How Apple and Google's Fortunes are linked

Apple, which until a few months ago was the star of Wall Street on the back of the massive sales success of its iPhones and iPads, has seen a significant dip in its stock-market fortunes. Google, meanwhile, seems to be taking on the mantle of a company that can do little wrong in the eyes of investors.

Apple's shares fell to their lowest level in more than a year on 5 March, and have barely recovered since, reflecting a trend that has seen a whopping 40% of the company's market value wiped out in the past six months.

Apple is really mad at Samsung and BlackBerry now

If you own an Apple (AAPL -0.27%) iPhone, you should have received an email from the company over the weekend, alerting you to a new page on the Apple site that explains why the iPhone 5 is the best.

The tag line: "There's iPhone. And then there's everything else." This might be the first time since 2001, when it blew everybody away with the first iPod, that Apple has stooped to defend its position as the best possible thing since sliced bread.