The hottest hardware releases, including translation earbuds

1 AR not ready for the big time, claims Cook

Apple boss Tim Cook claimed artificial reality hardware was not yet good enough to kickstart a smartphone-like rush of new applications, despite admitting that the company was still pushing investment into the arena. Although Apple rivals – such as Facebook with the Oculus Rift – have pushed headsets onto the virtual reality market, he feels that early offerings have been underwhelming, telling The Independent: “The technology itself doesn’t exist to do that in a quality way – there are huge challenges with that.”

2 Microsoft tight-lipped on vulnerability database theft

Microsoft came under fire for failing to reveal the extent of a 2013 breach that reports claim allowed hackers to access a database of known, but unpatched, vulnerabilities across the Windows platform. Such weaknesses are seen as a gold mine for hackers that can build exploits around them, but former staffers have claimed the company chose not to reveal what had been accessed, which stopped companies that may have been affected from taking preventative action months earlier.

3 Facebook continues to buy social rivals

Facebook has bought another potential competitor in the shape of teen-centric TBH, which focuses on users sending anonymous compliments based on positive questions posed within the app. The deal, for an undisclosed sum believed to be less than $100 million, means Facebook now owns four of the top six apps on the US iTunes store, having already bought Instagram to add to its own Facebook and Messenger platforms.

4 Microsoft hangs up on Phone

Microsoft has finally admitted – even if only in passing – that its sortie into mobile phones has run its course. The platform was terminally marginalised by Android and Apple devices, but the firm had made occasional noises suggesting it would struggle on – something an exec put to rest in a tweet. “We’ll continue to support the platform with bug fixes and security updates – but building new features or hardware isn’t the focus,” he said.

5 Kaspersky accused of espionage – again

Kaspersky Lab has once again been accused of colluding with the Russian government to meddle in other countries’ affairs – this time allegedly stealing data from the US National Security Agency. Media outlets said Israeli intelligence operatives alerted US officials to the potential that Russian agents could sneak data out of secure facilities using a computer running an altered version of Kaspersky – something Kaspersky vehemently denies.