Apple's old staples are selling well enough, but questions always swirl about what "one more thing" Cupertino has planned next.

One of the most recent reports about a possible area of interest for Apple is the mobile payments space, and CEO Tim Cook brushed on the topic during the company's earnings call today.

Cook, who refrained from levying the call's opening remarks as he normally does, replied to an investor question about mobile payments that it's an area "we've been intrigued with, and that was one of the thoughts behind Touch ID."

Though he said there's nothing to announce today, he noted plenty of commerce travels through Apple's devices and services. He said of mobile payments: "It's a big opportunity on the platform."

Apple into the future

As for future tech, executives on the earnings call played their cards very close to the vest.

Oppenheimer said in prepared remarks that Apple is investing heavily in R&D for future products and services, though he didn't elaborate. Corporate Controller Luca Maestri also teased that the company is investing "in areas that are not visible," adding the company is "very excited about them."

If you're getting a little ill over Apple's continued success quarter after quarter, we suggest you turn away from the rest of this story.

The company reported Q1 2014 results today (covering October 2013 - December 2013), and among its high notes was word Cupertino set an all-time quarterly iPhone sales record with 51 million units sold. That's up from 47.8 million in the year-ago quarter.

iPads also hit the all-time quarter record mark, striking upon 26 million compared to 22.9 million a year ago.

Macs also saw an upswing, selling 4.8 million compared to 4.1 million during the same quarter last year. Not bad for a 30-year-old piece of tech.

We'll be listening in on the company's earnings call and will flush this story out with more details as they become available. Will we hear anything about the iPhone 6, iPad Pro or iWatch? Stay tuned.

We pick up where our fellow gadget gumshoe left off.

Another clue has stumbled into the case of the red Nexus 5. Make that a whole mess of clues, a rarity in this crazy mixed-up world of smartphone sleuthing.

By way of @artyomstar, our peepers spy a legitimate-looking Nexus 5 box, identical to the one you'd find encasing the black or white version save for the red hue of the kit on the cover.

Our tipster went one further - upon opening the box, a scarlet Nexus 5 stared us straight in the face. At first glance the stamped "Nexus" is as hard to read as a fog-shrouded street sign, but a second look reveals the lettering right where it should be.

Are we any closer to finding this handset put up in the Play Store? That, unfortunately, is a mystery for another day.

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Here's looking at you, blips.

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If the New Year has inspired you to get fighting fit, then you've hit the right page. Technology has the tools to help you get in the shape of your life but it's not easy to know which product is right for your goals.

We've enlisted the help of T3.com Editor-in-chief and ultra runner Kieran Alger to put together a four-part guide to help you uncover everything you need to go from couch slouch to marathon finisher.

Running a marathon is a bucket list favourite but training your body to be able to conquer the 26.2 miles is a really daunting prospect. From what kit to buy, to how many miles to run each week, marathon training takes time, dedication and, really importantly, knowledge.

You could shell out for a personal trainer or even join a running club but there's also a new way to turn yourself into an endurance runner – using your smartphone.

While it won't run the miles for you, use your mobile right and it can take the pain out of knowing how to get marathon-ready.

Whether you're brand new to running or you've got the odd half marathon under your belt, this four-part marathon training guide gives you everything you need to get yourself to the finishing line.

We'll show you the best smartphones for the job, which run-tracking apps to download and which phone-based training plans to follow. We'll also share the best motivational ebooks to read, where to go for tips on technique and how you can use your handset to run further and faster.

From start to finish

For those who are just starting out, the first part of the marathon fitness plan will help you build up to running for 30 minutes non-stop. Once you've achieved that, part two takes you through the essentials you'll need to complete the journey from couch to 5k.

Next we'll show how you can use your phone to keep your running fresh and exciting, as well as the things you can use to build on your base level of fitness, in preparation for your first 10k.

The final part is all about getting ready for the big test – achieving that dream of running your first full marathon. We'll show you how to get a training plan that matches your goals, how to eat like a long distance athlete and best of all, how to share your new-found physical excellence with all your friends, family and colleagues.

So you want to be a marathon runner? Step this way…

HTC might be on the verge of launching the refresh to its five star HTC One handset, but that doesn't mean it has forgotten its other customers (you know, those who can't afford £500) as it looks to take on the budget market with a new Desire model.

Suggestions that HTC is planning on launching a new budget model first surfaced last week, and today more details have emerged giving us a rather colourful taste of what is on offer.

Chinese site ePrice has been passed pictures apparently showing a new HTC handset in a variety of colours (red, orange, blue and yellow), leaving it to take to take on the incredible budget Moto G handset.

Cheap and cheerful?

­The new handset is expected to include a 5-inch 720p HD screen with an 8MP camera, leaving the UltraPixel technologies to remain on the high end HTC One range.

The upcoming Desire will apparently run Sense 5.5 over the top of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, leaving it lagging behind the KitKat toting Moto G.

The leak also suggests that a MediaTek octa-core processor and 1.5GB RAM will also come inside the upcoming budget handset, retailing at 2000 Yuan (around £200, $330, AU$380).

While we can't vouch for the authenticity of the shots - so take the report with a decent pinch of salt - we may be looking at an MWC 2014 launch for this handset.

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