Google has blindsided bitter rival Apple by hiring a senior employee from the iPhone maker, despite the firms apparently having an agreement not to poach each other's staff.

Simon Prakash, senior director of product integrity at Apple, was responsible for ensuring that products such as the iPhone and iPad were of the highest quality before they hit the market. No cushy job that, as he worked to the notoriously high standards imposed by former chief, Steve Jobs.

Although his job role at Google is unclear, Prakash is set to start work on a secret project, according to Venturebeat. He could find himself reporting directly to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who takes charge of a variety of secret research and development projects at Google.

This isn't the first time that Google has tried to tempt an employee from Apple. Former Apple chief executive Steve Jobs alledgedly emailed Google to ask the firm to stop trying to recruit its staff, after an incident back in 2007.

A court document revealed that Jobs emailed former Google chief executive, Eric Schmidt, asking him to stop "stealing" employees. Schmidt agreed with the Apple chief's request.

This latest hire represents a big coup for Google and is likely to add fuel to the already intense rivalry between the firms.

Even though Apple is likely to be displeased at this latest development, it is unlikely to do anything about it. The US government wants to crack down on "no poach" agreements as they are deemed to be anti-competitive.

It was the beginning of a new era at CES on Monday when Sony announced its first smartphone since the firm bought out Ericsson from their joint mobile phone venture.

Available globally in the first quarter 2012, the Xperia S is the first of the under fire Japanese electronics giant's new NXT series with the consumer heavy-focus as ever on multimedia and entertainment functionality.

Under the covers the device is powered by a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor and runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) although it will be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich by the second quarter.

The NFC-enabled phone has a high res HD screen, 12 megapixel camera and a new design dubbed "Iconic Identity" which Sony says helps emphasise the display.

Other nifty additions enabled by its Android OS include SmartWatch, which allows Android to wirelessly access calls, messages and apps and Xperia Smart Tags, which launch pre-configured, personalised settings when NFC Android phones are swiped against them.

Sony also pushed the device's entertainment credentials, saying it is PlayStation certified and offers access to the firm's Entertainment Network via an HDMI TV connection. Photos can also be shared wirelessly, Sony added.

Whether this device is the one to propel Sony into the top tier of Android smartphone vendors along with HTC and Samsung remains to be seen. Only time will tell whether its €1.05bn buy out of Ericsson was a stroke of genius or the final nail in the coffin of its smartphone ambitions.

Also at CES, Sony showed off its dual-screen Tablet P as well as the Vita portable gaming device and other innovations.

Five years ago today, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs stood on stage at the annual MacWorld event and unveiled a device that would transform the mobile phone market forever.

The device was, of course, the iPhone and it kicked the mobile phone industry into a whole new era, with the effects still being felt today as Google, Research in Motion, Microsoft and Nokia have all been forced to play catch-up in the battle for market share.

Jobs knew Apple was on to a winner when he launched the device, arguing it was far ahead of any other device on the market, which at the time meant unattractive, brick-like machines which lacked the sense of fun and style that were the iPhone's trademarks.

"[The] iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is five years ahead of any other mobile phone. We are all born with the ultimate pointing device - our fingers - and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse," he boasted.

Now, of course, Apple is under more pressure than ever from its rivals, particularly from Android-based handsets from manufacturers like Samsung and HTC, but the continued appetite shown for each new device the firm launches, most recently the iPhone 4S, shows it still has a cutting edge in the market.

The next 12 months are likely to be a key time for the market too after the sad passing of Jobs, with Apple expected to unveil the iPhone 5 at some point in the coming year.

A key figure in this development is likely to be the recently knighted Jony Ive, the head of industrial design at the firm and Jobs' "spiritual partner", whose job it is to produce the next wave of devices at Apple with a clear mission to maintain its status as the top-dog in the smartphone industry.

Certainly, if the firm can achieve the same level of success in the next five years with its iPhone devices as it did in the first five, Ive will have proved himself a worthy successor, with a little help from Tim Cook of course.

Steve Jobs vowed to wage "thermonuclear war" on Google, threatening to destroy an Android platform he saw as nothing short of "grand theft", according to leaked revelations from Walter Isaacson's much-anticipated biography of Jobs.

In a technology world dominated by humourless executive automatons, Jobs' outburst once again highlights his unique passion and approach to business.

"I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40bn in the bank to right this wrong," he is widely quoted as saying in the book.

Such utterances would, of course, never have been made in public, but it casts an interesting light on just how far the relationship between Apple and Google, and Eric Schmidt and Jobs, had soured.

Schmidt used to sit on the Apple board, before he left in 2009 owing to conflicts of interest.

Apple is currently involved in bitter legal disputes with HTC, Samsung, Motorola and others over alleged patent infringements in Android, and the cases threaten to dominate Jobs' legacy.

On a personal level, there have also been interesting revelations about Jobs' reaction to the news that he had a rare form of pancreatic cancer. According to Isaacson, interviewed on 60 Minutes, Jobs initially refused to be operated on even though it could have saved his life.

"He tries to treat it with diet, he goes to a spiritualist, he goes to various ways of doing it macrobiotically. He doesn't get operated on," said Isaacson in the programme.

"I think he kind of felt that if you don't want something to exist you can have magical thinking and it worked for him in the past. He regretted it."

The book certainly sounds like it could make for fascinating reading when it's launched on 24 October.

Many people were hoping that Apple would debut the iPhone 5 at last night's launch event, but instead were presented with a stop-gap product to keep the faithful happy until the firm's real next-generation handset is ready to ship.

The iPhone 4S adds a dual-core processor that should make the handset more responsive, and is available with a beefier 64GB of storage on the top-end model and a higher resolution 8-megapixel camera for good measure.

But the iPhone 4S is still basically an upgrade; a mid-life kicker for the iPhone 4 aimed at fending off the competition until Apple is ready to unveil the iPhone 5, which is now likely to be sometime early next year.

Likewise, the introduction of a new entry-level 8GB version of the iPhone 4 shows that Apple is starting to feel the heat from Android vendors, which have brought increasingly impressive budget smartphones to market at around the £99 mark in the UK.

Microsoft is also looking resurgent with the Mango update for Windows Phone 7, which has been drawing praise from reviewers and attracting a lot of interest from consumers.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 4S also debuts iOS 5, a new release of Apple's mobile platform that adds a number of new features, including Siri, described by Apple as an intelligent assistant that lets users ask queries using natural language and then attempts to provide an answer.

Apple is shrewdly making iOS 5 available as an update for existing iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS owners, another move that should help pacify those who might consider switching to another handset. However, the firm has cryptically stated that not all iOS 5 features may be available on all products.

Overall, the improvements brought in with the iPhone 4S will no doubt be welcome, but many Apple fans will probably still be disappointed that it isn't a completely new device, while the iPhone itself is starting to look less compelling against new handsets from rivals.

Long-haul flights are only really bearable because of the chance to sit back and watch hours of films and TV shows, but using small fiddly screens with poor sound quality is hardly the high life.

However, passengers on British Airways' dedicated London City to New York service are now being treated to 64GB iPads preloaded with films, TV shows and games to help pass the time as they cross the Atlantic.

The tablets are locked down, so passengers in the 32 seats can't use them for anything other than the entertainment services, but it's safe to assume that most people flying on such a service have their own iPads. Probably two.

V3 asked BA whether passengers get any sort of stand for the iPad, as holding it for seven hours doesn't sound that appealing, but the firm had yet to reply at the time of publication.

BA did inform us, though, that it will ensure there are enough tablets with adequate charge times for all paying punters by juicing them up at JFK or London City on arrival.

As for how much it has all cost, BA wouldn't say. But, assuming each iPad costs £500 and that BA bought 75 units (32 each for the two services it operates, plus a few spare if anything goes wrong) the bill is likely to be around £35,000.

V3 decided it might book a flight to enjoy the service, but the £2,500 to £3,500 price tag put us off somewhat. Still, if 32 rich people booked at £2,500, that's £80,000 in fares, more than covering the iPads in one go.

We were going to ask how BA will ensure people won't nick the tablets once they land, but at those ticket prices, why would they need to?

The news follows the revelation that Boeing has chosen Android to power the new touch-screen entertainment systems on its next-generation Dreamliner jet.

Still, it doesn't reduce the dreaded jet lag, does it?

As the rush to embrace mobile-commerce grows ever stronger, Eurostar has become the latest big name to launch a smartphone app, this one designed to let travellers book and check in via mobile phone.

The Eurostar App, which is available for iPhone and Android devices, allows travellers to book journeys for up to six people and check in by scanning the electronic barcode which is sent after purchase. There is also the option to print the tickets at home or collect them from the station.

Other features of the app include live service updates and a personal profile page to store things like seating preferences.

Business travellers could benefit from the Express Exchange feature which allows them to change journey times and dates according to their schedule.

As part of its push into mobile, Eurostar also announced a mobile version of its eurostar.com site, also allowing travellers to book and manage journeys and check service updates.

"The new Eurostar App and mobile web site represent the start of many exciting mobile developments for Eurostar, which will help ensure we become the first choice operator of short haul travel from the UK to Europe," said Eurostar commercial director Nick Mercer.

Google has announced a sensational swoop for Motorola Mobility in a $12.5bn deal which will see the web firm move into the mobile hardware space for the first time and provide a ready avenue to accelerate the development of Android.

The deal, unanimously approved by both boards, will see Google pay a premium of 63 per cent on the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, according to the firms.

The companies have already worked closely on the Android platform, and Google chief executive Larry Page explained that the acquisition will enable them to "create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem".

"In 2008, Motorola bet big on Android as the sole operating system across all of its smartphone devices. It was a smart bet and we're thrilled at the success they've achieved so far. We believe that their mobile business is on an upward trajectory and poised for explosive growth," Page said in a blog post.

"Motorola is also a market leader in the home devices and video solutions business. With the transition to Internet Protocol, we are excited to work with Motorola and the industry to support our partners and co-operate with them to accelerate innovation in this space."

However, it may be in the hotly contested area of patent protection that Motorola really comes into its own for Google, which has already accused rivals including Apple and Microsoft of banding together to deny it Nortel's patents.

"Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google's patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies," said Page.

However, patent expert Florian Mueller told V3 that Motorola's portfolio may not be hugely useful to Google.

"Apparently Microsoft sued Motorola without being concerned about Motorola's own patent portfolio, and Apple became embroiled in litigation with Motorola later that same month," he said. "I wouldn't overestimate the strength of Motorola's patents."

Motorola Mobility came into being in January 2011 after Motorola was split into two separate organisations, the other being Motorola Solutions.

Motorola Mobility will remain a separate business and a licensee of Android, which has helped raise its fortunes in the smartphone market and halt a worrying slump.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012.