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Apple has already pledged to fix a lockscreen bug on iOS 7, and now a second bug has emerged that enables users to make calls from a locked iPhone.

The bizarre bug was discovered by Karam Daoud, a 27-year old from Ramallah, who passed on a video and information about it to Andy Greenberg at Forbes.

A separate lockscreen bug was detailed almost right after the iOS 7 update was released, and it allows users to gain access to photos, contacts and even post to e-mail, and social media accounts from a locked iPhone.

This new bug affects devices locked with a passcode. Basically, all a user needs to do is access the emergency call screen and tap in any number. Then, repeatedly tap the Call button until it eventually appears to get stuck, and the iPhone crashes to the Apple logo.

Even though the Apple logo appears on the screen, the call is actually placed. The trick works with international numbers and premium rate numbers.

Take-Two has announced that its Grand Theft Auto V blockbuster has reached $1 billion in sales in just three days of availability.

The latest in the GTA series was expected to reach $1 billion in its first month, but after a staggering $800 million on its first day, it became clear that it was set to break new records. It has reached the milestone faster than any entertainment property has before it.

"Grand Theft Auto is a cultural phenomenon and Rockstar Games continues to redefine what can be achieved in interactive entertainment," Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said in a statement.

"We are incredibly proud of the extraordinary critical and commercial response to Grand Theft Auto V."

For comparison, Call of Duty: Black Ops II hit the milestone in 15 days.

Conan O'Brien has posted an awesome review of Grand Theft Auto V, which develops into a vendetta against a virtual Strip Club.

In his "clueless gamer" review, Conan shows that he would be utterly useless as a getaway driver in the game - he didn't even make it out of Michael's driveway - and that he likes a good fist fight with strangers.

The best parts of the review are Conan's reaction to finally getting Franklin onto a yacht on the back of a truck tearing down a freeway, and later on his encounter with bouncers at a Strip Club.

After being first thrown out of the club for getting too "handsy" with the ladies, Conan's character (Mike) ends up in a rundown hospital, but very much alive, after being shot to death at the club. Conan credits this incredible medical treatment to Obamacare.

He then returns to the club where he gets a private dance from two virtual ladies, but then once again his hands land him in trouble and he gets booted out.

Later on - unable to get over the encounter at the strip club earlier - Conan jacks a helicopter that fires missiles and returns to get revenge.. twice.

Here's the video (CONTENT WARNING: Rated R in US, Adult in most territories)

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has claimed Google has a monopoly in its business practices, and that it is worth of discussion with competition authorities.

His comments came during a presentation at Microsoft's financial analysts meeting. When responding to questions about how the Redmond giant can generate revenue from consumer services, Ballmer alluded to Google's alleged monopoly in the search space.

"They have this incredible, amazing, dare I say monopoly that we are the only person left on the planet trying to compete with," he said.

Microsoft's Bing service has grown to a 17.9 percent share of the search market in the United States, but still way behind Google at 67 percent. Most of Bing's gains have come from losses at other rival search engines other than Google.

"If we have exactly the same quality of algorithms, but a lot less scale in search advertising, we will get less revenue per search than Google does, which means they have more money to pay for distribution on Samsung devices, or Apple," Ballmer said, reports the Verge.

He then went on to explain that he believes the competition authorities may have a role to play.

UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has warned about the corrosive effect of violent video games in the wake of the recent Navy Yard shooting in the United States.

The Liberal Democrat leader and deputy to Conservative PM David Cameron was commenting on his LBC Radio phone-in show. Reports questioned the gaming habits of the shooter at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. (though he also apparently heard voices in his head...) following the latest gun-related tragedy to blight the United States.

"These games can have an incredibly powerful effect, and I expect in some cases a corrosive effect, on someone's behaviour," said Clegg.

"They occupy a hermetically sealed world of their own and that can have a very detrimental effect."

Typical of a politician, Clegg offered absolutely no evidence for his statement.

Microsoft is advising against standing its upcoming Xbox One console upright, saying it is designed to be laid flat.

The Xbox 360 can be stood vertically or laid flat during use, but that doesn't extend to the new Xbox One console, according to Albert Penello, who leads planning for Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Kinect at Microsoft.

"We don't support vertical orientation; do it at your own risk," Panello told Gamespot.

"It wouldn't be a cooling problem, we just didn't design the drive for vertical. Because it's a slot loading drive, we just didn't design it for both."

Interesting warning, given that other consoles use a slot drive and don't have warnings against vertical orientation. Nevertheless, you have been warned.

Internet security firm RSA is advising developers not to use one of its own encryption algorithms, fearing the NSA may be able to decrypt code that results.

A New York Times report indicated that the NSA may have intentionally introduced a flaw into the SP 800–90A Dual Ellipctic Curve Deterministic Random Bit Generation algorithm before trying to get the National Institute of Standards and Technology to adopt it.

RSA strongly advises customers to switch to other random number generators.

During the 90s, the NSA had argued publicly that it should be able to decrypt all cryptographic systems in order to be able to effectively fight against security threats, but privacy rights and free speech advocates won the day.

Nevertheless, the NSA has been in a tug of war with cryptographers who create increasingly sophisticated encryption systems. The NSA does have considerable super-computing power, and cryptographic expertise of its own too.

Google has posted a short video showing Google Chromecast working with a tablet, phone, laptop and TV.

Chromecast is basically another system that aims to bring content from your laptop and mobile devices to your HDTV over a home network, not that much unlike AppleTV and other services.

It works with Netflix, YouTube, Google Play, Chrome and more.

Working with Android tablets and smartphones, iPhones and iPads, Mac and Windows, you can choose what to play, control playback and audio levels with your device as your remote control.

The Chromecast hardware plugs directly into the HDMI slot of a HD TV, and is powered by connecting to a USB port. It costs $35.

At GamesCom in Germany this year, 974 people played a custom Super Mario Bros time trial, which has all been combined into this one video.

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if 974 different gamers played a Super Mario Bros time trial level, and were all combined into one 1:34 video? Well, neither did we frankly, but here is a video of that happening at GamesCom in Germany anyway.

There was a 3 second penalty for dying which explains all the frozen Marios. Also note that enemies and objects may not appear synced to the players - that is due to the way Mari0 (and the original SMB) works.

If you are looking to cut a few dollars off the cost of games this weekend, then go to Toys R Us and use a promo to get 20% off.

Unfortunately, the promo does not cover pre-orders of games for Microsoft's Xbox One, or Sony's PlayStation 4 (PS4). Still, you can get the discount on the recently released Grand Theft Auto V, Saints Row IV, Madden NFL 25 and more.

To avail, go to the Toys R Us website and add games to your shopping card. At the checkout, use the promo code FRIENDS20 for the 20% discount. Please note that the promo code is a one time use deal.

More info: Toys R Us (via Joystiq)

Sony revealed at the Tokyo Game Show that it made a business decision based on feedback to bump the PS4 from its original 4GB, to 8GB GDDR5 memory.

The upcoming PlayStation 4 (PS4) console was to feature 4GB of memory, but Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, revealed that it had made a decision to bump up the memory following feedback.

"And because we chose expensive memory...we really liked the performance, but it's pricy, right? So going to 8GB was a bit of a business decision," Yoshida told GameSpot.

"But we were able to make that decision because of a lot of the feedback from developers."

Sticking with 4GB would have caused some frowns in the gaming community as memory is vitally important to delivering optimal performance for the longest possible time.

Mobile networks in the UK are annoyed with Apple for under-supplying them with the new iPhone 5s smartphone.

Ahead of today's launch of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in the UK market, the BBC News website reached out to mobile providers in the region about the launch and found that they were frustrated over the stocks provided to them by Apple.

Basically, the providers were rolling in stocks of the cheaper, plastic iPhone 5c, but were reportedly "drip fed" stocks of the premium iPhone 5s.

None of the carriers the BBC spoke to wished to be identified by name, fearing further disadvantages when supplies were replenished. However, there was speculation that Apple was supplying them with far more iPhone 5c models to drive sales by inducing a shortage of iPhone 5s. The plastic iPhone 5c has reportedly failed to gain adequate attention from Apple customers prior to launch.

The iPhone 5s is listed on Apple's UK website as being unavailable for 7-10 business days, following the launch.

The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c smartphones go on sale today and there is already an iOS update for them available.

The small update includes some fixes for bugs that Apple has found in its latest operating system, but the iOS 7.0.1 update is only available for iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c for now, and not for the older Apple devices that support the latest iOS iteration.

Specifically, the iOS 7.0.1 update fixes a problem with Apple's TouchID fingerprint authentication system. Apparently the bug is not related to unlocking the device using the fingerprint scanner, but instead is related to using the scanner for iTunes purchases.

Given that the iPhone 5c doesn't have a TouchID fingerprint scanner, it's unclear what bugs will be fixed by the iOS 7.0.1 minor update on the new lower-cost (but still fairly pricey) iPhone.

One bug not likely to be fixed is an embarrassing flaw that lets you bypass the lockscreen on iOS 7 to access photos and contacts.

Grand Theft Auto V is likely to be released for the PS4 and Xbox One consoles sometime next year, according to Colin Sebastian of Robert W. Baird & Co.

Sebastian predicted that Grand Theft Auto V would reach $1 billion in sales in its first month on the market, only to then watch it reach $800 million in sales in a single day, prompting him to call it the "largest entertainment property launch in history."

In a note to investors, he said the game will be launched on the next generation platforms - PlayStation 4 and Xbox One - sometime in 2014, saying it would help to extend the value of the franchise.

The next generation systems go on sale during November in the U.S. and Europe, with Sony aiming to sell five million before the end of its fiscal year, March 31.

While we ponder on when the new GTA will hit the next generation consoles, a petition seeking the blockbuster's release on PC has reached almost 480,000 signatures.

Major retailer Target has dropped the price of the iPhone 5C to $79.99 on contract, $20 below the phone's MSRP.

The phone went on pre-order this week and goes on sale in stores tomorrow.

Walmart made a similar announcement earlier in the week, dropping the price of the 5C and the flagship iPhone 5S to $189 from $199.

These prices are for the base 16GB models, as both retailers will sell the 32GB version for the full $199.