Top 10 most read: iPhone 5S v Nexus 5 review, Jolla smartphone on sale, cyber attacks hit UK banks

Top stories from the past seven days on V3

The smartphone market is reaching the end of another busy year full of innovation and excitement, so it's no surprise V3's head-to-head review of two top contenders proved so popular.

The iPhone 5S and Nexus 5 battled it out, and although the Nexus put up a good fight it couldn't quite match the all-round brilliance of the iPhone 5S.

However, despite Apple's work on the iPhone 5S, it was still bested by Nokia in our countdown of the 10 best phones of the past year, with the Lumia 1020 taking the coveted crown thanks to its amazing 41MP camera.

Smartphone vendors can't rest on their laurels for 2014, though, with a new entrant in the form of Jolla Mobile entering the fray, and with the launch of their device the second most popular story of the past week, it clearly has interest already.

Elsewhere, security hit the headlines in a big way with the Bank of England revealing that several banks have been hit by cyber attacks over the past six months, while a new XP vulnerability underlined the growing pressure on firms to move from the ageing platform.

Finally, Microsoft hinted at the demise of its watered-down Windows RT platform, as the firm admits having three operating systems is a tad confusing and that users are still unclear of the differences in the platforms.

iPhone 5S vs Nexus 5 head-to-head review
We pit Apple and Google flagships against one another

First Jolla smartphone from former Nokia staff goes on sale
Firm hopes to become new player in tough market

UK banks hit by cyber attacks, Bank of England reveals
Threat to financial institutions growing all the time

YouTube breaks silence over Google+ spam fiasco
Users stil unhappy, though

Top 10 smartphones of 2013: Apple, Samsung and Nokia battle it out
We list the top devices of the past 12 months

Microsoft could replace Windows RT with Windows Phone tablets
Move would make sense, say analysts

Firms urged to ditch Windows XP after zero-day attack discovered in the wild
Even more reasons to plan migration

Microsoft hints at demise of Windows RT
Executive comments set tongues wagging

Blackhole exploit kit use plummets after creator's arrest
Arrest of 'Paunch' sees use drop dramatically

V3 announces winners of Technology Awards 2013
Google sweeps board with six gongs