It appears that Apple has begun using HDCP copy protection technology on some content it sells through the iTunes Music Store, and implementing it in its latest laptops. HDCP "protects" content as it travels across different types of connections, and is generally implemented in such a way that an HDCP-compliant source won't play content on a non-HDCP compliant connected display. So HDCP-ified content can't be played on a number of older displays, or ones that don't use one of the compatible types of connections.

You know how this thing goes down: movie studios insist on some new magic method to protect their content from piracy, it gets implemented, does nothing to stop piracy (sometimes even helps pirates), and ends up getting in the way for legitimate customers. In this instance, a guy who'd bought a movie from iTunes tried to play it over a projector connected to his Mac via a VGA connection; instead of being able to enjoy the content he'd legitimately purchased in a reasonable way, he was greeted with an error message. So here's a customer who legitimately purchased some content, and is being stopped from enjoying it in a perfectly reasonable, legitimate and legal way. Once again, it's puzzling to see content and technology companies implement these roadblocks to frustrate their paying customers. What's the incentive for this guy to pay to download a movie, rather than download a pirated version that he can watch on his projector? Apparently, it bears repeating for content and device companies: you don't stop piracy by annoying your paying customers.

Carlo Longino is an expert at the Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Carlo Longino and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.

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The best ideas really are the simplest ones. I don't want to carry around a 17-inch notebook (does anyone?) and I'm not an accountant, but sometimes I miss the numberpad, like when I'm dropping in a credit card number or doing a stupid Excel spreadsheet, and using two hands to pound digits is just annoying next to the numpad's one-handed zen. Enter numberkey, an iPhone app that turns it into an ad hoc wireless numberpad for your Mac using Wi-Fi. There's a small desktop client that goes with it, but it's all only $1.99. And it comes with four skins to cover every style of modern Mac keyboards to keep even the most OCD weirdos happy. [iTunes via technabob]

High Definition Content Protection—the annoying DRM-y thing that's supposed to stop people from copying hi-def stuff as it travels over a card-display connector— has apparently, and unfortunately, come to Apple's MacBooks. HDCP is now included on new MacBooks to protect iTunes Store media, though it seems that only some of the content is actually HDCP-aware. A high school teacher was unable to play Hellboy 2 on his classroom's projector with his new aluminum MacBook, but other purchased media (such as Stargate: Continuum and Heroes episodes) worked just fine. Perfect. Because copyright protection is all about inconveniencing those who actually bought their stuff legally? [Ars Technica]

That Google Mobile for iPhone with talky talky search action is now up. Our own impressions of it are good. When you're not in a noisy place (or another phone is ringing in the background) it can pretty much translate anything you say into a meaningful phrase. "Gizmodo" was understood, surprisingly, as was "bear market" and "bare ass". That's right, it was smart enough to tell the difference between the words bear and bare, depending on the context. Also super cool? The jibberish noise it makes when it's searching for something. If you're an iPhone user, you should go get it now right here.

The search-by-voice iPhone app we heard about on Friday may not have shown up as planned, but it is now available from the iTunes App Store. The iTunes page itself doesn't show the app as updated, but download and sync it anyway, and you'll notice a shiny new Google Mobile on your iPhone complete with voice-recognition. I've just started playing with it, but my initial one-word review: Amazing!

iPhone/iPod touch only: Popular restaurant reservation web site OpenTable has just released an iPhone application that makes finding and making reservations nearby a snap. Find a restaurant by searching or using your location-aware iPhone, pick a time, and make that reservation. OpenTable is a free download from the iTunes App Store, works on iPhones and iPod touches running the latest software.