Apple looks like it could be taking a leaf out of Google's work culture rule book with its new Blue Sky [3] program. The idea, which would have been inconceivable under Steve Jobs' reign, gives select employees a couple of weeks out of their normal jobs to work on other projects.

Rather like its mapping system [4], Google's version of Blue Sky is an altogether more satisfactory product than the one currently on offer at Cupertino. Mountain View allows all employees to devote up to 20% of their time on other things, the idea being that something truly innovative and mind-bogglingly lucrative will come out of it.