First alleged iOS 7 controller revealed in leaked image

Kotaku has obtained an image of what it claims is the first "Made For iPhone" controller. Purportedly made by Logitech, the controller looks similar to the guidance images Apple released when it detailed the new iOS 7 controller API. It features what appears to be a circular D-pad, four action buttons, and a pause key. The guidance images also called for either two or four shoulder buttons to be included, but it's difficult to see from Kotaku's blurry image if the controller has any shoulder buttons at all, let alone how many.

Logitech's controller is likely to be one of many to launch at around the same time as iOS 7. Third-party controllers have been around for iOS devices for a long time, but their success has always been limited by the small selection of supported games. With the launch of iOS 7, expect manufacturers to refresh their products to support the game controller API in the hope of being certified by Apple. iFrogz, which announced its Caliber Advantage controller back in January, has already confirmed that its product will support the new API.

Windows 8.1 revealed in new Microsoft video

Microsoft is offering people a peek at Windows 8.1 in action courtesy of a new video.

Posted Wednesday on YouTube, and embedded into a Microsoft blog, the tour conducted by Jensen Harris, Microsoft's director of program management for Windows User Experience, shows off key enhancements to the Start screen, the All Apps screen, and the search tool.

The video kicks off with a glimpse of the new lock screen, which can now display a collage of photos gathered from your PC and your SkyDrive account. The tour then segues to the Start screen where you can now shrink or enlarge your tiles using a wider array of sizes.

Then it's on to the All Apps screen, where tiles can now be sorted by date installed, most used, or category, as well as by name. Tiles from the All Apps screen can easily be added to the Start screen via a touch of your finger, assuming you're using a touch-screen device.

Windows 8.1 will let you better customize the Start screen using new built-in images or the same wallpaper that appears on your desktop. That latter option is a smart move on Microsoft's part as it helps to unify the Start screen and desktop, at least in appearance.Moving and naming groups of apps on the Start screen is much easier in Windows 8.1, as Harris demonstrates. You can select multiple tiles at a time and then drag them into their own separate group. Windows then displays a text field where you can name the group.

The revamped search feature in Windows 8.1 ties together results from your PC as well as the Web so you no longer have to hunt for information in different places. The search pane now displays all results across categories, another time-saving feature.

Finally, Microsoft has improved the ability to run multiple apps side by side, as Harris shows. You can more easily open a new app next to an existing one and precisely adjust the size of each app's respective window.

Available free to Windows 8 users, Windows 8.1 is slated to launch later this year. But Microsoft will release a preview edition on June 26.