Apple's new fruits
Apple chief executive Steve Job's decision to drop the word "interim" from his title might have grabbed the headlines last week, but another announcement he made to MacWorld in San Francisco was much more interesting.

Apple also unveiled its new iTools at www.apple.com , a web-based suite of services that are designed especially for Mac users. It is hoped that, because they're made only for Macs, users will notice improved speed and functionality - not to mention fewer of the irritating crashes that can bedevil Mac-using surfers of certain sites.

Top of the list for MacSnobs like me is the @mac.com email addresses - although you'll have to move smartly to snap up the remaining prime addresses. There is also a HomePage service, allowing fast set-up of a personalised web page on Apple's newly beefed-up servers.

Parents will appreciate the KidSafe service, which will allow users to block out web sites unsuitable for young eyes. Apple claims the filter is intelligent enough to block sex sites while still allowing kids to, say, do research for a biology project on animals' mating habits - unlike some rival services. And an Apple innovation wouldn't be complete without a nod towards aesthetics - which, in this case, is the new iCard greetings card service, a design-aware alternative - for Mac users only - to the generally pretty tacky e-card offerings elsewhere on the web.

Why is Apple doing all this? Well there is, of course, a price to be paid to enter this world of exquisite taste and usefulness. You've got to have a Mac, and the latest Mac OS 9, which, presumably, is the payback.

Christmas clearout
Got any unwanted Christmas prezzies? It used to be hideous ties, undrinkable spirits and dangerous-looking chocolates to be quietly disposed of in the new year. But going by what's up for grabs at the free ads paper, Loot, ( www.loot.com ) times have changed.

Loot has set up a special Unwanted Xmas Gifts section on its site to let its users raise some cash for the sales. Some of the things going cheap are so strange it's almost worth registering and logging in just for a browse.

A quick foray this week found an unwanted Honda superbike, discarded BMW 3-Series lowering springs (still boxed - but what are they?) and several Sega Dreamcasts, including one going for only £100.

Shouldn't Sega be worried?

A new type of web ring
And, if by some freakish chance you manage to raise a four figure sum from offloading your unwanted lowering springs, why not splash out this Valentine's day at trendy upmarket jeweller's Van Peterson? The store is urging us to "engage yourself in cyberspace" by buying a ring through its website, at www.vanpeterson.com. The site is fast and beautifully laid out, filled with stunning sparklers like the £5,600 Pelham ring. There's only one question to ask with something like this: how many people are prepared to make a purchase this big without coming eye-to-facet with the item itself?

Sorry...how unromantic.

Expanding horizons
Or how about getting away from it all? Microsoft's Expedia website ( www.expedia.co.uk ) has announced it is dropping the requirement to register to use its services.

The move comes after figures from Jupiter research showed that 40% of users are put off sites which demand their details before giving them full access. Expedia includes content from the Rough Guides series of books, a travel magazine, fares information and the ability to book online.

Chance for a spree
BT's comparison shopping website, btspree.com, is running a big giveaway until the end of the month. It is hoping to encourage more users to register for the service, which lets you compare products and prices from lots of retailers.

The first 50,000 UK residents to sign up will get vouchers worth up to £2000, claims the site, which can then be redeemed against holidays, theme park entries and cinema tickets. The vouchers are valid until the end of next year.

Lion kings and jungle prints
"Printer consumables" and "environmental awareness" are two words not normally associated - but that was before the advent of Canon's new World Wildlife Fund website at www.canon-wwf.com. Canon is the first conservation partner of the WWF, and has launched a site full of pictures of endangered animals to help sell its products. There are "desktop animals" to download, plus the chance to win a family safari holiday in Kenya, or scanners and printers, plus links to WWF factsheets. You can also collect WWF-licensed endangered species cuddly toys - when you buy things like BubbleJet printer consumables. Hmm.

Music of the movies
If you thought MP3 music was going to be the cool thing on the net this year, think again. Nope - the cool bit's going to be the video you create to go with your MP3 track.

OK, perhaps not quite that cool - we've all seen the scratchy, jerky efforts that stagger down the line using streaming media players like RealPlayer. But the Lava MusicVideo Player, from MP3 music people Creative Labs, displays information and graphics sequences to show as the song is being played - a first step towards fully-fledged, MTV-style videos for MP3.

For now, Lava says the software, available in beta form at www.lava.com, will at least make it easier for musicians to get their work noticed.
Neil McIntosh