It doesn't seem too long ago when Mac users had to use Windows through virtualisation using software such as Virtual PC, which was almost unusable and dog slow, even on the fastest Mac. With the launch of Intel-based Macs, this enabled virtualisation developers to use the chipset directly, thus it's now possible to use Parallels for Mac or VMware Fusion, running Windows on top of Mac OS X, with only a small performance hit.

The alternative is Bootcamp, which is official Apple technology that will enable you to create a Windows partition on your drive and boot directly in to a native version of Windows, running full-speed on your Intel-based Mac. This is superb for users who want to run professional Windows software on their Mac or require complete compatibility for testing their applications.

Problem is, when you move back to the Mac, most of your important documents and other files are stored on your Windows partition. One solution is Paragon NTFS for Mac, which will open up your Windows partition, or any external Windows drive, so you can read and write to the drive as you would if you were still in Windows. Simply put, you can now access and write to NTFS-based drives within OS X.

V3.co.uk has teamed up with Paragon Software to offer its readers a full commercial version of Paragon NTFS for Mac 6.5, worth £24, for free. You can download the software here. Hurry though as this promotion will be online from today only through to 4 August.

Apple has once again addressed the issue of users circumventing software protections or "jailbreaking" on the iPhone.

The company posted a tech support article warning that users who modify their iPhones and iPod Touch handsets run the risk of encountering all sorts of stability and security problems:

As designed by Apple, the iPhone OS ensures that the iPhone and iPod touch operate reliably. Some customers have not understood the risks of installing software that makes unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS ("jailbreaking") on their iPhone or iPod touch.

Nothing too earth-shattering. Of course those who jailbreak their handsets know of the risk of unintended use of a device, just as those who would hot-rod a car or overclock a processor.

What is news is that this is really the strongest stance Apple has taken against jailbreaking thus far. Up until now, the company has been more or less dismissive of the process, saying that while they won't go after users who jailbreak the phone, they also won't have any sympathy if the device gets damaged by software updates and the like.

But is that fair? Should the company do a bit more to support jailbroken handsets, or at least provide some sort of rescue or recorvery tool in the event of a "brick" update that damages modified phones?

On one hand, the company shouldn't be held accountable for the hacks people make after buying the iPhone. It's not Apple's fault that you went and tinkered with your phone.

Then again, isn't the company's own policy around the iPhone and iPod Touch what's still driving the jailbreaking practice? The company's heavy hand in rejecting software from the App Store has begun to push software outside of the walled garden, and some of those rejected apps are things that people want.

Rejecting defective or malcious software is one thing, but Apple is also rejecting apps that are deemed by the company to be profane, and others that compete with Apple products. That goes far beyond basic maintenance and security.

If Apple is going to be so strict and picky with what goes into the App Store, it can't expect users to not look elsewhere for software. To that end, maybe they should do more to support jailbroken handsets.

That doesn't mean they have to bend over backwards and painstakingly test each new update on every possible hack, but some basic things like a recovery tool or a compatibility tester would be very welcome and could possibly save the company a lot of disgruntled customers down the line.

Apple recently found itself in the centre of a rather uncomfortable spotlight following the death of an employee at Foxconn, a Chinese firm that manufactures iPhones.

The 25 year-old worker committed suicide earlier this month by jumping from his high-rise apartment. Prior to his death, the man was the focus of a Foxconn interrogation stemming from the loss of a prototype iPhone due to be sent to Apple.

The story has led some to point fingers towards Cupertino, and the thick veil of secrecy with which Apple does business. Some suggest that the company's code of silence put pressure on Foxconn and its employees, which in turn drove the victim to kill himself.

The obvious points have been made elsewhere: the man's own mental health is a factor; the fact that Apple has in the past demanded its manufacturers improve employee treatment. Aside from that, there's no reason to believe that this would not have happened had Foxconn been making handsets for HTC or Palm. Every company keeps prototypes under tight wraps.

But one thing that people seem to be missing is the nature with which Apple keeps its news secret. Much of this debate stems from the assumption that Apple keeps its products in the dark by placing tight restrictions on communication and ominous threats for all who would leak important information.

That's not really how it works.

In my own experience and from those I've spoken with, Apple keeps its secrets not by clamping mouths shut, but by simply not telling people. Unlike other companies which like to give out pre-briefings to reporters under pre-agreed embargo times - and often those times get thrown out the window by publications looking to break the news first - Apple doesn't have to worry about that because they don't do it. Journalists don't get briefings ahead of time, every reporter gets the news at the same time, provided they are at the event at which the news is released. Employees not involved in a certain project don't get to see it. Even the spokespeople who write the press releases are sometimes said to be doing so in isolation.

Sure, Apple has non-disclosure agreements and other methods of keeping things silent that other companies use, but the big secret to the company's ability to keep things secret is not because of some huge, lurking sense of dread in every employee, it's because they so tightly manage access to information, both inside the company and out.

Some of the early users of the Palm Pre were pretty psyched when they discovered that the Pre could sync with iTunes. When you plugged in the device, it would show up within iTunes and could be managed and synced much like an iPod or iPhone could be.

Turns out they probably should have kept their mouths shut. Apple went ahead and changed that with their last update. The latest version of iTunes does not allow the Pre to sync up with iTunes. From the looks of things, Apple decided that they didn't want the Pre to have any advantages over the iPhone and took out the sync capability.

Likely the official line was that this was not intentional, and maybe that's true. It is hard enough to maintain compatibility with one's own devices, let alone those of other hardware vendors. It's one of the reasons Apple so tightly controls its products.

Then again, the company is sort of developing a track record. Every iTunes update also manages to 'accidentally' disable or even damage iPhones which have been unlocked and outfitted with unauthorized software.

One gets the feeling that the Pre compatibility was 'accidentally' disabled in the same way that certain 'businessmen' tend to 'accidentally' trip over the sides off bridges or fall into pools of wet concrete.

This week the US Department of Justice (DOJ) kicked off a formal investigation into the practice of handset makers signing exclusive deals with service providers.

In case you've forgotten, this is the practice Apple uses for pretty much all of its iPhone sales worldwide. Now, the DOJ is looking into whether this practice is in violation of US antitrust laws.

If the DOJ does rule that the exclusive deals are illegal, the iPhone and other exclusive handsets could be offered by other carriers. Unless you just signed a two-year deal, this is pretty good news.

Of course such a ruling would only impact US consumers, but it's a safe bet that similar efforts could be launched in other countries, particularly the EU.

London is currently mired in a brutal heat wave. Silicon Valley isn't faring much better. And if that's not enough, the iPhone 3GS is said to be experiencing a scorcher as well.

There have been a number of reports that the new handset is prone to overheating. No reports of any handsets getting hot enough to cause injury or catch fire, but some users have reported unusually high temperatures, even causing case discolouration in some cases.

If the 3GS really does run hotter, it wouldn't be a huge surprise. The model uses a much faster processor, and faster processors often mean more heat. It would be expected that the operating temperature would be a bit higher.

Apple is also no stranger to abnormally warm hardware. The first MacBook Pro models were notorious for getting hot enough to make actual laptop use uncomfortable at times.

In the case of the MacBook Pro, the temperature was a minor hindrance, and users still scooped up the machines in big numbers. The iPhone 3GS will likely see the same. As long as the device doesn't self-destruct, I doubt many people will be turned off.