Though there are plenty of gaming controllers already available for the iPad 4 and iPhone 5, none of them have come from Apple itself.

While patents have popped up in the past, Apple hasn’t seen fit to develop its own gamepad for iOS gaming, and since 2007, has allowed third-party companies to rule the roost.

However, sources speaking with PocketGamer revealed that might not be the case for much longer, as Apple was reportedly testing the controller waters in secret at GDC.

Nobody saw the device as of yet, but the anonymous developers who sat in with Apple at the event claimed the Cupertino company was seeking day one support for the mysterious controller.

Button-mashing bandwagon

To this point, Apple has seemingly been satisfied with the touch-based controls its iOS devices use for gaming.

However, a recent influx of controllers and consoles from companies like Ouya and GameStick, as well as Samsung’s own Galaxy S4 Game Pad may have forced Apple to be reactionary for once.

PocketGamer’s sources said Apple was at GDC under a fictitious name, and didn’t bring any hardware along to show off thanks to frequent leaks.

The controller is believed to make a showing at Apple’s April event, which is typically home to the annual iPad announcement.

It would certainly make sense to reveal a new controller alongside the iPad 5, but there’s also a chance this purported joystick could be part of a larger plan, like the oft-rumored Apple iTV.

Whatever Apple’s plans are, the company clearly believes the controller is a secret to be guarded as closely as the next iOS device.

Even before Google has had a chance to announce the next iteration of its Android platform – codenamed Key Lime Pie – Samsung has apparently already laid out its upgrade plans.

Although the Korean firm is yet to confirm its Android 5.0 schedule, a SamMobile source has supposedly been able to say which phones and tablets will be enjoying an upgrade to the next Android and which will be missing out.

Now according to this “insider” those devices lucky enough to be getting a slice of the pie are the Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy Note 10.1.

And the bad news…

As with every new version of software which gets released there are always losers and some of the more high profile ones in this case are the original Samsung Galaxy Note and a former Best Mobile Phone in the World, the Samsung Galaxy S2.

Both of these handsets will apparently be upgraded to Jelly Bean 4.2.2, but no further. Also falling into this camp are the Galaxy Ace 2, Galaxy S3 Mini, Galaxy Young, Galaxy Fame and others from the firm’s 2012/2013 line up.

All this is subject to change and it’s not clear how well-connected the anonymous source is, but it’s hardly surprising the aging Note and S2 will miss out on Android 5.0, while Samsung’s powerhouses will continue to enjoy upgrades.

Key Lime Pie is expected to be officially uncovered at Google’s annual I/O event in May where we may learn more from manufacturers about which handsets will be in the running for an upgrade.

Asus, Acer, and Toshiba are set to launch Windows 8 tablets next week at the Computex trade show in Taipei, according to sources.

Acer’s will be a standard tablet, while Toshiba’s will be a tablet-cum-notebook, according to the anonymous sources. Asus, meanwhile, will show off more than one tablet featuring a detachable keyboard, just like its Transformer Prime Android model.

Windows 8 is the first version of the OS to work on ARM-based chips. Asus will show off a tablet based on an ARM-based Nvidia Tegra chip as well as one powered by an Intel chip, so it should be interesting to see how the two compare when running the same operating system.

A choice of chips

Acer’s will run on an Intel chip, while Toshiba will use a Texas Instrument processor, according to the sources.

Qualcomm is also expected to show off a test device running Windows 8 using its Snapdragon processor and it’s not purely a concept – it’ll have devices for sale when Windows 8 hits the market, a source said.

Windows 8 is available now as a Release Preview. The UK price is expected to be announced today but in the US, an upgrade will cost $14.99.

Expect improved support for working with multiple monitors, so you can view apps on more than one screen. Security improvements are also expected.

Internet Explorer 10 will also have a feature called Flip-Ahead, which loads forthcoming pages, so when you swipe ahead the next page will load right away.

The recently-snapped Motorola Xoom 2 has now enjoyed a thorough photo-shoot, with the new pictures revealing a second slate and more of its buttons.

No need to squint with these shots, with the anonymous photographer obviously au fait with focusing a camera.

The shots show off the tablets’ various buttons in all their glory – the volume slider and what is likely the power/screen lock button are mounted on the curved edge of the slate towards the back.

Xoomability

There’s also a camera with LED flash and a sticker announcing the models’ code names, with both coming under the Fleming sobriquet and purported to support LTE connectivity.

The next-gen Xooms also come with 8.2-inch screens and seems to be very slightly slimmer than the iPhone 4.

The prototype’s pictured are running Android 3.2, but Engadget’s anonymous tipster reckons the slates are “buggy as all hell, with frequent reboots and crashes” so we won’t be holding our breath for an imminent launch.

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Some in-focus pictures have emerged of the long-rumoured 10.1-inch HTC tablet codenamed HTC Puccini.

As well as the pictures, which show a black-bezeled slate with rounded edges and gentle gradient slopes on the top and bottom edges, the anonymous photographer also tipped Engadget some specs.

First up is a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, with 1GB of RAM, 8MP camera, 16GB of storage and that 10.1-inch display is a WXGA affair.

Sweet Honeycomb

Unsurprisingly, it’ll launch running Android Honeycomb although there’s no word on which exact version we’ll be seeing.

Or, indeed, whether we’ll be seeing it at all in England’s green and pleasant land – the pictures show an AT&T logo in the top right hand corner which pretty much confirms it for a US release but there’s no confirmation on whether the UK will follow suit.

The source also revealed that the 10-inch Puccini is currently in testing, with a US launch not far behind – no doubt HTC will want it out in time to mop up the peak Christmas shopping season (September – November).

Such good pictures seem to indicate that the source comes from the network or the manufacturer, so we’re pretty happy to trust the leaked info – and cross our fingers tightly for an IFA 2011 launch.