Dying: a good career move. In art and music there has long been the notion that there is big money to be made from death. The value of a famous artist's work usually increases exponentially after death; the pop stars' estates that have benefited greatly from performers shuffling off this mortal coil in the past few decades include Elvis Presley...

In the mobile phone e-reader stakes, Apple has pretty much shown the competition a clean pair of heels. Buoyed by increased availability—once exclusive to O2 in the UK, you can now also get an iPhone through Orange, Vodaphone and even Tesco—and the iPhone 4 launch, sales of the handsets have surged. Despite the much-publicised...