To the Apple Store on Regent Street, to see Little Boots performing for the computer firm's 'Live from London' series.

Little Boots, the stage name of 25 year old Victoria Hesketh, is in something of a unique position. Her first single, New in Town, was only released on monday.

Yet she is already one of the most promoted artists of the year, having topped virtually every critics list as being the 'one to watch' in 2009.

How has she done this? Well, there's no denying an incredibly well executed promotional campaign by her record company has helped, but she is also one of the best examples you'll see of how musicians can, and should, use the internet.

For months, she has been taking requests from fans for cover versions, then posting them to her youtube page every few weeks. She's also posted songs in progress, and while these aren't hi-tech productions (literally a camcorder in her bedroom studio), its an amazing way to connect with fans. As a taster, there's a great Hot Chip cover below, but there are dozens more on her site.

Boots is also a regular twitter user, and thankfully seems to have mastered the art of not just telling fans what she had for lunch (perhaps she could run masterclasses for some of her fellow musicians...).

If, as expected, New in Town charts in the top ten this weekend, we may finally have a legitimate youtube star that hasn't been created purely at the whim of a marketing company, and one who actually understands the medium.

Apple's iPod will soon be able to wirelessly sync music with your desktop computer - thanks to a Norwegian ex-hacker.

In 1999 Jon Lech Johansen, then a teenager, broke the copy protection on DVDs sparking a flurry of legal action. He followed this by breaking the protection on Apple's music files, with similar results.

Now he has gone legit, and has launched a new firm, Doubletwist, to take on Apple once again.
The premise is simple - instead of having one piece of software for your iPod, one for your games console and another for your other mobiles, Doubletwist works with them all. It allows you to choose what music and films you want for each device, and automatically sync them when they are plugged in.

"People have a lot of gadgets, but have different software for each. We want to end that, and our software will work with almost all phones and MP3 players," said Mr Johansen.

"For instance, if you download video online, then if you use iTunes you won't be able to watch it on an iPod. With our software, we convert it automatically so you can."

It's a great idea, particularly if you've ever gone through the hassle of ripping a DVD and converting it to your iPod - something Doubletwist should make far easier.

However, the most interesting part of the firm's plans revolve around wireless. Mr Johansen also claims his firm can actually go one better than Apple and offer wireless syncing for the iPod, meaning you'll never have to plug into a PC to copy music.

"iTunes has become very popular, and works well if you only own an iPod, but we are working on being able to sync wirelessly.

"We are also developing a way to sell applications without having to go through Apple," said Mr Johansen. This would directly compete with Apple's own app store (built into its iTunes software), although what Apple's lawyers will think of the idea remains to be seen (Johansen says he had 'not heard a thing' from Apple over the plans).

Overall, the plans seem very impressive - as a gadget obsessive myself, getting music onto different devices is a nightmare, and video is even more complex.

However, Johansen does seem to be attempting to take on Apple on its home turf, something which historically has not ended well for Apple's competitors. And the fact is that Apple's iTunes software is very, very good - if you use an iPod.

But for those of us who simply can't make do with just an iPod or iPhone, this could be the answer to our prayers.

A 3D recreation of Chelsea Farmers' Market has gone online in the virtual world of Second Life.
It allows users to create a virtual version of themselves and browse the 33 stallholders.
They can see pictures of the produce, and watch video clips of the producers talking about their goods.
When customers decide to buy products, they are redirected to the firm’s web site to enter their credit card details as normal.
It's an interesting idea, and founder Marcus Carter claims it could make farmers markets easier to visit.
“It can often be hard for people to get to a farmer’s market, so we wanted to make it simple, and available all the time,” he said.
Live events are also planned, where producers will be available to discuss their goods and even demonstrate recipes.
It's a good idea, although putting it in Second Life is a risky strategy - as few 'normal' internet users use the service. However, Mr Carter admits this, and says he is working on a version that will be viewable from any web browser, which could be a winner - if it works well.
Despite this, in the real life Chelsea Farmers' market, traders seemed less than impressed with their new virtual equivalents.
“We don’t trade online at all, and we are all very happy with that,” said one trader at the market, just off the Kings Road, who did not want to be named.
“We are perfectly happy to have people come to see us, and that keeps us busy enough.”

www.vfmuk.com

The BBC, which has pioneered the use of high definition TV for years, today unveiled some of the toys it has developed for its new South Pacific documentary, which starts on Sunday night on BBC Two (10 May, 8.30pm).

The super slow motion video of big wave surfer Dylan Longbottom in a 12 foot wave are the first shots of their kind ever recorded, and were taken using a special waterproof underwater HD camera.

By shooting at a speed 20 times faster than normal HD cameras, the BBC has managed to produce these incredible slow motion pictures, which are bound to sell a few high definition TVs if nothing else. To see the clip in all its glory, make sure you click on the HD button.