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Google search users have begun seeing messages at the top of search results informing them that their computers are infected and that they could lose the ability to connect to the internet in the future.

The message looks at first like the sort of malicious pop-up frequently seen when surfing the web's shady underbelly, but on closer inspection is revealed to come straight from Google.

"Your computer appears to be infected," the warning reads.

"We believe that your computer is infected with malicious software. If you don't take action, you might not be able to connect to the internet in the future."

FBI operation "Ghost Click"

The message refers to the prolific "DNSChanger" malware program, also known as "RSPlug," "Puper, " and "Jahlav."

It's lain dormant in hundreds of thousands of computers, including many running Mac OS X, suppressed only by a network of FBI servers set up last year.

On July 9, the FBI's "Ghost Click" network is scheduled to be terminated, leaving infected computers unable to connect to the internet.

The DNSChanger virus was the result of a focused effort to steal personal information, one that ended in six arrests last November.

The malware rerouted computers to the criminals' DNS servers, effectively giving them access to the personal data of hundreds of thousands of internet users.

When the FBI seized the servers, they decided to legitimize them rather than switching them off so that users would still have access to the internet.

But the servers will be shut down July 9, and any computers still routing through them will lose their internet connections.

Google's stepping up

The FBI's improvised servers send a special IP address to Google's servers when infected computers query Google's search engine.

Google recognizes the special IPs and displays the warning to those users, providing steps to help remove the DNSChanger malware before the servers are shut down on July 9.

It's unclear exactly why Google stepped up to spread the word about the DNSChanger malware, and the search giant did not immediately respond to TechRadar's request for comment.

Apple products are likely to remain at the peak of modern tech design for the foreseeable future after Sir Jonathan Ive vowed to remain with the company.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4 following his Knighthood on this week, Apple's Senior VP of Industrial Design says he wants to continue the fine work of the last 15 years.

Sir Jonathan, from Chingford, Essex, has been credited with masterminding the iconic look of the iPod, iPhone, MacBook Air and iPad during his stint at Infinite Loop.

Problem solver

Ive said he was committed to staying with "the same team I've been fortunate enough to work with for the past 15 years.

He added he was hoping to continue working on "trying to solve the same sort of problems we've been trying to solve over the last fifteen years."

The news will come as a boon to Apple and its legions of fans, especially as at various points during his Apple career there's been speculation that he may quit Cupertino for a return to the UK.

Spiritual partner

Now, more than ever, Ive is the man Apple looks to to continue the legacy of the late Steve Jobs, who in his 2011 biography, described his design guru as a "spiritual partner."

In a separate interview with the Telegraph yesterday Ive dropped a hint about the company's next big thing. He said the current project "feels like the most important and best work we've done"

Could he mean Apple iTV?

IBM issued an edict to employees banning them from using the iPhone's Siri, a voice command hub that acts as a virtual assistant for iPhone 4S users, in the workplace.

"The company worries that the spoken queries might be stored somewhere," IBM CIO Jeanette Horan said.

iPhone 4S users can access Siri by holding down a button, then ask "her" to locate late night tacos, jot down quick notes, or send an important email.

And it's a well-known fact that Siri sends that voice data - as well as private data from users' phones -back to Apple to help parse through users' commands.

In fact, it's even in Apple's iPhone Software License Agreement: "When you use Siri or Dictation, the things you say will be recorded and sent to Apple in order to convert what you say into text," the agreement reads.

It continues: "By using Siri or Dictation, you agree and consent to Apple's and its subsidiaries' and agents' transmission, collection, maintenance, processing, and use of this information, including your voice input and User Data, to provide and improve Siri, Dictation, and other Apple products and services."

So what?

Plenty of services acquire user data, so why is Siri being singled out in this instance?

"Siri seems innocuous because you're just talking to your phone, and it's not quite as obvious that you're interacting with something sophisticated and capable of storing enormous amounts of data about you," Chris Conley, a technology and civil liberties policy attorney at the ACLU of northern California, told TechRadar. "I wouldn't say that the typical user necessarily knows that."

"IBM recognizes that," he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) previously issued warnings about Siri's collection of user data, but should other companies be banning Siri as well?

"IBM describes itself as very, extremely cautious in this regard," Conley said. "But I think they are right and other companies should be carefully thinking about how data is being collected, especially when you're looking at things like trade secrets or confidential communications."

The data Siri is storing may seem harmless, Conley said, but "everything from location information to contact information to, you know, posts on social networks can be sensitive in certain contexts."

Plus "it doesn't say how long any of this is stored," he added.

Apple's head of design Jonathan Ive has spoken at length about Apple's product design process, explaining that the search for simplicity lies at the heart of every Apple device.

Arguably Britain's most successful export, Ive is in town to meet the Queen and pick up a knighthood, as you do.

He told The Telegraph, "We try to develop products that seem somehow inevitable. That leave you with the sense that that's the only possible solution that makes sense.

"Our products are tools and we don't want design to get in the way. We're trying to bring simplicity and clarity, we're trying to order the products."

Clarity

That simplicity lies at the heart of what Ive does and products like the iPhone and iPad - but he's keen for you to realise that simplicity isn't always simple:

"Simplicity is not the absence of clutter, that's a consequence of simplicity. Simplicity is somehow essentially describing the purpose and place of an object and product. The absence of clutter is just a clutter-free product. That's not simple.

"The quest for simplicity has to pervade every part of the process. It really is fundamental."

Ive went on to claim that what Apple is currently working on "feels like the most important and best work we've done" – your guess is as good as ours on what that is though.

Could it be the next iPhone? The oft-rumoured Apple iTV? Something completely new? There's only one thing for sure: Ive is not telling.

Sony will remove the shackles from its Music Unlimited cloud streaming service later this week when it launches for iPhone and iPod touch.

The platform had previously only been available through Sony's connected devices like the PS3, PS Vita and Bravia TVs, as well as on selected Android smartphones and tablets.

The iOS roll-out, first reported in March, is part of the Japanese giant's plan to spread its Sony Entertainment Network, which also includes movies, to as many devices as possible.

Like Spotify, the service gives subscribers access to 15 million tracks, for £9.99 ($9.99) a month.

However, for a basic subscription fee of £3.99 ($3.99), there's a Music Sync option which scans your hard-drive for pre-owned music and playlists, making it an alternative to Apple's iTunes Match.

Crank-up the service

The launch of the app for iPhone and iPod touch - there's no iPad offering yet - will be a welcome boost for subscribers who access their music through the PlayStation 3 or other Sony connected devices.

"We want to let users pick up their favorite device and crank up the Music Unlimited service at any time," said Michael Aragon, VP and GM of Digital Video and Music Services at Sony.

"With the addition of the new iPhone and iPod touch app, users with a Basic or Premium subscription can listen to their favorite songs across a number of the most popular connected devices – in and out of the home."

Feel like giving Music Unlimited a try? You can sign-up for a free 30 day subscription on the website.

Apple has once again petitioned a court to prematurely block sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet before the conclusion of the companies' many patent dispute cases.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington determined last week that Apple has to show that it's likely to win this particular patent dispute with Samsung, and that Apple is free to pursue preliminary bans on sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Apple's previous request to have Samsung products barred from sale before the conclusion of court proceedings was denied in December by California judge Lucy Koh, but the appeals court overturned that ruling.

A premature appeal

Following the appeals court's decision, Apple filed a request with the court on May 14 that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 be banned from sale in the U.S. before the end of the case.

"The court can and should enter a preliminary injunction against sales of the infringing Galaxy Tab 10.1 without further hearing," Apple said in the filing.

"Each day that Samsung continues to sell its infringing Tab 10.1 causes additional harm to Apple through design dilution, lost sales, lost market share, and lost future sales of tag-along products."

Samsung's lawyers filed a response today, calling the request "premature" and saying, "Given the severity and importance of a preliminary injunction motion, Samsung should have the right to prepare and submit briefing and oral argument to the court."

Samsung issued the following statement to TechRadar: "The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California decided on May 21, 2012 to proceed with a hearing on Apple's request for a preliminary injunction of Samsung's GALAXY Tab products. The hearing is scheduled for June 7, 2012.

"Samsung will continue to actively defend and protect our intellectual property to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communication business. We will continue to serve our customers, and sales of Samsung products will proceed as usual."

Pass the peace pipe

Samsung and Apple have brought more than 30 lawsuits against one another in 10 different countries, and the two companies have previously been ordered to reduce their massive claims against one another.

But CEOs from each company are currently engaged in court-ordered peace talks.

Apple chief Tim Cook and Samsung head Choi Gee-sung sat down yesterday to discuss a way to settle the two companies' difference without further litigation, and their discussions continue today.

Gee-sung previously said that he'd offer Apple "no compromise," though "cross-licensing" remained an option.

The results of these negotiations are as yet unknown, but one thing that's clear is that a lot of lawyers have become very rich from Apple and Samsung's many disputes.

Samsung appears to have softened its stance ahead of court-enforced peace talks with Apple, raising hope that this week's summit could see the beginning of the end of the patent wars.

The head of Samsung Mobile JK Shin and CEO Choi Gee-sung are heading to the United States ahead of the meeting with Apple boss Tim Cook on Monday.

Shin had previously indicated he would offer "no compromise" with Apple in the battle that has seen the companies file suit against each other in nice countries around the world.

However, he told reporters on Sunday: "There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple but we still have several negotiation options including cross-licensing."

End in sight?

If Apple is agreeable, it could mean the two companies could possibly reach an accord on allowing each other access to the intellectual property being debated.

However, it's difficult to see Tim Cook's charges sacrificing their long-held believe that Samsung "blatantly copied" the iPhone and iPad for its Galaxy Tab slates and Galaxy smartphones.

The respective parties are meeting following orders from a California judge, who is seemingly as bored with these two brands going at each other as the rest of the world.

The HTC Evo 4G LTE Android smartphone is being treated like an expatriate fugitive, held at the U.S. border by officials while they investigate whether HTC complied with a court order from December.

A note from Best Buy to customers who pre-ordered the HTC Evo 4G LTE reportedly confirmed that they won't be getting the phone any time soon.

HTC lost a patent dispute with Apple last year, and in December the International Trade Commission issued a limited exclusion order against HTC and two of its subsidiaries.

The company was ordered to alter minor functionality in some of its phones, including the Evo 4G LTE and One X, by April 19 of this year.

HTC was presumed to have complied, but earlier this week the HTC Evo 4G LTE and HTC One X were delayed indefinitely at U.S. Customs.

The HTC Evo 4G LTE's troubled release

The HTC Evo 4G LTE was slated to be released this week, but Best Buy previously moved the date up to next week.

Now the retailer announced to pre-order customers that Nokia has officially notified them of delayed, confirming the news from earlier this week.

"The U.S. availability of the HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order," HTC said in a previous statement.

"We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible."

The patent dispute

The patent in question has to do with the way the phone interprets phone numbers and email address within emails, websites and other text, allowing users to simply tap them to dial the number or send an email to the address.

The functionality in HTC's phones was deemed to be infringing on Apple's patent, and HTC was ordered to alter it.

Hopefully HTC's claims of compliance are accurate, as further delays due to this patent dispute could potentially cause a major chilling effect for Android.

Why is Flash video so awful?

Can we have Flash now? So went the tasteless internet meme just moments after he who was once known as his Jobsness passed from 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino California to, well, the infinite loop.

As a pretty PC-centric computing enthusiast it would be all too easy to sneer knowingly at Jobs' fundamental refusal to allow Flash video onto his iPads and iPhones.

It's certainly hard to square Jobs' claim that the iPad offered the best possible browsing experience with the fact that he'd locked users out a massive chunk of the web.

As it happens, the lack of Flash video support is the only reason why I don't own an iPad. But I don't want to get into an argument about that. Instead, I'm going to contradict myself and say that Jobs had it right. In fact, I'd like Flash banned on PCs with immediate effect. Because Flash video is by far and away and without a shadow of a doubt the worst thing about using a modern PC.

At this point I probably need to qualify things a little. Casual PC users probably won't have a major issue with Flash. Light web browsing with one or two browser windows or tabs open isn't enough to out Flash's awfulness. Not most of the time, anyway.

Per-tab threading

As a proper web junky, however, I've finally and comprehensively lost my rag with Flash. For the record I'm a Chrome user. It ain't perfect, but for better or worse it's my favourite browser. But it pretty much perfectly showcases how awful Flash video is.

Chrome is threaded, of course, which should mean that your general browsing session just keeps on trucking, no matter what. But Flash isn't threaded. So when it bombs out, it's brings your entire browsing world down, all 68 tabs of it.

You could argue it's my tendency to have a ton of tabs open that causes a lot of the problem. But even if that were true and it wasn't the case that it's about time Adobe coded it for efficient per-tab threading, Flash has plenty of other problems.

Can HTML5 save the day?

As I sit and write this, the Daily Show stream on 4oD I'm half watching has just hung. For the third time. If I want to pick up where I left off, I'm going to have to sit through no fewer than five full length ads. Again, for the third time.

Meanwhile, over on my laptop, the video turns green after five seconds in iPlayer. I can fix that by turning off hardware acceleration, but then my CPU gets hammered and my battery life goes south. A graphics driver update might do the trick, but why should I have to bother when I rarely going on never have any issues with other video formats? It's just Flash.

I used to think Jobs was being a bit of a bully in his dealings with Adobe regards Flash. But I've had enough now and as far as I'm concerned Adobe got no more than it deserved for allowing Flash to remain so shonky.

Of course, HTML5 is coming to save the day. But it's taking its sweet time. Until it has entirely taken over, Flash will be my number one computing enemy.

Week in tech

There's been so much happening this week that we've been moved to rhyme. We discovered that the Galaxy S3 is perfect for stalking, New Jersey's banned people texting while walking, we've seen new phones from ZTE and LG and the Beeb says we'll all get Olympics in HD.

iPhone 5 rumours are awfully trendy, Samsung's screens are going all bendy, Sony's got new lenses and a new camera too, Facebook fraud was a blunder by Yahoo. Lenovo's new ultrabook is awfully thin, and we test the HP Envy to see if it will win.

Okay, we'll stop now — which is what we hope Samsung will do with its creepy ads for the Galaxy S3. According to Kate Solomon it ""shares what's in your heart", "keeps track of loved ones", "recognises who you are" and "waits till you're asleep". "Before what, Samsung?" she types in terror. "BEFORE WHAT?"

Meanwhile in America, a New Jersey town has responded to the menace of people walking and texting simultaneously by digging bear traps in sidewalks and covering lamposts and other street furniture in broken glass. Not really, but it has introduced $85 fines for the offence. It's no joke: as Scott Nichols reports, the town in question, Fort Lee, has "suffered three fatal texting accidents so far this year".

When it comes to testing phones we prefer to stay in the office rather than walk under buses, and this week we've looked at loads of new devices including the ZTE Tania Windows Phone, which is pretty good, and the LG Optimus L3 Android phone, which isn't.

Still, you'll be able to use it to watch the Olympics, which the BBC promises to stream in up to 24 channels of glorious HD via phone, tablet and mobile device apps. You'll even be able to watch it on TV!

We're hardly into summer time and already tech watcher's thoughts are turning to autumn, when the iPhone 5 is due to appear. With months to go the rumour factory's throwing out all kinds of ideas, but the rumours of a bigger screen are becoming deafening — and they've reached the Wall Street Journal, Apple's favourite leak-receiver. You just know that "sources familiar with the situation" work for a firm whose name begins with A. And we don't mean Argos.

Could the iPhone 5 have a bendy screen? We very much doubt it, but screen supplier Samsung says it's received "huge" orders for its bendy OLED displays, which it'll be manufacturing in bulk from the second half of this year. A bendy iPhone isn't out of the question, but we think it's still some way off.

Remember Sony, the Apple of the 70s and 80s? It's still going, we're told, and its camera division has unveiled some tasty new kit. There's the new Sony NEX-F3 compact system camera, a new DSLT (Digital Single Lens Translucent) called the Sony Alpha a37, and a bunch of new lenses for both NEX and A-mount cameras.

There's been lots of red hot ultrabook action this week, with Lenovo launching the super-thin and super-desirable Thinkpad X1 Carbon and HP letting us get up close and personal with the HP Envy 6. Our man Dan Grabham was impressed, suggesting that "these will be among the very best value Ultrabooks on the market when they go on sale".

Last but not least, the patent wars between rival tech firms continued in all their tedium this week — but Yahoo livened things up with an almighty cock-up when it wrongly accused Facebook of fraud. To be honest, we're only including it in Week in Tech so we can say YAHOOPS!

Apple appears to have emerged victorious from a dispute regarding the domain name iPhone5.com, a possible name for its new iPhone that could be named iPhone 5.

The domain was previously being used as a message board for iPhone-related discussions, but was not affiliated with Apple.

Apple filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to have ownership of the domain transferred to them earlier this month.

It's no secret that the unwritten laws of "first come, first served" don't apply in these cases. Apple has won previous WIPO disputes regarding domain names for iPhone4s.com and even iPhonesex4s.com.

WIPO's case filing lists the dispute as "terminated," and iPhone5.com has apparently been taken down, as the site now shows a blank white page.

What's next for iPhone5.com?

WhoIs lists iPhone5.com's current owner as Corporation Service Company, a Delaware company that's apparently taken over control of the site for Apple.

Presumably, the domain will eventually redirect straight to Apple's new iPhone site when the next iPhone is announced. For now, it remains empty.

A Google cache of the iPhone 5 site before it was taken down reveals a brief and desultory farewell message from "Alex":

"Important iPhone5.com case update: So, the iPhone5.com domain name goes to Apple for free," the note reads, adding that PayPal donations "are welcome" and that he (or she) will "see everyone at iPhoners.com."

At least until Apple sets their gaze on that site as well.

Will the new iPhone be called the iPhone 5?

Apple's desire to lock down the iPhone5.com domain seems to indicate that the new iPhone will be called the iPhone 5, but that's not necessarily the case.

Previous iPhones have been labelled with sequential numbers indicating the chronology of their release, more or less. But the new iPad, which was expected to be called the iPad 3, was simply called the iPad, and the new iPhone could follow suit.

On the other hand, Wedbush analyst Scott Sutherland commented to TechRadar earlier this month that "the new iPad has created some confusion with the name," and that Apple "may be smart to go to iPhone 5 especially after doing the [iPhone] 4S."

Apple could reveal the new iPhone at WWDC next month, but until then they're not likely to announce anything.

Best free iPhone apps 1 - 20

There are now hundreds of thousands of apps available for your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and, surprisingly, many of the best are free.

The following list showcases our pick of the 60 best free iPhone apps, and includes iPhone applications for social networking, travel, news, photography, productivity and more.

Most of these apps are also suitable for the iPod touch.

If your top free iPhone apps aren't covered, tell us all about them in the comments.

And don't forget to check out our iPhone 5 release date, news and rumours article for the latest on the next iPhone.

You can also take a look through the top 10 free iPhone apps with our nifty video.

1. Facebook

The world's biggest social network brings a tightly honed experience to the iPhone and iPod touch, but nonetheless still enables you to access your contacts, feeds and other important information. This sense of focus makes it in many ways superior to using Facebook in a desktop browser.

• 20 Facebook privacy settings tips

2. PhotoSynth

We did a bit of a double-take on seeing Microsoft's name attached to this, not least given the lack of a price-tag. But PhotoSynth is a really great panorama app; it's user-friendly and fun to use, especially when watching your panoramas take shape while you capture them.

3. RunKeeper

The prospect of Nike+ but better and for free might sound unlikely, but that's what RunKeeper provides. Previously split into 'pro' and 'free' versions, the developer now generously includes all the features in one free app.

That means you can spend no money, yet use your iPhone's GPS capabilities to track your jogging and cycling routes, and examine mapping and details of your pace and calories burned. Activities can be shared online, and treadmill runs and other exercise details can be entered manually.

If you like this then make sure you read 10 best iPhone and iPad apps for keeping fit and 5 sports headphones for iPhone and iPod touch.

4. Pulse

RSS has a reputation for being a rather dry technology, feeding you dull lists of headlines. Pulse flips RSS on its head, providing streams of feeds that grab your eye with photographs. It's perhaps not for the hardcore RSS crowd, but if you follow a small number of feeds, it's a great choice.

5. Dropbox

Plenty of apps exist for transferring content between your computer and your device, but Dropbox is free and easier to use than most of its contemporaries. Dump files you want to sync in a folder on your computer and Dropbox for your device will enable you to access them, download them for offline viewing, and, in many cases, view them.

Love Dropbox? Then check out our article Essential tips for every Dropbox user.

6. thetrainline

For anyone commuting by train, thetrainline is the free app to beat all others. Journey planning, offline results, timetables and a location-aware 'next train home' option are available via a clean, streamlined interface. The app's not quite as good as UK Train Times, but it is very similar - and five quid cheaper.

7. Skype

FaceTime is a great alternative to standard voice calls, but it's no good if you're trying to contact someone without a Mac or compatible iOS device. Therefore, Skype remains an essential download. The interface is simple and usable, enabling anyone with a Skype account to make free calls to other Skype users and cheap calls to anywhere in the world. If you're on Pay and Go, this is particularly handy, but the app also enables iPod touch users to utilise their devices for calls.

• 10 handy Skype tips and tricks

8. Movies by Flixter

Although some aspects of cinema listings app Movies by Flixter are disappointingly US-centric (notably regarding details on upcoming movies and DVDs), it succeeds where it matters. Select a film and the app figures out where you're located, lists nearby cinemas, and displays times your chosen film is showing. Efficiency can be further increased by pinning favourite cinemas to the top of the list.

9. TonePad

Virtual pianos and guitars are all very well, but purely digital musical toys are more suited to Apple handhelds. TonePad is the best of them, using a grid-based interface that enables you to turn notes on and off and compose pleasing and harmonious loops; your creations can be edited, saved and uploaded to share with other users.

10. Thomson Reuters News Pro

There are many free news apps, but Reuters News Pro offers a breadth of coverage that makes it a winner. Preferences enable you to tailor the app's output to the UK, and the toolbar provides swift access to news, pictures, videos and stock markets coverage.

11. Twitter

The official Twitter app might lack some of the features found in the likes of Tweetbot, but it does provide a sleek and simple means of using the service. It also directly mirrors (for better or worse) the latest navigational scheme on the Twitter website.

Check out 10 best iPhone and iPad Twitter apps for alternative Twitter apps we recommend.

12. Comics

In all honesty, Comics is a little awkward compared to using it on an iPad, but you won't find a better comics experience on an iPhone. The app is free, as are dozens of downloadable comics - and once you run out of those, many more are available to buy. Reading works on a frame-by-frame automated 'zoom' basis, and is surprisingly usable.

13. Wikipanion

The Wikipedia website works fine on iPhones, but a dedicated app is a better bet. Wikipanion is a freebie which gives you quick access to article sections, in-article search, viewing options, bookmarking, and the ability to tweet about whatever odd fact you've just unearthed. Also, wonderfully, there are no ads.

14. Evernote

Clients to access the popular Evernote service for storing notes and ideas online are available for so many platforms that we half expect a ZX Spectrum app to be announced tomorrow. On the iPhone, Evernote is efficient and usable, enabling you to rapidly scan your notes and also create new ones.

15. Kindle

With iBooks on the iPhone, you might wonder why you should bother with Amazon's Kindle. After all, the app's not as pretty as iBooks, nor is there an integrated store (you buy in Safari and sync purchases to the app). However, Kindle offers a massive selection of books compared to Apple's app and the reading experience is great.

16. Around Me

Around Me figures out where you are and lists local stuff - banks, bars, petrol stations and, er, Apple Retail Stores. The app's reliance on Google Maps info means there are gaps, but it's nonetheless handy to have installed when in unfamiliar surroundings, and the 'augmented reality' landscape mode is amusing, if flaky.

17. Dictionary.com - Dictionary & Thesaurus

A million definitions and 90,000 synonyms are available in the palm of your hand with this free, offline dictionary and thesaurus. The app is fast and efficient, includes phonetic and audio pronunciation of words, and its interface seems perfectly suited to the iPhone.

18. Air Video Free

Air Video Free can stream (and convert as necessary) video from any computer running the free Air Video Server. You only get access to a small number of items per folder or playlist, but some careful planning can get around that limitation.

19. Adobe Photoshop Express

If you're looking for Photoshop-style power, Photoshop Express won't impress. However, if you're after a quick, free, highly usable tool for making edits to your iPhone photos, Adobe's app is ideal. Use it for cropping, straightening, exposure adjustments, colour effects, sharpening and more.

For more cool iPhone image editors, check out 10 best iPhone and iPad photo editing apps.

20. iHandy Level Free

One of the tools from the excellent iHandy Carpenter toolkit app, iHandy Level Free turns your iPhone into a spirit level. By default, it'll show just how wonky your device's accelerometer is, but tap the calibrate button and you get an accurate and great-looking level.

Best free iPhone apps 21 - 40

Before reading on, why not check out TechRadar's top 10 ebook reader apps for iPhone:

21. Read It Later Free

Read It Later is an astonishingly handy service that enables you to save pages from the web, to read them later, typically bereft of advertising and other junk. The service is free, as is this app, which downloads stored articles for you to read offline.

22. PCalc Lite

"But I've already got a calculator on my device," you might argue. True, but we'd recommend stashing the default Apple app in a folder and replacing it with PCalc Lite. The reason: this is without doubt the finest free calculator for iOS, with a great interface and plenty of options. You can also bolt-on features from the paid version via in-app purchases.

23. iBooks

Effectively iTunes for books, the app combines a reader and store, in Apple's typically usable and integrated fashion. Usefully, iBooks includes PDF support and bookmarks automatically sync across devices.

24. Red Laser

The Red Laser bar-code scanner is pretty accurate, even if you're still saddled with an iPhone 3G. It's great for checking prices while shopping, and also enables you to get your media collections into Delicious Library if you make use of AppleScript.

25. eBay Mobile

On using eBay Mobile, there's a good chance you won't go near the eBay website again. The app is fast, has great saved searches (which flag new finds), and enables you to create listings. The last of those things is also improved by the built-in bar-code scanning.

Before reading on, why not check out our demos of the best photography apps for taking pictures and editing them on your iPhone:

26. Tube Map

At its most basic, Tube Map is a London Tube map on your device, for free. In landscape, even the ads get out of your way, which is rather nice. And if you've a web connection, the app also provides live board info, a station finder and a route calculator.

27. Google Earth

"Hold the world in the palm of your hand," says Google about Google Earth, which enables you to fly across the planet by swiping your finger. More integration with content and features from Maps would be good, but Google Earth's Wikipedia articles and a Panoramio layer at least ensure it's a great app for seeing the world from your living room.

28. XE Currency

XE Currency is a fine example of an app that does what it needs to, without fuss. You configure a list of currencies, and it shows current conversion rates. Double-tap a currency to set its base rate or to define values for custom conversions.

29. Shazam

Shazam is an app that feels like magic when you first use it. It's deceptively simple—hold your iPhone near to a music source, and wait while the app listens and tells you what track is playing. But the sheer technology behind this simplicity is mind-boggling, and while Shazam doesn't always guess right, it's worth a download.

30. Bump

Another contender for the 'surely, that's witchcraft?' award, Bump enables you to select up to four contacts, then 'bump' your device into another iOS device running Bump to transfer details, or to compare contacts. And, yeah, we know there's an email-based 'share contact' option in Contacts, but where's the fun in that?

31. Yell.com

As you might expect, Yell.com enables you to find local stuff. Select from a bunch of built-in categories or type in your own term for a list of local amenities, and use the map to navigate. Avoid the clunky augmented reality view, though.

32. BBC News

BBC News has a mobile website that works very nicely in Safari. However, the BBC News app is designed to give you quick access to breaking stories, complete with playable videos and zoomable text. The navigation's a tad on the quirky side though.

33. Find My iPhone

For the paranoid souls out there (or the unlucky ones who've had their devices pilfered), Find My iPhone is a must-have download. Assuming you've a 2010 or later iOS device, you can set up a free account and locate your devices within seconds. (Note that older devices can also be added to Find My iPhone - you just need a recent one to get things going.)

34. Dragon Dictation

Fed up of typing on the tiny iPhone keyboard? Use Dragon Dictation instead, which happily converts your speech into text (with slightly spooky levels of accuracy for a freebie app). You can even punctuate ("Comma! Full-stop!"), and when you're done the app enables you to fire your thoughts at Facebook, Twitter, Mail or the iOS clipboard.

35. iHandy Torch Free

It's a torch! It's a cheesy neon light! It's a hypnotic spiral effect! With slightly annoying ads! (In reality, iHandy Torch Free is a mostly a handy app to have installed in case you get up for a midnight snack or toilet visit, don't turn on the light and want to avoid smashing your toe annoyingly hard into an unruly cupboard.)

36. TVGuide.co.uk TV Guide

TV Guide is an app that's come a long way. At one time, this was a disappointing UK TV listings app. Today, it boasts now-and-next and scrollable listings views, reminders, and calendar, Twitter and Facebook integration. Only avoid if you hate TV or don't live in the UK.

37. Zoopla Property Search

There are loads of property search apps on the App Store, but Zoopla is the best of them. Its listings are comprehensive and there's also local market data, including local sale prices and estimates on market value. The location button is a bit rubbish, but the app soon finds properties when you manually type a location.

38. IM+

If you're an instant messaging fiend, IM+ gives you access to GTalk, Yahoo, MSN/Live Messenger, AIM/iChat, ICQ, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and Jabber. With multitasking and push notifications in iOS 4, IM+ has been transformed from a curiosity into a must-have freebie app.

39. Atomic Web Browser Lite

The lite version of Atomic is missing quite a few features that are found in its paid-for version, including even basic multitasking support and content resumption on reopening the app. However, for times where you need a single-session browser that automatically dumps everything on exit, such as when buying gifts, this is a handy app to have installed.

40. Virtuoso Piano Free 3

Virtuoso Piano Free 3 won't turn you into a virtuoso, but it's a perfectly serviceable mini piano. You can amend the number of keys shown on screen, and buttons enable you to rapidly navigate the full keyboard. You get two built-in voices for playback, to which you can add variable levels of sustain.

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Best free iPhone apps 41 - 60

41. TuneIn Radio

Don't bother buying a DAB radio - just install TuneIn Radio instead and plug your device into a set of speakers. TuneIn Radio has a great interface for accessing over 50,000 digital stations; it also has AirPlay support, and you can use it as an alarm clock.

42. 4oD Catch Up

Technically, more like '4oD Catch Up With A Specific Chunk of Channel 4's TV Shows Only' (archives are minimal in the iPhone version); also 4oD Catch Up lacks subtitles and AirPlay support. But it's free, unlimited, and gives you a month to catch up with Channel 4's programming on your device.

43. Jamie's Recipes

More a gateway drug for the tasty treats of Jamie Oliver, this IAP-infused app nonetheless flings ten freebie recipes your way and a few videos. The interface in Jamie's Recipes is lickable, and there's a handy shopping-list feature, for those of you who don't fancy arriving back home after fighting the crowds in the supermarket, only to find you accidentally picked up 500 lemons and forgot the chicken.

44. Instagram

Take a photo, smash a filter into it, and upload it. Instagram's service is now used by millions of people to share nuggets of visual loveliness, and the app itself is a pleasure to use, and also to browse during moments when you're not feeling quite so inspired.

45. Google Translate

Assuming you're online, Google Translate is a great app for translating text between 64 different languages; handily, 17 of the most popular also enable you to speak into your device and listen to translations. It's also considerably cheaper and more portable than 63 translation staff.

46. iMotion HD

We say a big PFFT! at CGI. Real animators use stop-motion, until they inevitably go crazy at only being able to craft about three seconds of footage per week. iMotion HD enables you to create such painstaking animations with your device.

The sting in the tail: a £1.49 IAP for export, but if you don't care about that, you can play your creations on your device to your heart's content. There's also the free iMotion Remote to use as a remote controller over Wi-Fi for iMotion HD, to avoid you accidentally moving your 'camera'.

47. TED

TED is brain food. The app provides access to talks by insanely clever people, opening your mind to new and radical ideas. You can also save your favourite talks locally, for even easier access, or ask the app to inspire you, based on your mood and available time.

48. Remote

The remote for Apple TV is a bit of a joke when you need to do anything more than play or pause. Remote is a free app which provides much better control and the ability to stop yourself going mad when typing things into search fields. It'll also happily use Home Sharing to pull content from computers on your network to your device, or fire said content at your Apple TV using AirPlay.

49. Skyscanner

Skyscanner's a great website, which enables you to punch in airports and find out the cheapest way of getting from A to B. The Skyscanner app is the same, but it's on your device and with a spiffy AI. Well worth a download, even if only to check flights for an upcoming holiday.

50. Apple Store

Apple fans with a lack of self-control should steer clear of the Apple Store app, which enables you to buy shiny Apple products directly from your device, and also to locate your nearest shrine of tech loveliness (aka Apple Store).

51. BBC iPlayer

Listen to live radio, watch live TV and browse featured and recent BBC shows in the BBC iPlayer app. There's a favourites section to get easier access to your top shows, and AirPlay support for firing footage at your Apple TV. (This uses the system AirPlay functionality - start playing a show, double-click the Home button, swipe right twice, then choose 'Apple TV' from the AirPlay button.)

52. Netflix

Brits might rightly grumble that the Netflix selection leaves a little to be desired, but it's still a very affordable way to get a ton of TV in front of your eyes. The app works much like you'd expect: browse, watch, realise it's three in the morning - again.

53. Camera Awesome

Sounding a bit like a rubbish superhero, Camera Awesome is in fact a tool for powering up your device's camera. You get some useful adjustment and composition options, and a load of varied filters are available via IAP.

54. Amazon Mobile

A great app for anyone regularly suckered by ads but also afflicted with impatience, Amazon Mobile enables you to browse and buy from the mammoth online store with ease. You can also sneakily scan bar-codes in brick-and-mortar stores to see how much cheaper the attached goods would be online.

55. TVCatchup

In all honesty, we're a little surprised TVCatchup still exists, but here it is, in app form. It's not so much TV 'catch-up' as TV 'watch what's on right now', but that's good in itself with support for over 50 channels and AirPlay.

56. SoundCloud

SoundCloud is becoming one of those indispensable online services, storing a huge range of songs and audio clips. Although this app is suitable for browsing and playing, you can also use it to record and upload your own sounds.

57. Flipboard

It would be a hard ask to expect the Flipboard experience on the iPhone and iPod touch to match that of the iPad version, but it nonetheless has a good go, transforming your favourite feeds and news sources into a tiny, beautiful digital magazine.

58. Wunderlist

The App Store has so many to-do apps that it's in severe danger of tipping over, due to the sheer weight of digital checkboxes, but Wunderlist is one of the very few that really stands out. The interface is very usable, and the app's ability to seamlessly sync across devices and platforms makes it a great download.

59. Wikihood

This location-aware sort-of Wikipedia client figures out where you are and fires local knowledge at you. Naturally, Wikihood can be a little scattergun in terms of information, but it's handy for when you're in an unfamiliar place and have a few hours to kill. There are also offline packs available via IAP for regular users.

60. AirPort Utility

Apple's increasingly freeing its iOS devices from any reliance on a Mac or PC, and this utility continues the trend. If you've some shiny white wireless kit at home with an Apple logo, use AirPort Utility to see what your network looks like, muck about with settings, and troubleshoot.

For more great free iPhone apps, check out 50 best free iPhone games on the planet

Apple's attempts to have the anti-trust suit brought against them by the US Department of Justice thrown out of court were denied on Tuesday.

Federal Judge Denise Cote cited previous statements from Apple's former CEO Steve Jobs as justification for the dispute over e-book pricing to continue.

Jobs's comment was included in the DOJ's case against Apple. "We'll go to [an] agency mode, where you set the price, and we get our 30 percent, and yes, the cusomter pays a little more, but that's what you want anyway," Jobs reportedly said.

He added that prices would "be the same" at Apple and Amazon, which the DOJ contested in the suit.

The DOJ's suit alleges that Apple colluded with book publishers including Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin to standardize e-book prices when the publishers should have been competing with one another.

Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster were quick to settle, but Apple insisted that the company has done nothing wrong, going so far as to say that they're eager to begin litigation.

Eliminating the competition

Jobs's statements were previously known, but it was unclear what importance they would play in the case until now.

"It has everything to do with coordinating a horizontal agreement among publishers to raise prices, and eliminating horizontal price competition among Apple's competitors at the retail level," Judge Cote said.

The suit alleges that Apple contacted major publishers in 2009, just before the launch of the iPad, and hatched a plan to force Amazon's then-low e-book prices up to make Apple's iBooks store more attractive to consumers.

At the time it was widely assumed that Amazon was selling e-books at a loss in order to stimulate sales of its Kindle devices.

"With the fortuitous entry of Apple into the market for e-books, and the decision by Apple to join the price-fixing conspiracy, that horizontal conspiracy became a potent weapon for engineering a fundamental shift in an entire industry," Judge Cote said.

If the court rules against Apple and Macmillan and Penguin, the two publishers who have yet to settle, the companies could be forced to implement anti-trust compliance programs and pay hefty fines.

Look out! The browser wars are back! That's what analysts at Macquarie Capital reckon, anyway: in a note titled "The Browser Wars Part Deux" they suggest that "Google Chrome Browser for iOS is Coming".

It may well be. Will anyone bar a few Google fans care?

My guess is no.

Macquarie makes several arguments for Chrome on iOS, and I reckon one of them is right and the rest are wrong. I'll start with the right one first: a Chrome browser on iOS could reduce the amount of cash Google has to give Apple for all those Mobile Safari search queries. That's true, but the other arguments - that Chrome did well on PC so it can do well on iOS, and that Chrome ads really shifted copies on PC so they'll do the same on iOS, that reviews of Chrome on Android are quite positive - don't spell Safari Killer to me.

Macquarie rightly says that Chrome on the desktop has done very well and reduced the money Google pays out to other browser makers for searches, which is significant: Firefox only lives because of Google search money. However, iOS isn't the same as 1990s-era Windows, and when Macquarie says that "there are many parallels to the browser wars of the late 1990s" I think they're wrong.

That was then, this is now

People jumped from Netscape to Internet Explorer (and back again) for all kinds of reasons, but the main reason Internet Explorer triumphed in the first browser war was because Microsoft stuck it into every copy of Windows. If history's repeating, then Google is on the losing side here: it's trying to get a foothold on somebody else's OS, an OS that already ships with a perfectly good browser.

Even if you can get iOS users to download the app, it won't work properly. As Kevin Tofel rightly says on GigaOM, with rival browsers "none of them can be set as the default browser, meaning all links in emails, texts or other apps will always open in Safari, regardless of what other browsers are installed."

Unlike the late 1990s, we're also dealing with relatively mature web technologies nowadays. Firms aren't sticking new features into their browsers and letting a million "best viewed with" icons bloom; today's battlegrounds are standards support and JavaScript performance.

I'm not convinced Google can beat Apple in the speed stakes, and the features Chrome on Android has that Safari doesn't - bookmark and tab syncing, a combined address and search bar and easy private browsing - are hardly earth-shattering or hard to duplicate.

Browsers become popular because other browsers fall out of favour. Internet Explorer was overtaken by Firefox because Microsoft effectively stopped developing it, leaving plenty of room for a better browser; Firefox was overtaken by Chrome because it was getting slow and old while Chrome was blisteringly fast. For Chrome to do well on iOS it really needs Apple to really mess up Safari. How likely is that?

iTunes 11 rumours

When Apple released iTunes in 2001, digital music was in its infancy. Over a decade ago, it was a novelty to rip a CD to your computer and make mixes, and the CD format was popular enough that a major part of Apple's advertising centred around burning mixes back to recordable CDs.

The arrival of the iPod changed everything, and then the iTunes Store further wrenched Apple's software from its roots. Today, iTunes isn't a mere jukebox, but also a manager for films, TV shows, podcasts, ebooks, and apps, along with providing an interface to fine-tune the content on iOS devices.

As media industries move to the cloud and streaming, iTunes continues to evolve; and a combination of reports and guesswork hints at the iTunes 11 features that are likely to appear.

iTunes 11 and iCloud

According to 9to5 Mac, work on iTunes 11 began prior to iTunes 10.6, and support for iCloud will be a big component of the new software. Ars Technica concurs, and said iTunes 11 could include a centralised preferences panel for controlling iCloud features, such as iTunes in the Cloud, iTunes Match, iPhone and iPad back-ups to iCloud, and more. iDownloadBlog also stated iCloud integration would be stronger in iTunes 11, going so far as to say iCloud data for apps and games would be synced to your local iTunes Library.

iTunes 11 interface

Last summer, iDownloadBlog said iTunes 11 would be "revamped from the ground up", resulting in a much cleaner and slicker iTunes interface. iTunes's relative bloat and complexity is something plenty of people are unhappy about: Microsoft Fix It said the interface is plain awful and compared it unfavourably to Microsoft's Zune software; elsewhere, Jason Snell for Macworld argued that Apple should turn iTunes into a suite of separate, simpler apps. However, according to the reports from 9to5 Mac and Ars Technica, the majority of iTunes 11 features will result only in under-the-hood changes, not cosmetic ones.

A new audio format for iTunes 11

A big change for iTunes 11 could be an entirely new audio format. Tom Davenport and Charles Arthur for The Guardian wrote that Apple is working on 'adaptive streaming', which in iTunes 11 and through iTunes Match would create a system that adjusted itself to available bandwidth and storage. "All of a sudden, all your audio from iTunes is in HD rather than AAC. Users wouldn't have to touch a thing—their library will improve in an instant," said the Guardian's source

iTunes 11 music streaming

A change in audio format, and one dedicated to streaming, will reignite seemingly dead rumours about Apple working on a streaming audio service (as opposed to iTunes Match), in order to battle the likes of Spotify. Having streaming audio in iTunes 11 might seem counter-intuitive, given the iTunes Store's download-based model. However, while 7Digital claimed iTunes has peaked and streaming is the future, Spotify chief Daniel Ek said streaming services actually boost sales.

A new iTunes 11 store

An integrated streaming service would only make sense if every aspect of the iTunes Store was more integrated into the general iTunes experience, and iDownloadBlog's report from last year did make such a claim: "Rather than the iTunes Store being essentially a web browser, the iTunes Store will actually be integrated into the entire app—much like Spotify is currently." This chimes somewhat with 9to5 Mac's own report about an iTunes 11 store revamp, which is said to be "even simpler and more user-friendly than the current design". The report added that most changes will centre on a more engaging and interactive experience, but Ars Technica has said Apple's acquisition of Chomp will also play a role, improving search and therefore making content more discoverable in iTunes 11.

iTunes 11 and the Apple TV

One of the more out-there iTunes 11 rumours concerns the Apple iTV. Cult of Mac reported that the iTV will have an "iTunes-integrated touch-screen remote and Siri-like voice command tech". Even if that doesn't come to pass, there are possibilities of other iTunes 11 features regarding TV content. As Ars Technica showed Apple's new 1080p format compares favourably with Blu-ray, and Tech of the Hub reported that some digital copies of movies loaded into iTunes are automatically made available via iCloud. This could point to iTunes 11 ushering in iTunes Match for movies and television.

iTunes 11 and OS X Mountain Lion

A final thought regarding iTunes 11 features involves OS X Mountain Lion. Apple has revealed some information about the new version of OS X, including Notification Center and Share Sheets in Safari and Photo Booth. Although iTunes hasn't yet figured in details about OS X Mountain Lion, it's possible iTunes 11 will be able to send notification banners to Notification Center and also enable you to share your current musical tastes on Twitter via Share Sheets.

iTunes 11 release date

Major and point updates to iTunes arrive on an erratic basis, but there's a possibility iTunes 11 will appear alongside the iPhone 5 (or the new iPhone as Apple will probably call it). However, 9to5 Mac reckons we will most likely instead get a further 10.6 update purely for iOS 6 compatibility, followed by iTunes 11 a little later. Ars Technica thinks iTunes 11 will coincide with new iPhone hardware, meaning a release date between late June and early October.

Apple iTV rumours: what you need to know

We love our new Full HD Apple TV, but we're not sure Apple does: the firm's more interested in getting iPads into your living room than Apple TVs under your flat screen.

Apple says the Apple TV is a hobby, but it turns out the company is thinking bigger. Much, much bigger: it wants to sell you the entire TV set, not a little box beneath it.

In a 15 February earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted again at the release of something bigger and better than the current Apple TV (credit CNN Money).

"With Apple TV, however, despite the barriers in [the TV set top box] market, for those of us who use it, we've always thought there was something there. And that if we kept following our intuition and kept pulling the string, then we might find something that was larger.

"For those people that have it right now, the customer satisfaction is off the charts. But we need something that could go more main market for it to be a serious category."

Apple isn't the only one dropping big hints either - manufacturer Foxconn had to refute reports in late May that it had begun to produce the Apple iTV after a story emerged quoting chief executive, Terry Gua, as saying Foxconn was "making preparations for iTV."

Here are all the rumours and speculation surrounding the Apple iTV, which some have also claimed may end up with the surely unlikely name of the Apple iPanel.

The latest reports point at a late 2012 Apple iTV release date. It seems that any Apple TV would be a success - a May report by Strategy Analytics claims that nearly 50 per cent of iPhone owners would be likely to buy an iTV within the first year of launch.

Apple iTV design

In mid-May a new report from Cult of Mac claimed one of their contacts saw a working prototype of the Apple TV.

The report claimed that Siri and iSight will feature (so face and voice recognition then), while the design is similar to that of an Apple Cinema Display.

The Telegraph says that "sources within the company" say that Jeff Robbin, the man who helped create the iPod, is leading the team. Apple has seemingly denied rumours that it is working with French designer Philippe Starck. Remember when he worked with Microsoft on a mouse?

However, it appears that Starck was actually working on another project, a yacht, with Steve Jobs before his death.

On 13 May 2011, we reported that Apple is rumoured to be in talks to buy TV manufacturer Loewe. AppleInsider wrote that talks have entered the advanced stages and Loewe is expected to make a decision on Apple's offer within the next week.

Apple iTV specifications and display

Engadget predicts an A5 processor and 1080p video - neither of which are a huge surprise, granted.

Australian tech site Smarthouse says that the Apple iTV will come in three sizes, including 32-inch and 55-inch models.

Sources at "a major Japanese company who are involved in manufacturing the TV" reckon the sets will have the same processor as the forthcoming iPad 3, which presumably means an Apple A6.

Smarthouse isn't usually the go-to site for Apple rumours, but its report echoes similar claims by respected Apple analyst Gene Munster, who told the recent Future of Media conference that Apple will make its TV in a range of sizes.

The supply chain for the iTV is set to get going during the first quarter of 2012. That's according to Digitimes on 27 December 2011.

March 2012 rumours pointed at Sharp being the manufacturing partner and that production would start in May. SlashGear says work on components is already under way. In mid April, Sharp announced it had begun production of 32-inch HI-DPI LCD panels at its Kameyama Plant No. 2 - could these be the panels destined for the Apple iTV?

Apple contractor Foxconn's parent company has made a rather large investment in Sharp - does this indicate something we wonder?

Apple iTV operating system

As with the Apple TV, any iTV is likely to run iOS, albeit in slightly disguised form. Compatibility with other iOS devices is a given: current Apple TVs already accept video streamed via AirPlay and access shared iTunes libraries. We'll be amazed if the iTV doesn't get apps.

Apple iTV and iCloud

Steve Jobs told his biographer: "I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."

Apple iTV remote control

Munster says the iTV will come with an ordinary remote control, and will be controllable with iPhones, iPod touches and iPads, but the real remote control will be Siri.

Apple's voice recognition system will be the heart of the new Apple TV, enabling you to choose channels and control the TV's functions with voice alone. That means " the simplest user interface you could imagine" is voice.

However, according to a new patent filed in March 2012, Apple has come up with the design for an advanced universal remote that would also be compatible with your iPhone and iPad.

Apple iTV AirPlay mirroring

After AirPlay mirroring from Mac to Apple TV was present in the developer preview of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, it's not a great leap to suggest that the Apple iTV could mirror the display of your Mac or iPad wirelessly too. AirPlay mirroring is now 1080p with the new iPad and new Apple TV.

When a prototype was reportedly 'seen' it did feature AirPlay.

Apple iTV programmes

While the iTV will get content from iTunes and iCloud, it's not going to be completely separate from current TV broadcasters: Munster says that you'll still need a cable TV subscription and decoder because Apple doesn't have enough content.

We're not sure whether it would play nicely with Freeview and Freeview HD here in the UK, but perhaps a DVB-T compatible unit will arrive as part of a second generation.

As of 6 March 2012, rumours were continually doing the rounds that, as the New York Post reports, Apple is planning to launch a music streaming service this side of Christmas.

On 13 March, Les Moonves, who is CEO at CBS, says he was the recipient of a pitch from Steve Jobs regarding his network's participation in a subscription-based service, but turned him down.

His reasoning? Moonves says he was worried about damaging the network's existing revenue streams through broadcast and cable television.

It's been claimed that Apple will seek to cut traditional TV providers out of the content loop.

Apple iTV price

Gene Munster reckons that the iTV will be twice the price of a similarly sized TV. Ouch. However, new March 2012 rumours point at a subsidised launch - courtesy of various partners.

Apple iTV picture quality

If the iTV does appear, it won't leave manufacturers quaking in their boots. That's according to Samsung's Chris Moseley who told Pocket-Lint in early February 2012 that the firm isn't overly concerned with what Apple launches if it decides to enter the TV market

"We've not seen what they've done but what we can say is that they don't have 10,000 people in R&D in the vision category," he says.

"They don't have the best scaling engine in the world and they don't have world renowned picture quality that has been awarded more than anyone else."

Apple iTV gaming and apps

Although most of the rumours so far have been about the hardware involved in the iTV, gaming may be a major focus of the new device. Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted in mid-April at the HQ of Valve Software, the company behind gaming platform Steam. Some rumours are drawing more from this meeting, saying Apple could be producing a Kinect-style gesture-based console. But this is likely to be part and parcel of the iTV.

Apple iTV release date

Most rumours predict a 2013 Apple iTV release date, but the more optimistic observers think Apple won't want to miss 2012's Christmas shopping season. The New York Times says that price, not technology, is the problem: Apple is waiting for the cost of large LCD panels to fall further before building iTVs.

Apple suppliers are apparently upping their MacBook shipments for June and July, lending strength to the rumour that a new range will be announced at WWDC 2012.

As with every other rumour to come out of the supply chain since nineteen-dickity-two, the news comes from Digitimes and its ever-chatty sources in the upstream supply chain.

They reckon MacBook shipments to Apple will go up 'significantly' in June, with volumes reaching a peak in July 2012.

Back to run the show

The components were already on their way to the new MacBooks in March, with volumes also increasing a bit in April and May in line with a June launch.

Unfortunately, the article from Digitimes makes no mention of spec or model or colour or price or release date, of course, so it's anyone's guess if these are the new Retina Display toting MacBook Pros or if they're specced-up, priced-down MacBook Airs or what.

But the emergence of new MacBooks in the next few months is pretty much a given so it's probably time to start convincing yourself that you need a new one.

It's nearly time for WWDC 2012, Apple's sold-out World Wide Developers Conference, and that means the Apple rumour factory is in full flow.

There's a difference between a wish list and rock-solid predictions, however, and the internet has more of the former than the latter. So what can we really expect from this year's WWDC?

OS X Mountain Lion at WWDC

We know about this already: Gatekeeper security, iCloud integration, the new notification and game centres, AirPlay mirroring... OS X Mountain Lion is looking pretty tasty, and it'll be in near-final form at WWDC.

A launch date announcement is almost certain and a public beta a distinct possibility, but our favourite rumour is that Mountain Lion will be a free upgrade. That's not as far fetched as it sounds: Apple is giving free copies of Snow Leopard to MobileMe users who haven't switched to iCloud, and of course iOS upgrades are already free.

WWDC unveiling of iOS 6

This one's a given: Apple's on a yearly release schedule for iOS, and the whole thing will be signed off and ready for the expected iPhone 5 launch in October. There are all kinds of tantalising possibilities: more Siri, both in terms of device support and software integration; NFC; some kind of dual-app multitasking for iPads so you can look at two things at once; Apple's long-rumoured mapping API; and perhaps an improved notifications area with support for more widgets and the ability to access commonly-used features such as Airplane Mode. Can we make our annual request for multiple user accounts on the iPad, please? Thanks.

WWDC hardware announcements

WWDC is primarily a software event, but that doesn't mean we won't see new kit: Apple has unveiled important products there in the past such as the iPhone 4 and the 2009 MacBook Pro. There are four key hardware rumours this year: the new iPhone, Retina MacBook Pros, Apple TV and the iPad Mini.

The new iPhone, aka the iPhone 5, at WWDC

It's coming, we know, but the D in WWDC stands for Developers, not "Dude, it's the new iPhone!" Unless the incoming iPhone 5 is significantly different from a developer's perspective — that is, if it has a completely different aspect ratio or other significant hardware change, or if it runs Android — then we don't think the new iPhone's going to make an appearance. Others, however, beg to differ.

WWDC unveiling of Retina MacBook Pros

They're coming, we know, but the big question is when: while OS X already contains a HiDPI mode for retina-style displays, they're still very challenging bits of hardware to make. The MacBook Pro is certainly due a refresh, but a retina refresh might be pushing it for 2012.

A new Apple TV at WWDC

We're not feeling this one. Apple TV is still officially a hobby, and while it runs a variant of iOS Apple hasn't opened it up to developers yet. That may well change at WWDC, but we a significant Apple TV announcement is a long shot.

The iPad Mini at WWDC

It exists, and it's rumoured for a 2012 release, so why not unveil it at WWDC? Assuming that a 7.85-inch iPad Mini has been given the green light, a June unveiling would generate enormous excitement, annoying Amazon, Android manufacturers and Windows 8 OEMs simultaneously without overshadowing the Autumn launch of the iPhone 5. If Apple's going to embrace the entire tablet market as it did the digital music market with its various iPods, then the iPad Mini is inevitable.

Apple is said to be negotiating with high-end German TV manufacturer Loewe, perhaps with a view to its eagerly anticipated plans to enter the flatscreen market.

AppleInsider says acquisition talks have entered the advanced stages and Loewe, which also builds components and home entertainment systems, is expected to make a decision on Apple's offer in the next week.

The site's source claims that Apple has offered around £69m ($112m) to take the company, which is slightly above the value of its closing share price on Friday.

Loewe "has been advised by its financial advisor to accept the offer and a final decision is scheduled to be announced internally before 18 May 2012," the source revealed.

War chest

Any acquisition of the 83 year-old manufacturer, would surely confirm beyond any reasonable doubt that Apple plans to launch its own-branded HD television.

Such is Apple's current war chest, the deal would only see Cupertino part with a fraction of its cash stockpiles of $100 billion, although some of that has been allocated for shareholder dividends.

Recent reports have suggested that the company will not launch its flatscreen solution until at least 2014, with more stories this week claiming the device would, in fact, be built by Foxconn.

Loewe in the UK has declined to comment on any speculation, although the German arm of the company has apparently said that there's nothing in the rumours.