Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told an audience at Oxford University that convincing the board to sign off on the purchase of Nokia was one of his toughest tasks, during a 14-year spell in charge.

During the lengthy chat, the larger-than-life Baller, who handed over the reins to Satya Nadella last month, said snapping up a phone-maker was a tough sell, given Microsoft's deep roots as a software company.

He said: "It's important because the name of the company is Microsoft," he said "It was a fundamental part of the founding principles: we were a software company.

"And yet: Xbox, Surface and now the phone, and we have a profile that will end up being mixed in the future. That's a pretty fundamental change."

United we stand

Ballmer also owned up to a few mobile missteps during his tenure as Bill Gates' successor, including the company's hesitance to unite the company's hardware and software strategies.

He added: "In the last 10 years, there are things that didn't go so well. We would have had a strong position in the phone market. The thing I regret is that we didn't put hardware and software together quicker."

If you're so inclined, you can watch the full chat below.

• Analysis: Ballmer leaves Microsoft, but in what shape?

Microsoft's Siri-like personal assistant app 'Cortana' is perhaps the most anticipated new coming to Windows Phone 8.1 feature and here it is in its first public appearance in a detailed video clip.

The UnleashThePhones website has posted a two-minute demonstration of the app, which will also be Microsoft's answer to Android's excellent Google Now is shown promising to 'make your life a little easier.'

Upon opening the app users will apparently be required to input a Microsoft account before Cortana - named after a character from the Halo game series - seeks to discover more about its owner.

Users will be asked to choose a nickname, input data about how they like to spend their evenings, what their food preferences are, as well as favourite activities and topics they'd like to stay updated on.

If you Build it...

Once the set up is completed, Cortana will ask users how it can be of assistance, giving Windows Phone fans the opportunity to ask questions, request playlists, set alarms and more.

It seems the app will be accessed from a Start screen Live Tile, but will also be availably by pressing the soft Bing search key beneath the touchscreen.

That's enough from us, though, you can take a peek at Cortana yourself in the video below, although we're sorry to say her voice hasn't been revealed just yet.

Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 update is due to arrive next month at the company's Build conference. It has already announced Facebook Messenger and dual-sim functionality will join the party.

The company is also thought to be adding a Swype-like keyboard as well as fingerprint scanning tech.

• Check out the best messaging apps for Windows Phone

The general public is waiting for the iOS 7.1. release date that's supposed to bring new features and fix a bunch of annoying bugs.

Thankfully, this major update is being readied for later this week or early next week, according to Apple enthusiast website Daring Fireball.

This is based on the fact that Apple is said to be requiring iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users to install iOS 7.1 in order to stream its first iTunes Festival in the US at SXSW.

Since the iTunes Festival's US debut is next Tuesday at the Austin music, film and tech conference, Apple is expected to push the major update to iOS users any day now.

iOS 7.1. changes

iOS 7.1 has had a long four-month beta, but it promises to make a few design tweaks and end glitches that drive people crazy.

Its "call" and "end" button icons are small and round instead of large and rectangular. Apple also replaced the ugly reddish-orange Power Off slide bar with a translucent bar and white button.

More important than these UI changes are the bug fixes. Expect the final release notes to finally address the annoying white screen of death issue that randomly soft resets iOS devices.

iOS 7.1 is the first paint job for Apple's fresh coat that was iOS 7. Even bigger changes are expected as part of iOS 8.

Maybe by then we'll see a quick way to access WiFi, Bluetooth and Do Not Disturb setting by holding down their respective icons in Control Center.

• In addition to iOS 8, see what's in store for iPhone 6

Lenovo has sent TechRadar a statement clarifying that actor Ashton Kutcher is not helping the company develop smartphones.

This runs directly contrary to a report last week that claimed the That '70s Show, Punk'd and Jobs star was acting as a product engineer and directly influencing a new line of Lenovo phones.

The news was originally attributed to Lenovo Chief Marketing Officer David Roman, but now it seems he may have been misquoted.

In reality, "the development agreement Lenovo has with Ashton Kutcher is for tablets only, and not for smartphones," Lenovo Executive Director of External Communications Ray Gorman told TechRadar.

Punk'd and confused

Kutcher has been involved with the tech world for some time, having funded some big-name start-ups and co-founded an investment firm for that purpose.

He signed on with Lenovo in 2013 as a spokesperson and product engineer, helping out on the company's Yoga Tablet line.

In last week's report Roman was quoted as saying, "I know on one level, it sounds corny, but it is real … He not only sees himself as an engineer, but he is an engineer. If he sees a problem, he wants to solve it."

It seems that sentiment still applies, but only to Lenovo's tablets and not its smartphones.

We've asked Gorman for further clarification regarding this mix-up and will update here if hear back.

• The Lenovo Vibe Z is the firm's latest smartphone - here's TechRadar's analysis.

Lenovo has sent TechRadar a statement clarifying that actor Ashton Kutcher is not helping the company develop smartphones.

This runs directly contrary to a report that last week claimed the That '70s Show, Punk'd and Jobs star was acting as a product engineer and directly influencing a new line of Lenovo phones.

The news was originally attributed to Lenovo Chief Marketing Officer David Roman, but now it seems he may have been misquoted.

In reality, "the development agreement Lenovo has with Ashton Kutcher is for tablets only, and not for smartphones," Lenovo Executive Director of External Communications Ray Gorman told TechRadar.

Punk'd and confused

Kutcher has been involved with the tech world for some time, having funded some big-name start-ups and co-founded an investment firm for that purpose.

He signed on with Lenovo in 2013 as a spokesperson and product engineer, helping out on the company's Yoga Tablet line.

In last week's report Roman was quoted saying, "I know on one level, it sounds corny, but it is real … He not only sees himself as an engineer, but he is an engineer. If he sees a problem, he wants to solve it."

It seems that sentiment still applies, but only to Lenovo's tablets, and not its smartphones.

We've asked Gorman for further clarification regarding this confusion and will update here if hear back.

• The Lenovo Vibe Z is the firm's latest smartphone - here's TechRadar's analysis