The Pirate Bay has become iconic in the world of illegal downloading

The Irish Government should consider legislation that forces the disconnection of persistent illegal music downloaders, the chief executive of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has said.

Frances Moore praised Eircom for the “tremendous leadership” it had shown in the area and encouraged others to follow. If that did not happen, she said the Government may need to step in to resolve the issue.

“What is clear is that we need to get this situation under control and one ISP is not enough to do that,” said Ms Moore in a conference call following the release of the IFPI’s annual report. “We will need the other ISPs to either do their part voluntarily or have the Government impose legislation.”

Eircom is the only ISP in Ireland that has agreed to undertake a “graduated response” to users believed to be downloading content illegally. This sees customers getting a warning upon detection of suspect activity and eventually ends in disconnection if further warnings are ignored.

However, attempts by music rights group the Irish Recorded Music Association (Irma) to make other ISPs adhere to the same process have failed. Following a defeat in a case against UPC, the industry body said it would pressure the Government to change the law.

The IFPI report shows digital music sales continuing to increase, with the category now accounting for 29 per cent of record companies’ global revenues. Overall revenues have continued to decline, down 31 per cent since 2004. However, the report falls short of comparing overall unit sales, making it difficult to see how much of that decline is due to lower prices as opposed to falling sales.

Putting the piracy issue in more economic than moral terms, the report claims a 17 per cent drop in employed musicians in the US since 1999. It also claims 1.2 million jobs will be lost across Europe by 2015 due to piracy.

More optimistically, the IFPI champions the growth in new revenue models for the industry, specifically the expansion of streaming services like Spotify and We7.

“We are forging new models that aim to make digital music both consumer-friendly and commercially viable for creators,” said Ms Moore in her introduction to the report.

She said 2010 was the year they “broke the seal” on subscription services and ISP deals, and specifically cites Eircom as an example of that.

Article originally published in The Irish Times on the 21st January 2011.

Microsoft challenge Apple's'app store' trademark

Microsoft is attempting to end Apple’s exclusive ownership of the ‘app store’ trademark, claiming it is a generic term.

Apple applied for the trademark in 2008 through the US Patent and Trademark Office and has been the only company able to use it since then, forcing rivals like Microsoft and Google to give their own app outlets different names.

However PCWorld.com reports that Microsoft has now appealed to the office to reverse its decision in a recent motion. It claims the two words are too generic to be given exclusively to one company and has offered evidence – including quotes from Steve Jobs – to back this up.

While it may seem like a fair argument now at the time of the trademark filling the concept of a catalogue that sells applications for phones was not a common one. It was only when Apple launched its App Store – and others followed suit – that the idea and term caught on.

Today, regardless of the official ownership, the term ‘app store’ is used to refer to all app platforms. As Microsoft’s case points out, even by Jobs himself.

Gran Turismo 5 is finally for sale in Ireland

After a wait that would rival Duke Nukem himself, Sony’s Gran Turismo 5 has finally arrived in Irish shops.

The much anticipated racer, which has been promised at various times since the launch of the Playstation 3 itself, promises over 1,000 vehicles, 26 tracks and 70 track layouts. Its standard edition has a recommended retail price of €60, though Gamestop say they will be selling it for €55.

A special collectors edition is also available and will set you back an extra €10 should you want to get your hands on some special artwork and the like.

If that’s not enough – and if the recession has passed you by completely – you might also be interested in a “signature edition” which costs €180 and features a scale model of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a GT5 key fob and wallet and a few extra in-game features and a coffee table book.

The Beatles... now on iTunes

The Beatles’ back catalogue is now available to download on iTunes, effectively ending a decades-long legal dispute between the band and Apple.

The deal means that each of the legendary band’s albums are available to download from the online music shop for between €13 and €20, with a box set of all the albums also available for €150.

Historically the relationship between the iPod-maker and the band had been quite strained, following a number of lawsuits centring around trademarks and the ‘Apple’ brand. The band’s record label was of course ‘Apple Records’ and this led to plenty of skirmishes over the years (see this Wiki page for details).

However in more recent times there seemed to be a thaw in relations and when Apple yesterday promised a day “that you’ll never forget” the likes of the Wall Street Journal concluded The Beatles were finally going digital. As we now know, and much to the disappointment of some who expected something more significant, this has proven to be spot on.

Microsoft's Kinect is now on sale in Ireland

After months of hype Microsoft’s Kinect has finally launched in Ireland. The motion-sensing peripheral went on sale across Europe today and is likely to be in high demand in the run up to Christmas.

The Kinect, which requires an Xbox 360 to work, tracks the full-body movements of users allowing them to play games without anything in their hands. It is clearly Microsoft’s answer to the Nintendo Wii however it uses very different technology to work; namely a number of sensors and cameras instead of a motion-sensitive controller.

The standalone Kinect device costs €150 and comes with a free game – Kinect Adventures – while a bundle including the console itself is on sale for €300. Microsoft have also promised 19 titles available in Europe before Christmas with plenty more in the pipe-line for 2011.

The Mac Mini has gotten a price cut

The price of the entry-level Mac Mini in the Irish Apple Store has been cut by €80, bringing it down to €719. According to Engadget this cut has been replicated internationally, except in the US.

The mini computer was upgraded back in June and boasts a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive for that price. There’s also an SD card reader, 802.11n WiFi, HDMI-out and a Mini DisplayPort jack and a NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics card.

All this comes in a package that is just 3.6cm tall and Apple have impressively fit the power-block in there too.

There’s been no change to that in recent times but the slightly lower price is certainly hoped to revive a bit of interest. Perhaps Apple are making savings in compact components from its new MacBook Airs and has decided to pass it onto the consumer?

The white iPhone 4 is delayed again

Having missed its July release and a further promise to arrive in late 2010 the white iPhone 4 has been pushed back yet again to at least Spring 2011.

The company had previously said the version of the device was “more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected” and has apologised to those still waiting for it.

Assuming this date proves to be correct it will mean the white iPhone 4 will not arrive until nearly a year after the regular version. With Apple inclined to upgrade the iPhone in the middle of each year it also means a newer version may be just around the corner.

source: Reuters

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will cost €600... in the UK at least.

The Carphone Warehouse’s UK site has put up a pre-order page for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, pricing it at the equivalent of €600 for the device outside of a contract.

Samsung’s Android-based rival to the iPad is due to launch in Europe on the 1st November and so far there has been no clear confirmation of a price. At €600 the 7″ tablet would be comparable to the 32GB WiFi-only iPad or the 16GB WiFi & 3G version.

The company’s Irish site currently has no mention of the Samsung Galaxy Tab and of course there is no guarantee that it will cost €600 when it reaches Irish shores; in fact it is quite rare for gadgets not to undergo a price inflation in the transfer over to euro.

Interestingly the Carphone Warehouse ad also includes a subsidised price when bought with a broadband contract, however this only shaves a mere £30 (€34) off the device-only price.

A lot of attention is already being given to the Samsung Galaxy Tab as it is seen as the first real competitor to Apple’s so-far-so-successful touch-screen device. While slightly smaller the use of Android and the inclusion of front and rear-facing cameras does give it the potential to excel in other ways.

Gran Turismo 5 is delayed again

The much-anticipated racing sim for the Playstation 3 – Gran Turismo 5 – has been delayed yet again. The title was due to be released in the US on 2nd November with an Irish launch within days of that but a blog post on the official Playstation site has confirmed that will now not happen.

The post goes on to promise the title in time for the ‘holiday season’ but fails to be any more specific than that.

Gran Turismo 5 has been in the pipeline since it was showcased at E3 in 2006, before the Playstation 3 was even launched. The game had previously been slated for a March 2010 launch but was pushed back to November in the middle of this year.

For what it’s worth the blog post says the reasons for the delay is that the development team “want to make certain they are creating the perfect racing experience” before it hits the shelves.

Whether that will be in time for Christmas – as suggested – remains to be seen.

Apple promises to go 'Back to the Mac' next week

Apple has sent out a teaser to the media inviting them to an event on 20th October; next Wednesday.

As always the company is keeping tight-lipped about the details, however the invite itself gives some clues on the topics due to be discussed.

Trailed as ‘Back to the Mac’ with a picture of a lion visible behind the Apple logo it is clear that the focus will be on the company’s desktop and laptop line as opposed to its iPods, iPads or iPhones.

Speculation suggests that a new MacBook Air may be on the way, with a slightly smaller screen and an even slimmer, lighter body than before. The price may also be shaved slightly in an attempt by the company to target students and young professionals.

The lion suggests the next version of Mac’s operating system – OSX – will also be previewed. Each upgrade of the system has traditionally had a big cat’s name attached and the lion is one of the few remaining.

Also in the pipeline is iWork and iLife ’11 which again is likely to be previewed next week.

Of course all of this is rumour and speculation until Steve Jobs (assuming it is Steve Jobs) takes the stage. More on this when he does.

The HTC HD7 will be available exclusively on O2 in Ireland

HTC have announced that their HD7 smartphone – which runs on the new Windows Phone 7 OS – will be available exclusively on the O2 network in Ireland.

The handset – which is a follow-up to the behemoth that was the HD2 – will be the company’s first to run on the new Microsoft platform and is part of a deal with the network that also covers Britain and Germany.

Much like the HD2 the new HD7 will have a whopping 4.3in touch-screen and also surround-sound speakers. There is a 5mp camera and the potential for 720p HD video recording, while a handy kick-stand on the back allows users to prop the phone up while watching videos.

The HTC HD7 is one of  a raft of Windows Phone 7-based devices that are likely to hit the market in the coming weeks and months. LG have also announced the arrival of their Optimus 7 handset, which will start to roll out in Europe from the end of October.

An exact release date for the HD7 – or pricing details – are still unknown but more is likely to be released very soon.

IRMA has lost its court case against UPC to force 'three strikes' on it

The Irish Recorded Music Association has lost in a bid to force UPC to adopt a ‘three strikes’ approach to alleged illegal file sharers. UPC had argued it was a ‘mere conduit’ and so could not be held liable for information transmitted over its network.

UPC noted the decision of the court and said it was still willing to work with stakeholders in tackling the problem of piracy. In the past the company has called on a round-table discussion with all involved to try to find a workable solution.

The ‘three strikes’ principle sees users get a written warning when illegal files are believed to have been accessed by them. A second warning is sent if the activity continues telling the user they will be disconnected if it continues and if it persists the customer is then removed from the network.

Alleged illegal users are identified by IRMA, which passes the IP address on to ISPs.

Eircom are currently the only ISP to follow the system and adopted it after an out-of-court settlement with IRMA.

Today’s ruling means it will be unlikely that IRMA will be able to force other ISPs to follow suit and so leaves Eircom in an isolated and tricky position.

Update: Both Eircom and Vodafone – who had been in talks with IRMA on three strikes – have declined to comment on the ruling at present and have said they are reviewing the findings.

Windows Phone 7 will be unveiled today

The new phone operating system from Microsoft – imaginatively named Windows Phone 7 – is to be unveiled today in a number of launch events around the world. The main event will take place in New York at 2:30pm Irish time, with an event in Dublin due to start later this evening.

A number of handsets will be showcased as part of the launch, with the devices likely to hit the shelves later this month. HTC, Samsung and LG are all expected to support the OS from launch.

Windows Phone 7 has been in development for some time now and is seen as Microsoft’s first real push back against the rise of the iPhone and Google’s Android OS.

The operating system will integrate social media tools, the Zune marketplace and Xbox Live amongst other things.

O2 are to be the launch partner in Ireland and details of the event will be available on teic.ie later.

If you want to find out more before then the New York launch will be covered in a live blog on Engadget.com.

Teic.ie is one!

Teic.ie is turning one today.

Teic.ie has come on leaps and bounds since its soft launch on Monday 5th October 2009, with hundreds of articles now on the site covering news, reviews and opinion.

The site’s regional newspaper column – The Teic Bit – has also been a great success, with 5 newspapers across the country already carrying it and more on the way.

In the last few weeks Teic.ie has also been shortlisted for the ‘Best Technology Site’ category of the 2010 Irish Web Awards, a great honour after such a short time online.

So a big thanks to everyone who has visited the site, commented on the articles, interacted with @teicie on Twitter or Facebook and generally spread the love about Teic.ie.

To mark the milestone there will be a load of competitions and give-aways on the site in the days and weeks ahead. Stay tuned to the site for those and please keep coming back coming year for more news, views and reviews!

Internet Explorer has dropped below 50% market share

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) has fallen below 50% market-share according to Irish stat firm StatCounter. Usage of the browser has been on the decline in recent years but this is the first time less than half of all surfers used the iconic software.

According to StatCounter the market share of IE was down to 49.87% in September, down from 67% two years ago and 95% in 2004 according to some stat companies.

Firefox is the next most popular browser – registering 31.5% according to StatCounter – while Google’s Chrome has made the leap to third with 11.54% of the market.

This is a huge step forward for the Chrome browser, which had 3.69% of the market last year and is only on the scene since September 2008.

StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen suggested the EU-mandated ‘browser ballot’ could be to blame for IE’s fall. This forced Microsoft to give Windows users a selection of browsers to install instead of having IE automatically installed on the desktop from the get-go.

This suggestion holds water too – IE’s fall is most pronounced in Europe where it has just over 40% of the market; in North America it is still above 50%.

This is obviously bad news for Microsoft but the company is still hoping its Internet Explorer 9 – which is available as a beta product at the moment – will be good enough to reverse the rot.

The Raving Rabbids will appear in a TV pilot

The cute-but-psychotic Raving Rabbids which debuted in Ubisoft’s Rayman series are to be turned into a TV pilot according to the French developer.

The characters will feature in an animation made by Aardman Studios which is best known for the Wallace And Gromit franchise. It has struck a deal with Ubisoft to develop a pilot with a view to making a fully-fledged series if it proves a hit.

The rabbids have already made appearances in viral clips, TV ads and as plush toys in addition to featuring in a number of games for various consoles. They have been such a hit that their most recent game – Rabbids Go Home – was the first to break away completely from the ‘Rayman’ franchise.

The next Rabbids game, Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time, will arrive in Ireland in mid-November.

The 'Phantom Black' HTC Legend will come to Ireland in October

The HTC Legend and Desire smartphones will be available in new colours in Ireland this month according to the Taiwanese corporation. The previously silver Legend will now also ship in ‘phantom black’ while the Desire will sport a ‘brilliant white’ face-lift.

The change is purely aesthetic, however, with the phones’ innards remaining just the same as their other-coloured stable-mates.

According to HTC both handset refreshes will ship across Europe (and only Europe, for now at least) in October. Carriage and price details for Ireland are currently unknown.

Of course people in the market for a new HTC smartphone might be more inclined to invest in the slightly more advanced Desire HD or Desire Z phones, but that’s a different story altogether.

Windows Phone 7 will launch in Dublin on 11th Oct

Following a vague invite late last week Microsoft has confirmed that its event on 11th Oct will be to launch Windows Phone 7. The Dublin event will start at 6pm local time, meaning it will actually be 2 hours ahead of the New York launch due for the same day (though a few hours behind London’s).

Windows Phone 7 is the latest phone operating system from Microsoft and will compete to regain some of the market-share eaten up by the arrival of the Apple iPhone and Google’s Android OS.

The operating system will have social media integration at its core, along with a link to the Xbox Live system and Zune audio store.

HTC, Samsung and LG are all expected to support the system at launch and the first handset should arrive in Ireland before Christmas.

Teic.ie will be at the Dublin launch next week and will report back on the details once available.

One of many views of Dublin's O'Connell St taken by Google's cameras

Contrary to earlier reports that it would come tomorrow, Google Street View is now live in Ireland. More than 80,000km of road has been captured, covering streets in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

Street View allows users to get a street-level look at places on Google Maps. The information is gathered by a specially adapted car – or trike – which has a 360 degree camera mounted on top of it.

The end result should be a clear view of what you would see if you were actually standing on the street. Some things will be blurred, however, namely some faces and number plates.

This will obviously have many advantages to people looking to get around but it is also likely to lead to many funny discoveries as people trawl through the images.

Indeed there are already a number of websites in existence that are dedicated solely to odd and surreal moments captured by the Street View camera.

On the flip side the service has attracted plenty of negative attention. Countries like Germany have recently been cracking down on the service out of privacy concerns. Earlier this year it was also revealed that Google had unintentionally – at least according to them – collected people’s private data via the Street View car.

Nintendo's 3DS should arrive in Ireland in March 2011

Nintendo have given more details on its upcoming 3DS handheld, confirming a March 2011 release date in Europe and the US.

As the name suggests the 3DS is the successor to the extremely successful DS handheld and will offer 3D gaming without the need for special glasses.

The device will come out in Japan in February, followed a month later by a European and US release. A pre-Christmas launch was originally expected but this has since slipped, causing Nintendo to miss out on a fairly lucrative time of the year.

A price for Europe is as yet unknown. The Japanese price equates to about €220 which would more than likely be rounded up for its arrival in Ireland. To put that into context the Nintendo DSi currently costs around €140.

Besides release dates Nintendo also announced a few new features for the 3DS, including a Mii creator that designs one from the pictures people take with the console’s camera.

An online game shop will also be available through the device, allowing users to download classic Nintendo games directly to their handheld.

Sky's 3D channel arrives on Friday

Sky’s 3D TV channel will go live this Friday with a line-up of sport, films and documentaries planned for its inaugural months.

The first event to be shown in 3D will be the upcoming Ryder Cup tournament, a sport that is unlikely to benefit from the format all that much. Besides that soccer, rugby and boxing events are also in line to be shown on the channel during October and November.

Films like Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, Aliens Vs Monsters and Ice Age 3 will also be available to view in 3D, as will a number of nature documentaries and musical events.

The 3D channel will be available to all Sky customers already on the highest package available on the Sky+HD service. A 3D TV will also be required, with companies like Samsung and Sony having compatible models available in Irish shops already.

Eircom's new mobile brand - eMobile - was launched today

Telecoms provider Eircom has taken the wraps off its new mobile brand, eMobile. The company will offer pre-pay, bill pay and mobile broadband services through the brand with the whole thing run on the same network as its other mobile company, Meteor.

At the launch Eircom executives were insistent that eMobile would not cannibalise the market share currently held by Meteor, saying it would target a different type of customer.

Traditionally Meteor has done well at attracting 18-25 year old users, generally on pre-pay services. Eircom sees eMobile as complimenting that with an offering attractive to older users, particularly those already using fixed line Eircom services.

That said eMobile does have a pre-pay package – named ‘Seven 10′, which gives users free calls and texts to any network if they top up by at least €10 once every week. This mimics Meteor’s offering which requires users to top up by €20 every fortnight t receive the same benefits.

As part of the roll-out of the eMobile brand a number of new retail outlets have also been opened today. There are two in Dublin – one on Henry St and one in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre – and one in Cork, Limerick and Waterford. The company has also done deals with Carphone Warehouse, the DSG Group (Dixons, Currys & PC World) and XtraVision .

The Blackberry PlayBook will arrive early next year

RIM are the latest company out of the tablet traps, making its ‘Blackberry PlayBook’ slate computer official at the company’s developers conference in San Francisco.

According to company co-founder and CEO Mike Lazaridis the device will ship in early 2011 and will boast the following:

• A Cortex A9 1GHz dual-core CPU
• 1GB of RAM
• A 7-inch display
• Full 1080p HDMI video
• HDMI and USB ports
• Front and rear HD camera configuration
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

The tablet measure 130mm x 193mm x 10mm (compared to the iPad’s 189.7mm x 242.8 x 13.4mm) and will run on a custom-designed OS simply called ‘Blackberry Tablet OS’. It will support the OpenGL standard, making it a potential gaming platform but is also being described as the “first professional tablet” on the market.

3G and 4G versions were also mooted, though it is unlikely they will see the light of day until later into next year.

A micro-site for the device is already up – you can check out the (currently limited) information on the device here.

Eircom Mobile will launch this Wednesday

Eircom will launch a new mobile phone service on Wednesday, technically putting the company in competition with itself. The new service will more than likely be called ‘Eircom Mobile’, a brand previously reserved for business users, and as a consumer offering will compete in the same space as company subsidiary Meteor.

A press release from the company last week promised the new product would be “guaranteed to shake up the market and bring real value to consumers”. In practical terms it also means Eircom will be able to compete with Vodafone in the area of triple-play (offering fixed line, broadband and mobile from the one supplier).

When it comes to challenging Meteor it is more likely that the two brands will be used to complement each other rather than compete. Meteor has traditionally doing well with young, pre-pay customers but not those on a bill. The Eircom brand would have a bit more traction with older users and so could compete for that space, leaving Meteor free to purely target teens and twenty-somethings.

Exact price plans and details – like whether triple-play customers will be able to have everything run through a single bill – will likely be announced at the launch event on Wednesday.

Microsoft launch a competition to bring in devs for Windows Phone 7

Microsoft has announced an app challenge to try to entice developers to the Windows Phone 7 platform. The new OS is due out in Ireland in the months ahead and this competition is an attempt to give its app store as much Irish content as possible at launch.

There are four prizes on offer to developers of what is deemed the best app in each category. The best app by a student or professional will receive €1,000 each, the winner of the audience award will receive €2,500 and the overall winner will bag €5,000.

All winners will also receive a 250GB Xbox 360 Elite along with 12 months Xbox Live membership.

Naturally each app will also make its way onto the Windows Live Marketplace, which will be the app store for Windows Phone 7.

This is the latest in a number of competitions designed to draw developers onto platforms other than Apple’s iTunes App Store. Samsung previously launched a giveaway to get apps made for its Bada platform while Nokia also had an Irish-specific competition for Ovi.

The closing date for entries to Microsoft’s competition is the 15th October.

Apple has published guidelines for its App Store

Apple has published a document (link to PDF) outlining the company’s app guidelines, making clear what developers should avoid if they want any hope of app-approval.

Laying down the law in very clear terms Apple has said that badly designed or unoriginal apps will not make it into their app store. The document accepts that this may give the company the appearance of being a control freak, but if so it is for the benefit of the customer only.

Other things that will likely see an app get rejected include:

• Having hidden / undocumented features
• The mis-spelling of Apple products or software (this includes not having the capital letter in the right place for iPhone etc.)
• Looking similar to the company’s own bundled apps
• Mentions of other platforms in the app’s meta-data
• Being a duplicate of existing apps in the store
• Having pornographic content or providing access to file-sharing

The company also reminds developers that there are 250,000 apps in the App Store at present and it does not need any more fart apps, or anything that looks like a product of “amateur hour”.

It does offer the olive-branch of the app Review Board for devs to go to if they feel their app was wrongly rejected. Bad-mouthing Apple in the press for their rejection will not make this process any easier, however.

Gamestop will launch an online shop from next week

Gamestop has said it will open the doors of its online Irish shop, called Gamestop 24/7, at 12am next Tuesday morning. The site will sell all the fare you would expect from a games shop, including consoles and accessories.

To mark the launch Gamestop will be offering a number of special offers to customers, from a free Halo:Reach hoody with the game to a discount on a PS3 bundle.

Microsoft’s much-anticipated Halo:Reach just so happens to be launching next Tuesday too.

The shop will be located at gamestop.ie which currently only offfers information about titles and Gamestop outlets.

Google's search gets instantanious

Google has unveiled  ‘Instant’ search which it says will shave seconds off the time it takes people to find what they want online.

The new setting will display search results to users as they type, meaning they may not have to finish entering a term or even hit ‘search’ to see what they want.

According to Google the Instant search engine should take 2-5 seconds from each search duration. They feel it will also lead to better search terms as users will be able to instantly adapt what they type depending on the results they begin to get.

Google Instant is already being rolled out across a number of the company’s websites and will at first be available to users with a Google account only. Upon using the feature first the message ‘Welcome to Google Instant / Feelings of weightlessness and euphoria are normal. Do not be alarmed” appears in the suggested search box.

If users do not like the new way of doing things – and a slow internet connection or computer may put them into that category – they can go into preferences and return themselves to the old-fashioned way of doing things.

Apple TV is now much smaller and much cheaper.

Apple TV has gotten a much-rumoured upgrade, though in a far more interesting way than many predicted.

The device is now 1/4 the size of the original version, fitting comfortably into the palm of Steve Jobs’ hand when he showed it off today. Its price has shrunken too, down to €119 (or just $99 in the US).

The way the whole thing works has changed with that, of course.

Apple TV no longer has a hard drive built in and instead streams content from iTunes or a user’s computer. TV shows and movies can now be rented rather than purchased, with Netflix, YouTube and Flickr all accessible through the device.

Changes to the AirTunes system – which is now called AirPlay – also mean content can be streamed through Apple TV from any iOS device, such as the iPad or iPhone.

Pre-orders can currently be made for the device on Apple.com with a shipping date set for late September. Expect that to slip in Ireland, though, like most other Apple launch dates have this year.

Ping is a social network for music built in to iTunes 10

The newest version of iTunes (10 for those who lost count) will include a music social network called Ping.

The service will allow users to ‘follow’ their favourite artists and friends to see what music they are listening to or gigs they are attending. It will work very much like Facebook in that it offers a feed of people’s latest updates, which Apple obviously hopes will remain music related.

The service also shows a personalised chart based on what a user’s friends are downloading most, meaning people can easily pick up on trends amongst their peers.

There is clearly a lot of inspiration for Ping coming from Facebook but if anything it is likely to threaten what’s left of Myspace more. If bands and artists set up interesting pages they can more easily convert them into song sales on Ping than they might elsewhere.

Of course whether the world really needs another social network to follow is the real question in all of this.

iTunes 10 also sees the end of the programme’s iconic logo, with the CD now being dropped (though the musical note remaining). This is because iTunes sales are due to out-strip CDs in the next few months, said Jobs.