Apple has announced that its latest iPhone launch is the most popular yet, with 9 million new iPhones sold in just three days.

According to Apple, the launch of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C was a record breaker for the company and downloads of iOS 7 have been impressive too, clocking in at 200 million.

To compare, the iPhone 5 in the same time span last year managed a mere 5 million sales.

Speaking about the popularity of the new iPhones, Tim Cook said: "This is our best iPhone launch yet - more than nine million new iPhones sold - a new record for first weekend sales.

"The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly. We appreciate everyone's patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone."

Touchy subject

While Apple hasn't announced what the split is between iPhone 5S and 5C sales, asking around the networks in the UK, TechRadar found that the demand for the iPhone 5C wasn't anywhere near as strong as for the more powerful and somewhat less colourful iPhone 5S.

News of a successful iPhone launch for Apple couldn't have come at a better time. The company is currently battling a spot of negativity over its Touch ID technology which is said to have been infiltrated by hackers - although the outrage may be getting just a little over the top.

That said, it seems other manufacturers are still getting involved with biometrics on their phones, and it hasn't stopped Apple topping the sales charts worldwide.

After unveiling its new animation-friendly cases last week, LG has now given the Vu 3 the official nod with its 4:3 stylings set for release by 27 September.

Not in the UK, US or Australia, mind you - the Vu 3 seems set for a limited release with the company focusing its efforts on its home turf.

So we'll be missing out on the 5.2-inch screen with a 4:3 "textbook" style aspect ratio, which LG describes as "monolithic", with a stylus coming as standard.

Textbook

There's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 on board, with LTE 4G connectivity and a 13MP camera rounding out the specs.

We've already seen the see-through QuickView smart cases that display animated notifications when the phone is encased within.

LG's not letting much more slip in its announcement release, however, so we're in the dark as to what version of Android it launches with and other details.

• We were underwhelmed by the LG Vu 2; will the new generation fare any better?

With the weekend only just winding up across the globe, the iPhone 5S with Apple's new Touch ID fingerprint reader has been available for only a couple of days since its release last Friday.

Which is apparently all the time that was needed for German group Chaos Computer Club (CCC) to hack the new iPhone's fingerprint reader.

"A fingerprint of the phone user, photographed from a glass surface, was enough to create a fake finger that could unlock an iPhone 5s secured with Touch ID," the group wrote in a blog post on September 21 at 10pm.

The post then suggests that the hack, discovered by CCC member Starbug, can be done using household materials.

The method

Described in just a paragraph on CCC's blog, the first step is photographing the enrolled users fingerprint in 2,400 dpi resolution.

The image then needs to inverted and laser printed on to a transparent sheet in 1,200 dpi resolution and thick toner setting. This is apparently where the difficult part ends.

Latex milk or white wood-glue can be used to create a mould by spreading it onto the transparent sheet and letting it dry. Then you breathe on the mould for moisture and place it on the sensor to unlock the phone.

Here's a video of the latex in action:

Fingerprint caution

Although you'll still need to have a good quality photo of the fingerprint first to be able to use CCC's method, there are those that argue that while passcodes can be kept secret or changed, fingerprints are public and cannot be changed.

"We hope that this finally puts to rest the illusions people have about fingerprint biometrics," said CCC spokesperson Frank Rieger.

"It is plain stupid to use something that you can´t change and that you leave everywhere every day as a security token," he added.

Of course, the counter argument is that passcodes can be hacked as well or someone can simply look over your shoulder, and Apple has spoken about Touch ID security concerns, saying it has everything under control.

Also, a Control Centre bug was revealed last week on the newly released iOS 7, which could leave open the iPhone 5S despite the fingerprint scanner, though Apple is working on a fix.

• Here's our review of the iPhone 5S, including what we think of the Touch ID.

Mike Lazaridis, the BlackBerry co-founder and former chief executive, is reportedly seeking to take control of the rapidly disintegrating mobile company.

Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepped down as co-CEOs in the May 2012 after overseeing the firm's dramatic fall from grace as iOS and Android moved to dominate the mobile market.

Now, according to a report in the New York Times this weekend, Lazaridis who still owns 5.7 per cent of the company, has approached private equity firms about a possible buyout.

According to people 'familiar with the matter' the former boss has approached the Blackstone Group and the Carlyle Group over a potential takeover.

Comeback kid?

BlackBerry has been officially up for sale for the last month, with the company admitting it is actively encouraging offers.

Just this Friday the company was plunged further into crisis when it announced it would be retreating from the consumer market and shedding 4,500 jobs.

Could the man who, some would say, perhaps fell asleep at the wheel during the most crucial period in BlackBerry's history, really be the person to save it?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

BlackBerry has been forced to halt its global roll out of BBM for Android and iOS, after an unofficial version of the Android app was posted online this weekend.

As the Waterloo-based company began rolling out in various territories around the world, an build of the Android app was posted online, prompting a rush among former BlackBerry loyalists to obtain the app.

The unofficial version of the app was downloaded 1.1 million times in just 8 hours, but caused the company issues it spent most of Saturday attempting to resolve.

As a result, the iOS rollout, which began in New Zealand yesterday, has been paused. The official Android release is still MIA, while the unofficial version has been disabled.

Expectations

In a post on the official Inside BlackBerry blog, Luke Reimer wrote: "Prior to launching BBM for Android, an unreleased version of the BBM for Android app was posted online. The interest and enthusiasm we have seen already – more than 1.1 million active users in the first 8 hours without even launching the official Android app – is incredible. Consequently, this unreleased version caused issues, which we have attempted to address throughout the day."

"Our teams continue to work around the clock to bring BBM to Android and iPhone, but only when it's ready and we know it will live up to your expectations of BBM. We are pausing the global roll-out of BBM for Android and iPhone. Customers who have already downloaded BBM for iPhone will be able to continue to use BBM. The unreleased Android app will be disabled, and customers who downloaded it should visit www.BBM.com to register for updates on official BBM for Android availability."

The unfortunate situation is a blow for BlackBerry, whose long-awaited roll-out of BBM to other platforms was set to be a rare sunny moment for the ailing company.

On Friday the company posted grim financials, announced it was moving away from the consumer market and cutting 4,500 jobs - around 40 per cent of its total workforce. The end seems nigh.

• The 10 moments that defined the rise and fall of BlackBerry.