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Google's $12.5 billion (£8 billion) deal to buy Motorola has cleared the final hurdle and is heading for the finish line, after China became the last country to approve the takeover.

The acquisition, which was agreed in principle back in August, had been subject to a worldwide review process with each country testing the proposal against its own anti-trust regulations.

Europe and the United States approved the alliance in February and now China has given Google the green light to rubber stamp the deal.

However, various news outlets are reporting that in order to win the regulatory approval, Google had to assure the Chinese that it will keep Android free and open for the next five years.

Patent arsenal

Motorola is now officially expected to come under Google's control early this week.

Through buying Motorola, the company is expected to work closely with the hardware manufacturer to develop phones and tablets for the Android operating system.

However, with the assurances supposedly given to China and its other Android partners, there's no way Google could favour its new plaything too heavily.

As well as the hardware, Google pursued the deal in order to acquire the Moto's hefty patent portfolio and increase its arsenal in the ongoing patent war with Apple.

Run Android on a PC? Yes you can!

Android is taking over the smartphone world as the only viable competitor to Apple's iOS. Google's Andy Rubin recently announced that 850,000 devices are activated every day, which makes it a fantastic platform for development and experimentation.

And while Android and iOS have many similarities, there's one big difference: iOS is proprietary, while Android is open source. That means anyone can grab the code to Android and do what they want with it.

Google is responsible for nearly all Android development, and is likely to continue working in this way, but it's committed to releasing the source code for its work using a free software licence (mostly GPLv2 and Apache) under the banner of the Android Open Source Project.

So far it's made good on its word, and has released the code to each successive version. This happened most recently in November 2011 with Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich. Anyone can play with it, change it and build their own versions, which is exactly what many Android vendors are doing with their hardware. And now you can too.

Releasing the source code is one thing - getting it to run is another. The main challenge is that most Android devices run on ARM processors, and porting it to run on anything else is a big challenge. Google does provide tentative support for the x86 architecture within the codebase, but it wouldn't be possible at all without the existence of a project that pulls all this together with a considerable library of patches to create a build of Android that mostly works on x86.

That project is Android-x86. It's been able to make earlier releases of Android run fairly stably on the x86 platform, including networking and mouse support. But Ice Cream Sandwich in particular is still highly experimental, and it was only in the first weeks of 2012 that a semi-usable x86 version became viable.

As a result, running ICS should be considered a proof of concept, and a useful test to measure how quickly x86 development is progressing.

Before we get to the experimentation, we're going to cover installing a version of Android that might be a little more useful.

Android 2.2.1

The Android-x86 project provides pre-built versions of Android that can be used on a variety of hardware, including the EeePC and a couple of x86 touch devices. Older versions of Android have been built and shown to work on generic PC hardware, and live images of those distributions can be downloaded, run, and installed from the x86 website, but at the time of writing, there's no official version of ICS that works on a generic PC.

You can build your own, but as with any compilation of a Linux kernel, it takes a lot of time and effort. Previous releases have also suffered from lack of mouse control and networking, both of which needed source code patches to the kernel to fix.

We'll take our first foray into Android by running an older version in a virtual machine environment. This is safe, maximises functionality and walks a well trodden path. If you like it, you can move onto a newer version later.

We used VirtualBox, installed on an AMD Linux system running Arch. Android works better on Intel hardware due to modifications in the source code, but we saw no difference on our AMD machine other than a couple of warnings. The same isn't true of ICS, which currently only runs on Intel x86 hardware.

Running the OS

We've had the best experience with the nightly build of Android 2.2, which you can grab from http://android-x86.moonman.dk. With the ISO downloaded, launch VirtualBox and click on the 'New' button. In the wizard that appears, set the operating system to 'Linux', and set 'Other Linux' as the version. We gave our machine 512MB of memory, and a 2GB hard drive as a VDI disk image.

After the new machine has been created, select it in the machine list and open the settings window. On the system page, switch to the processor tab and make sure 'Enable PAE/NX' is active for your CPU.

Now click on the 'Storage' page. VirtualBox defaults to IDE emulation rather than SATA, and we need to add a second device to attach to our ISO image. If the device doesn't exist, click on the controller followed by the 'Add a new attachment' icon (which looks like an optical disc). A small window should appear asking you to choose a disc image, and you should point the resulting requester at the Android 2.2 image.

If an optical drive already exists, select it in the storage tree. Use the disc icon on the far right to display a dropdown menu, then select 'Choose virtual CD/DVD disk file'. Now that everything is configured, click on 'OK' in the Settings window, followed by the green 'Start' button in the main interface. Android 2.2 will boot within the virtual machine.

You'll see the boot menu, from which you should choose the first option. HDPI and MDPI refer to the screen resolution of the output device, which you can ignore when running on anything other than a tablet. If you're trying this boot on real hardware, then the third option avoids graphics drivers by using the VESA mode. This is useful if you run into compatibility problems.

If you like what you see with Android, the final option will create a permanent installation on a spare drive partition. A few moments after making your choice, you'll see Android's unlock screen.

The final hurdle is overcome by pressing the right [Ctrl] key and selecting 'Disable mouse integration' from the Machine menu. When you now click on the virtual machine, you should see the mouse and be able to slide the padlock icon up to enter the OS.

Netbook Android

Hopefully you've now played with Android 2.2 and want to upgrade to the latest version. The missing generic build of Ice Cream Sandwich is likely to be a sign that there are problems with the codebase that make the platform highly unstable.

For that reason, any version of ICS you get running will have problems. We've tried native hardware, virtual machines and netbooks, and surprisingly it was the last category that gave us the best experience. If you have a netbook handy, you can get a fully fledged x86 version of ICS running with little difficulty.

We downloaded the ISO image of 4.0.3 built for the Asus platform (android-x86-4.0-asus_laptop-20120101.iso). Either this image or a later version should work with most netbooks, and maybe other laptops and PCs, but even our Samsung NC10 ran the image well, albeit without wired or wireless networking.

Booting Android

As these devices don't have an optical drive, the ISO image needs to be written to a USB stick, which can then be booted on the machine. The tool for the job is Unetbootin, which can be installed within Linux from your distribution's package manager. Versions are also available for OS X and Windows, and they all work the same way.

First, insert your USB stick - 1GB will do. All the data will be lost, so make sure there's nothing on there you want to keep, then launch Unetbootin. The top half of the window is used for selecting a Linux distribution, which can be downloaded and installed automatically.

We want to use the bottom half to locate the ISO and ensure the correct USB device has been selected. If everything is correct, click 'OK'. This will start the conversion and begin to write the bootable data to your USB stick. It should complete in a few minutes.

Like a live Linux distribution launching from a USB stick, Android can now be booted by turning on your machine with the USB device inserted. As long as the BIOS or boot menu is configured to probe USB devices first - and most are - you should see the Android boot menu.

This has three options, with 'Default' being added by Unetbootin. Choose the first, 'Run Android x86 without installation', to test the OS. If everything works, you can choose to install at a later time.

Android takes a few minutes to boot, and will probably complain that your machine isn't an Asus product. After the Android logo, you'll see the starter wizard. This is where, on a real device, you sync the hardware with your Google account, but without network connectivity it makes no sense. Just click through the options to get to the OS quickly.

You'll now see the start page of Android. This adds a few prompts to help you get started, but Android is easy enough to use without any prior experience, especially if you tried version 2.2.3 earlier. The main differences are in the transitions and how the display looks, but all that can be changed too.

Applications are launched from the small matrix icon on the top right, and you can use the arrows in the bottom left to move between what Android calls 'activities'. In Linux terms, these are virtual desktops.

Configuration

Playing with the settings is the first thing you should do. You can get to the Settings panel by clicking on the clock in the bottom right of the display, then on the text that says 'No internet connection'.

Clicking the Wi-Fi icon will turn it on, and hopefully you'll be able to scan for networks with the 'Scan' button at the top of the screen. This didn't work for us, but there are reports of it working with other hardware. We got some connectivity by using a Bluetooth PAN connection to a machine that was sharing its internet connection over Bluetooth. Ensure your laptop supports this feature, and that it's enabled.

After pairing your Android device and your laptop, you should have network connectivity. Android x86 is in a state of rapid development, so there's a very good chance networking will have been fixed.

Just a few weeks before the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S3, an APK install package for S-Voice has been made available online, giving an early access preview to S-Voice, the Galazy S3's voice command utility.

S-Voice, unabashedly filling Siri's Samsung shoes, hit the XDADevelopers forum on Saturday by way of user Ascarface23.

The install of the APK file does require the Android phone to be rooted and for some of the permissions and directories to be altered.

Once installed, though, the application reportedly runs fairly well on the newest breed of Galaxy phones, according to recent reviews.

For mobile phones that can run the new software, S-Voice does just about everything Siri does. This includes navigating, opening apps, weather updating, contact searching, calling, and answering which phone is the best phone (just guess).

Rooters Beware

For anyone looking to get in early on the S-Voice action, be aware of the caveats that an unregistered, unverified APK install like this can present.

As plenty of the users on XDADevelopers have discovered, the application only works when installed in a very specific way on rooted phones running Ice Cream Sandwich, and even then some of the hardware hasn't been tailored to the kind of precise voice recognition the software needs.

While users with the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Nexus have had more success than others, almost everyone experienced the bug with customizing the wake-up command, among other glitches.

As pulled preview content goes, it runs fairly well under the right conditions, but shouldn't be approached as a completed, hassle-free product.

The Vlingo Connection

S-Voice also makes use of Vlingo, a voice-command service already available from the eponymous third-party company, which has given rise to some speculation that the "S-Voice APK" is really just Vlingo in Samsung's clothing.

Judging by Samsung's recent stage demo of S-Voice, this APK is the real deal, and just uses Vlingo's code for some of its social network capabilities.

Regardless, Samsung mobile users eager to start chatting with their phones won't have to wait much longer, as the release of the Galaxy S3 is right around the corner. Look for the new, un-rooted S-Voice device on May 29 in Europe and June 1 in North America.

How to uncover hidden PC activity

We recently looked at various techniques you can use to hide data in Windows, from simple filename tricks to complete encryption of the OS. Now we're going to turn the tables and discover ways to uncover hidden activity.

There are plenty of reasons why someone might not want you to know that your security has been breached. The most obvious is infection with malware. If you believe others may be using your PC without your consent, the issues can become serious. What are they doing? Will people assume it was you?

Luckily, finding out is easier than you might think, and you can even monitor your computer from your inbox.

Exploring Explorer

How you can tell if someone has modified or even added a new file to your computer?

The easiest method is to open Windows Explorer in an account with Administrator rights over the system. Now click 'Organise > Folder and search options'. Click the 'View' tab and in the advanced settings, ensure that 'Show hidden files, folders and drives' is selected. Click 'OK'.

Now click the search box in Windows Explorer. This will reveal several search criteria, including 'Date modified'. Click this and a calendar appears along with some interesting options, including 'Earlier this week'. Click one of these and press [Enter]. All the files modified since this time, including hidden ones, will be listed. Is there anything that you don't like the look of?

Of course, much of today's malware is capable of faking the modify time on a file to hide from this search. The worst malware, the rootkit, maintains its anonymous presence by not only faking modification times, but also ensuring it fools the OS into returning results that make everything seem okay. The rootkit can then allow other malware, like a keylogger, to run.

To uncover this kind of infection, we need a way of examining the disk while Windows sleeps. Read a sleeping PC The easiest way of achieving this is to boot a Linux live CD, mount the disk and have a look around.

What are we looking for? Luckily, we needn't know. Several security vendors distribute Linux live CD discs designed to simply run a Windows antivirus scanner. Without a subverted Windows system getting in the way, all malware is naked and visible.

One such disk is the Avira Rescue CD. You can download the ISO file and burn it to a bootable disc using your favourite software, but there's another option. If you download and run the EXE version, you'll find that it contains burner software. You'll be asked to insert a DVD, after which the ISO will be unpacked and burned to disc, ready to boot.

If you're using a wireless network card, you'll have to plug your PC into your broadband router with a cable if Linux doesn't contain a driver for your wireless card.

When you boot the rescue disc, you'll be met by a boot menu. Press [Enter] to continue booting. The Avira scanner will load and run.

The software has four tabs. Click 'Update' and then click 'Yes' in the window that appears asking if you want to update the malware definitions. Once complete, click the 'Configuration' tab. Ensure that in the Scan Method section, the option selected is 'All files'. Also ensure that you select the tick boxes for joke programs, security privacy risks and runtime compression utilities. This last option is important because some malware stays securely compressed until it's run, thereby obscuring its purpose.

Finally, click the 'Virus scanner' tab and click 'Start scanner'. Once the scan is complete and any stealthy infections have been identified and hopefully fixed, you can click 'Shut down' and either shut down the computer or reboot. Once Linux has shut itself down, you can remove the DVD and boot into Windows.

Tracking activity

Another major problem, especially if you have to leave your PC unattended for a while, is an interloper using it without your permission. If someone really wants to read your hard disk, booting a Linux live CD will allow them to mount your disk and read whatever they like.

If you don't want to encrypt your entire OS as we demonstrated last issue using TrueCrypt, you can thwart their attempts to even boot the computer by setting a password on your BIOS.

The BIOS contains the first software to be run when your machine powers up. Because there's no way to stop this, telling the BIOS to ask for a password at boot time will stop most would-be hackers dead. What's more, modern BIOS implementations allow for several different passwords that perform different jobs, and newer hard disks can be made to work in conjunction with the BIOS to prevent secrets being revealed.

To set a BIOS password, you need to get into its setup mode. Most modern BIOS implementations respond to holding down [F2], [F10] or [Delete]. Your PC's manual will tell you which. Hold this key immediately after power on in cases where the BIOS screen flashes by too quickly.

Different BIOS types have different interfaces, but in general there'll always be a security or password screen. There may be different types of password you can set.

When you boot the computer, the password you're asked to enter is the user password. However, what's to stop someone going into the BIOS and removing it? That's the job of the supervisor password. If you set this, then even entering the BIOS becomes problematic for a hacker.

Because there are techniques for overriding BIOS passwords, laptop BIOS implementations also have an HDD password. This is stored in the hard disk controller and must be supplied before the disk gives up one byte of access.

Evidence gathering

If you think someone is using your PC without permission, sometimes the best thing is to gather evidence, then either confront them or take steps to ensure you have a legitimate reason why they can't continue to use it.

One method of doing this is to install a keylogger. Keyloggers aren't always used illegally. In some situations they can be used to check that personnel are only doing what they're supposed to and not abusing their position.

A word or warning first: Never be tempted to install a keylogger or any other piece of spyware onto a computer that you do not personally own. If you're caught and the case goes to court, you could be liable under the Misuse of Computers Act, and receive a prison sentence and a fine of up to £5,000.

There are many free Windows keyloggers. We'll use iSafe from iSafeSoft. The trial version will last for seven days, which should be enough to discover unauthorised use of your PC. Download the executable to the PC you wish to monitor (which we'll call the target) and run it.

The installation process consists of simply accepting the licence agreement and the defaults. Once installed, press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Shift]+[X] and enter the default password 123 to open the keylogger's user interface.

Each part of the system that can be logged has its own icon. At the top of each icon is a number, indicating the records that have been collected. To stop your activity being logged, click the green button marked 'Stop now'.

With iSafe logging events, try opening a web browser and entering a search phrase. Surf to a few sites and then go back to the iSafe user interface. Click 'Log' at the top of the screen. In the left hand panel, expand the username that did the surfing and select the 'Website' category.

In the right-hand panes you'll see the dates and times of each element of surfing activity, along with the site involved. Select one and the lower panel shows the details. Select the 'Keystroke' category in the left hand panel and click an entry from the web surfing traffic you just generated. The lower pane shows the exact keystrokes (including deletions and other edits), and the text entered.

Another valuable feature is the Screenshot category. Screenshots are taken at regular intervals, and are a powerful piece of evidence when looking for untoward activities by others. Back on the main iSafe interface, click the 'Screenshot' tab on the left to access the settings.

By default iSafe makes a capture every minute, but this could soon fill your hard disk. It's more useful to take a shot of the active window. You can further reduce the amount of space taken by each shot by selecting the capture quality. To compress the shots (and protect them), select the option to compress them into an archive. This is protected by the iSafe password.

iSafe won't take screenshots when the computer is idle (in other words, when the suspect isn't using it). To keep taking snaps anyway, click 'Setting', then click 'Screenshot' on the resulting right-hand pane. Untick 'Don't take screenshots when user is idle.'

One excellent function of the screenshot facility is the ability to start taking shots as soon as iSafe detects that the user has entered one or more specified keywords. On the Screenshot tab, click 'Enable Smart Sense' and associated buttons become active. Enter a keyword and click 'Add' to add it to the list. To remove it, select it and click 'Delete'.

More settings

The default password is insecure, so click the 'Settings' tab and then click 'General'. To the right, enter the old 123 password and a new, longer one. Click 'Apply' to change it. The setting allow you to set many other useful options. For example, you can hide the use of iSafe by changing the hotkey sequence from the default of [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Shift]+[X].

You can also set the parameters for the Stealth mode. These include becoming invisible in Task Manager. Click the 'Users' category and you can specify the users you want to monitor. This enables you to narrow down your evidence gathering to just those people or accounts you suspect.

You can also have relevant data emailed to you. Select the Delivery category and set 'Deliver logs to email' to 'On'. Enter your email address and set the options. Emailing yourself the information captured by iSafe will enable you to monitor activity when your suspect believes they're safe. Provided you can get to your inbox, you can still see what they're up to.

Sifting the evidence

Rather than having to plough through every keystroke, screenshot and other piece of information, you can target a specific date range.

On the main iSafe interface, click 'Log'. Select a date and click 'View log'. Only the entries for that day are shown. You can also select the previous seven or 30 days, or define a custom range. Click the 'Custom' button at the top of the screen, then enter the start and end dates before clicking 'OK'.

You can delete the logs and other collected information using the buttons at the top of the log view. You can also delete a date range or all data here to save on disk space.

Uninstalling iSafe after you've finished is as simple as clicking the 'Uninstall' icon at the top of the interface.

Control your PC with your phone

There's something deeply liberating about being able to get one over on those huge, faceless and cold-hearted corporations, and nothing does that better than building your own recordable TV powerhouse in your living room - especially as companies like Virgin Media have announced package price hikes for those customers stuck in a contract.

You can achieve this snub by installing a media centre PC next to your big screen.

Unfortunately, no matter how good you make your media PC - and modern systems are good, allowing you to watch, record and play back TV in perfect silence - there's often one weak point in DIY home media networking that will bring the rest of the house toppling down.

The weak link in question is the remote control.

Many of us use the standard keyboard and mouse, or some kind of cobbled-together version of the two to control a media PC from a distance. Neither option is particularly good. You can purchase a third, more expensive option in the form of a media centre remote, but we don't think this is the best method available.

So what are you left with? Well, there's a solution, and you probably already own it: a smartphone. Not just any smartphone though - the mobile of choice for this kind of work comes from the hands of the smiling green bug of Android, allied to a little application called Gmote that gives you complete control of your media PC.

If you've never used it before then you're in for a rare treat - Gmote is an eye-opener to the world of Android. When such a simple app can work so harmoniously with the devices it's connected to, you start to wonder what else your smartphone is capable of.

As well as being a great way of controlling the media on your PC for playback on a big screen TV, you can also use Gmote to stream media from your PC to your phone or tablet. Here's how to install the app on your device as well as the software needed on your computer to communicate with it.

Installing Gmote

Turn your phone into a remote control and access media files from your couch

1. Get the app

Gmote 2.0 is available on the Android Market, so download and install it. The first time you open the app, it will inform you that you need to install the Gmote server on your PC by downloading it from the website. You can get Gmote to email you the link, or alternatively just go to www.gmote.org/server and select the right installer for your PC.

2. Allow it access

Now that you've installed Gmote on your Android phone and PC, allow the program access to the internet. Create a password for connecting to the Gmote server through your Android phone, then select the location of the media files on your hard drive. Click on 'Add path', then simply choose the folder (or folders) that you want to share with the phone.

3. Never too late

If, at a later date, you change your mind and decide to create a more secure password for your smartphones access or wish to add more folders to share, or even remove those folders that you've linked to previously, all you need to do is right-click the Gmote icon in your Taskbar tray and select the appropriate link from the Settings menu.

4. Start Android

Once your PC is ready for action, it's time to get your Android device into gear. Go back to Gmote and tap the button on the screen to let the application know that you have Gmote installed on your machine now.

The name of your PC should show up on the screen, so just tap it. If not, press the option below it to enter your computer's IP address manually.

5. Enter the password

You'll now see the remote control layout on your Android device's screen, complete with media playback controls and more. Tap any of the buttons on the screen and it'll ask you to enter the password you used earlier when setting up Gmote on your PC. Once that's done it'll connect to your computer - you've just got yourself a remote Android control.

6. Explore the controls

Using the Gmote remote is pretty intuitive, so it's quite self-explanatory really. Even so, it's worth mentioning that when you first open the application, you'll be presented with an array of media controls that you can use to play, pause and alter the volume of any media files that you open, whether they are music or video.

7. Find some files

Once you're acquainted with the first screen, you can start browsing for media files on your PC's hard drive. Tap the 'Browse' button in the top left-hand side of the screen and you'll see a list of folders that you added earlier. Just tap on the folder where your media is located and tap a file to open it on your PC - this will be your default program for the file type.

8. Play on tablet

You can also beam media stored on your PC to your Android tablet or smartphone. Streaming this way is easy - just go back to the file browser on your Android device, and at the top where it says 'Play on', tap 'Phone (beta)'. You can now search for media files as you did before. It's worth noting, however, that because this feature is still in beta, not all file types are supported.

9. Finger tricks

One of the app's best features is the ability to transform itself into a mouse and keyboard at will. Press the menu button and click on 'Touchpad' to turn the screen into a mouse touchpad. The real beauty of this is that when you tap the screen it will register as a left click of the mouse, and if you hold your finger down it will bring up the Windows context menu.

10. Type away

Even better, you can type directly on screen by simply tapping the keyboard icon in the top-left corner. Input responses are immediate, so you could type entire documents on your phone. Gmote has another neat trick up its sleeve too - tap the menu button once more and select 'Web (beta)' and you can now search the internet.

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.

Steve Ballmer is the world's worst CEO, according to business bible Forbes.

The performance of the Microsoft boss, head of one of the world's most valuable and profitable companies, is derided in the article which, we must say, borders on the mean-spirited.

Forbes reckons Ballmer, who took over ten years ago has "singlehandedly steered Microsoft out of some of the fastest growing and most lucrative tech markets (mobile music, handsets and tablets.

"The reach of his bad leadership has extended far beyond Microsoft when it comes to destroying shareholder value – and jobs," the article continued, claiming he had also affected profits at companies like Dell, HP and Nokia.

An insane bet

The publication accuses Ballmer of failing to broaden Microsoft's horizons beyond the PC software sector, a mistake that could prove costly if mobile continues to encroach on the market.

"Microsoft is (a) PC company, nothing more" wrote Adam Hartung. As demand for PCs shifts to mobile. Years late to market, he has bet the company on Windows 8 – as well as the future of Dell, HP, Nokia and others.

"An insane bet for any CEO – and one that would have been avoided entirely had the Microsoft Board replaced Mr. Ballmer years ago with a CEO that understands the fast pace of technology shifts and would have kept Microsoft current with market trends.

What about the Xbox 360?

The brutal roasting continues with an assertion that Ballmer should gracefully retire before coming between investors and their fortunes.

"Although he's #19 on Forbes list of billionaires, Mr. Ballmer should not be allowed to take such incredible risks with investor money and employee jobs. Best he be retired to enjoy his fortune rather than deprive investors and employees of building theirs."

While Hartung presents some interesting points regarding Microsoft's over-reliance on its PC software, the efforts being made with Windows Phone are not without merit, despite slow initial sales.

However, he also completely ignores the phenomenal success Microsoft has experienced in the gaming arena through the Xbox 360, under Ballmer's control.

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.

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.

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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.