Leave it to the lawyers to build a better mousetrap with an iPhone. In the United Kingdom, solicitors Bott & Co found a new question to which the answer is: "There's an app for that." The Car Accident Assistant is the firm's latest contribution to humanity and is available for download from Apple's (AAPL) iTunes environment. If you're in a car accident, you can use the application to connect to the law firm's 24-hour accident help system.

As the ol' infomercial guys love to say, "But, wait! There's more!"

The Car Accident Assistant can be used to help the afflicted collect information about the accident, including vehicles and location. And, you can even take pictures of the accident and gather info from witnesses. It's like having a lawyer in your phone!

Even the thought is hard to believe for anyone who's been watching Apple Inc. (AAPL) over the long run. Once upon a time, the company was presumed dead, while Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) continued its march to market dominance. Today, Apple's $180 billion market value is evidence of a new era. Though it's still behind Microsoft's $250 billion, the company's rapid ascent and substantial market presence make at least speculation of catching up to the Redmond giant worth a few minutes of thought.

Microsoft is currently the most valuable technology company in the world, according to a Reuters report. Even Google, Inc (GOOG), with its astounding brand recognition and position as gateway to the internet, is worth "only" $136 billion. Apple, which was once considered a computer company that sold into education and appealed to some graphics geeks, has reasserted itself as a major global presence.

An interesting article from the BBC takes a look at how file-sharing web sites can actually make a music act more popular. In fact, the research cited in the article shows that the most-pirated songs tend to be those at the top of the charts.

Think of the potential impact of this on Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). I remember the halcyon days of Napster and the likes, when you could go online and find songs from various artists (I even found Scruffy the Cat on Napster, not an easy task) and download as many as you want.

Well, when the RIAA and Metallica decided to wade into the fray -- sites like Napster were either summarily shut down or had to start charging for their services.

Something is happening out in the digital world, and it may spell some rough times ahead for Apple. Apple's recent love affair with the mainstream press and non-Apple users has centered around the iPod. The stylish digital media device for many means Apple. iTunes, available for PC or Apple is the reason the brand has taken a more prominent place in the stage.

In order to keep the hold, Apple has to keep providing a great deal of value in its selections. So far the music library has been expanding, and most of the companies are still very cautious. Apple and its similar Fairplay DRM licenses seem like a fair compromise to many. But to get to that involved a lot of hard feelings as record companies sued little old ladies and generated an immense backlash of bad publicity.

Apple has finally found a product, in the iPod, that is an unqualified profit monster. The company is morphing from niche hipster to provider of music to the masses. And as part of the transformation they're making moves that never before seemed possible, like using Intel chips and (horrors!) Microsoft software on their computers. New strategies indicate that Apple is willing to be creative and do some interesting deals, like the one where the Red Hot Chili Peppers are selling advance tickets to their upcoming tour through the iTunes store.

The obvious next step? Porn, says Mark Gilbert (no relation to yours truly). If iPod owners will watch films on their 2.5" screens, surely they'll watch movies of an, umm, more lascivious nature. It's a huge money business; if Apple could get just a sliver of that $20 billion in adult video sales each year, they might continue their finally-respectable growth. But is growth respectable if it's (literally) made on the backs of the naked and promiscuous?

I love profits and all, but for the same reason I wouldn't invest in cigarettes, I'd feel very different about an Apple (fruit of the tree of good and evil) sinking its strategic go-juice into porn. Mark Gilbert doesn't agree, with the (flawed) rationale: "A search on Google Inc. shows a bunch of companies willing to sell the content and software needed to view erotic material on an iPod. Apple may as well grab some of that revenue for itself." With this logic, you could justify anything. I, for one investor, will pass.