terms of market share and reach, and in an attempt to bridge some of the gaping gap between its fleet of smartphones and those of the Big Two, the Finnish company has today announced the Lumia 925 – which was teased yesterday in a rather mesmerizing video – at its planned London event. All of the details, as ever, are coming up right after the break!

BlackBerry is on the cusp of turning its proprietary BlackBerry Messenger service (BBM) into a multi-platform experience. Keeping BBM specific to the company’s own devices worked wonders when the company was flying high atop the market, but in looking to reestablish its presence in the iOS / Android-dominated market, BlackBerry is now looking to spread its popular messaging tool to users of those two pivotal platforms.

The phenomenal, perhaps unrivalled collective achievements of both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs has made the details of their complex relationship one of the most intriguing stories in modern technology. Seemingly fitting of the old expression “best of friends, keenest of rivals,” Gates was as much a recipient of compliments from the late Apple co-founder as he was his famously sharp tongue, and in a new interview with CBS, the Microsoft chairman and former CEO reflects fondly on the times he shared with his Apple adversary.

Of all the tech products to release last year, Google’s Nexus 7 was one of the most eagerly anticipated and well received. Nobody could believe how much solid hardware Google had managed to pack into such a reasonably priced tablet, and one analyst is under the impression that the Big G is about to make consumers another offer they’d be hard pushed to refuse. According to resident Apple whistleblower Ming chi Kuo of KGI securities, the search giant will be adding a 5-megapixel rear camera to the Nexus 7, which will also include such features as an improved 1,920 × 1,200 display, a Qualcomm APQ 8064 processor and wireless charging. Kuo also notes that the price will stay at the very agreeable price of $199, and the design will also be notably thinner and lighter than the current generation Nexus 7.

The Apple iPad is the most popular tablet in the mobile industry, and has been since its inception, but while the Cupertino slate can do no wrong when it comes to helping consumers part with their money, a study by a 14-year-old Californian student has revealed that the device can potentially interfere with implanted defibrillators.

If you’re regularly in the business of modding your Android device every which way, it’s expected that, from time to time, you’re going to find yourself in a boot loop. When you’ve got a bunch of different custom ROMs, mods and hacks checking in and out of your device like it’s the Hilton hotel, a boot loop here and there is just a rather unfortunate part of the business in those early days, and while seasoned hackers will find this predicament rare and rather easy to surmount, a newbie may find a boot loop to be cause for concern. If you’re a fledgling modder / hacker / developer / dabbler and wish to be well versed in the art of overcoming a boot loop, we’ve outlined a couple of painless methods for doing so right after the break.

Having just released the Galaxy S4, you might have forgiven Samsung for resting on its laurels, but the South Korean electronics manufacturer is already reportedly preparing a number of spin-off devices. As well as a ruggedized model and a miniature version akin to the Galaxy S III mini, a recent report also alluded to a camera-centric Galaxy S4 Zoom, and today, we’re hearing that the device will live up to its name by packing in an incredible 10x optical zoom.

Everybody knew it was there, and many seemed sure of its main specs, but finally, Nokia has come through with an official announcement of the forthcoming Lumia 928. Although the device itself remains largely unchanged from the Lumia 920, this one will be arriving to the United States as an exclusive to Verizon – finally allowing those on the nation’s most subscribed-to network a chance of trying out a decent Windows Phone 8 handset.