Firstly, Apple may allow FairPlay-protected audio streaming to USB devices. Currently, all-digital streaming of protected audio content purchased from the iTunes Store is only possible via the AirPort Express (and soon the Apple TV). Other solutions involve analogue links between the 'receiver' and the home entertainment gear.

Secondly, FairPlay itself may be licensed to other manufacturers. It seems unlikely that Apple would allow anyone else to make a direct competitor for the iPod the new Apple TV, but we can imagine Apple granting a licence for related products. For example, D-Link makes a wireless media player incorporating a DVD player and support for Windows Media Digital Rights Management (WMDRM). If you need a player that handles WMDRM or you want a built-in DVD drive, then you won't be looking at the Apple TV - and we can't see Apple adding WMDRM to a future version. But a company like D-Link or Netgear shouldn't have any 'religious' objections to any particular scheme - the more protected formats they support, the more popular their devices can be.

Is the tech.co.uk rumour well founded? We'll find out soon enough. We're taking it with a pinch of salt, but we're not convinced by Crave's argument that Apple would have made the announcement at Macworld Expo last week. The iPhone was obviously the big news, and Apple TV had been preannounced. These two items helped underscore the change of name from Apple Computer to just plain Apple. The company has a whole queue of announcements to be made in the coming weeks and months, including iLife 07, Mac OS X 10.5 and speed-bumped Macs.

These concessions could be enough to get European consumer affairs departments off Apple's case, without the company having to part company with the jewel in its entertainment crown: the iPod itself.{moscomment}