Apple has unveiled its new sleek aluminium remote stick, which can be used to control iPhones, iPods and iMacs.

The remote gives users who connect their iPod or iPhone to a home stereo total control over their music and video choice.

Perfect for a party, there is no need to access the device to change songs, as they can be skipped using the forward and backwards functions on the stick from anywhere in the room, while volume can also be adjusted and tracks can be paused at the click of a button.

The remote is also compatible with Apple Macs which were introduced after 2005 and have a built-in infrared receiver.

Choice over music, photos and DVDs is given through a full-screen interface known as Front Row.

When the menu button is pressed on the remote, the Mac desktop fades and the new home screen takes over, turning the machine into a virtual multimedia powerhouse.

The product will cost £15 in the UK and is expected to go on sale within the next month.

Apple’s most successful quarter to date is being put down to its strong brand image, according to one industry expert.

Steven Cheliotis, director and chief executive of the Centre for Brand Analysis, said: “It has been reaffirmed once again, that a strong, well-regarded brand is the greatest differentiation between poor business and successful business. A good brand allows businesses to sell more of the product and it allows them to sell products at a higher premium.”

He also commented that a strong brand image is the major competitive advantage that an organisation can have.

Apple, which was named as the sixth most significant brand to the US market recently, revealed a profit of over £1 billion from revenue of £6 billion this quarter.

Record sales of its iPhone and Mac ranges have led to the massive profits, with more than seven million handsets being sold in the last quarter.

The forthcoming release of Windows 7 for PC and laptop users will repair the damage done to Microsoft’s reputation by its Vista operating system, according to an industry expert.

Simon May, author of the Rough Guide to Windows 7, said that the new software shows a return to form for Microsoft, adding that virtually no one has a bad thing to say about it.

“Windows is not Microsoft’s only product or even it’s only big product, but it is key to its reputation. I think Windows 7 might be the new XP – highly adopted, loved by some and a serious competitor to the next version of Windows,” he added.

The new operating system will be released tomorrow (October 22nd) and it is claimed that it is better performing, easier to use and more intelligent that Vista.

New features include preview windows, jumplists and a minimiser tool, which allows users to shake their current open application to clear the screen of any open programmes which are cluttering their desktop.

Electronics giant Toshiba has unveiled two new additions to its Satellite laptop range to coincide with the launch of Microsoft’s Windows 7 on October 22nd.

The two laptops are aimed at the budget buyer who is looking for excellent performance and style, with both laptops shipping with the new Windows 7 operating system, which has made a number of speed and operating improvements on its predecessor ,Vista.

Toshiba Satellite L450 is a 15.6 inch laptop which contains a TruBrite HD display, up to half a gigabyte of storage and 4GB of RAM.

It is powered by an Intel Celeron T3000 with an AMD Turion Dual Core Processor. An HDMI port allows users to connect to a television, while three USB ports mean that peripherals such as game controllers and removable hard drives can also be plugged in.

Toshiba Satellite L555 is a slightly larger laptop at 17.3 inches, with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

Again, an HDMI port is included along with an eSATA connection and three USB ports.

A Radeon HD4650 graphics card will cater for gamers’ needs, with 0.5GB of storage giving ample room for multimedia storage.

Apple has managed to fight its way through the recession thanks to record sales of iPhones and Mac computers.

The technology giant has sold more of its flagship products than ever, boosting its revenue by 25 per cent.

Apple sold 17 per cent more Macs than in the same fourth quarter last year with over three million being bought, while a seven per cent rise in sales of iPhones saw more than seven million fly off the shelves.

Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, said the company was thrilled with its sales figures this year.

“We have got a very strong lineup for the holiday season and some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010,” he added.

An updated iPhone 3GS was released in June, while upgraded firmware including media messaging capabilities has helped the firm drive sales of its handheld device.

A new operating system was also released last month for Mac computers, helping them to stave off the impending release of Microsoft’s new Windows 7 platform.

The arrivals of the Palm Pre and Blackberry Storm2 into the smartphone genre will lead to an explosion on the mass mobile market, according to an industry expert.

These two devices have added to the already intense competition between Apple’s iPhone 3GS, HTC’s Magic and the original Blackberry Storm.

Natasha Stokes, editor of Mobile Choice, said that social media has really taken off this year and smartphones are enabling people to update their statuses on network sites such as Facebook instantaneously.

She added: “Technology is generally adopted first by ‘early adopters’, then ‘early followers’, before being accepted into the mass market. Operators are offering unlimited data packages and smartphones are finally advanced enough for desktop-like web browsing and emailing.”

RIM’s Storm2 was released on the Vodafone network on October 15th, featuring new SurePress touch-screen technology, while the Palm Pre was released one day later, boasting a ‘breakthrough’ user interface and hardware design which has been built from the ground up for the device.

Apple has launched a counter attack on Windows 7, claiming that the new operating system is ’still just Windows’.

Windows 7 is due to be officially launched on October 22nd, with early reviews saying that it is an improvement on the previous Vista iterations.

Bill Evans, spokesman for Apple, said: “New Mac users continually tell us that they are tired of all the headaches with Windows and they want the ease of use, stability and security of a Mac. At the end of the day, Windows 7 is still just Windows.”

Apple also claims that that the inconvenience of having to perform a clean install from Windows XP is one of the reasons why people might seek an alternative, such as switching to a Mac.

Some of the end-user improvements that Microsoft has made to its new operating system include speed, compatibility search and organisation functions and window stacking to allow users to manage multiple open documents.

Nearly three quarters of 16-to-24 year olds claim that they ‘could not live’ without the internet, according to a new report.

The survey, which was carried out by online charity YouthNet, said that many of today’s youngsters were using the internet to enjoy parallel lives, with technology also playing a huge role in how the current generation communicate with each other.

Funded by the Nominet Trust, the study was primarily concerned with how the internet impacts on the wellbeing of youths, with many having regular access to the web through iPhones or laptops.

Author of the research, Professor Michael Hulme, of Lancaster University, added that such is the comfort with telecoms that four out of five young people turn to the internet when they need advice.

Zara Rabinowicz, technology writer for Stuff Magazine, advised people to be careful with how much private information they disclose online.

She added: “Basic rules such as checking for the padlock sign and the https secure URL are well known. However, people often post private information to their social network profiles – such as address and date of birth – not realising this can be abused by unscrupulous con-artists.”