Modern CGI combined with centuries old optical tricks in a historic performance from rapper Tupac Shakur this week at the Coachella music festival.

The performance, first heralded as a display of holographic ingenuity turned out to be just a really cool optical illusion combined with computer graphics.

Fans of magic and rap were delighted when the dead MC took the stage with still living friends Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to perform two songs. The performance, being referred to as a three dimensional hologram, is actually just an update of a 19^th century magic trick.

Using an optical illusion known as "Pepper's Ghost" the dead famous rapper was able to rock the stage at the California music festival.

As explained by MTV's James Montgomery, the image was in fact a two-dimensional projection which used a series or mirrors and screens to render the 3D effect.

"There's an overhead projector that sort of reflects down onto basically a tilted piece of glass that's sort of on the stage floor," said Mongomery. "That then reflects the reflection onto a Mylar sort of screen, and it projects in this sort of 3D kind of thing where it allows the other performers to sort of walk in front of Tupac and basically interact [with] him."

British chemist John Pepper adapted the trick with fellow Brit Henry Dirks for use in 19^th century theater acts.

The mixture of classic magical trickery allowed for a CG Tupac to perform his hit songs "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted" and "Hail Mary". While the illusion dates back to the 1860s it has since been adapted for use at theme parks, museums, and now concerts.

The ghostly performance was the result of four months of collaboration between Dr. Dre’s production company, James Cameron’s Digital Domain, and two hologram-imaging companies, AV Concepts and UK-based Musion Systems.

While the exact methods of the performance have been kept under raps by all parties involved, the trick does mark an interesting step for the technology.

Some have speculated that the technology could be expanded to include entire sets and revues from artists and bands which have long since departed.

That prospect should excite music lovers hoping to catch John Lennon live at the Royal Albert Hall. Or get a glimpse of Jimmy Hendrix in Madison Square Garden. No word yet on any impeding Buddy Holly tour.

The sister of Steve Jobs, novelist Mona Simpson, has revealed that the Apple founder's final words were: "Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow," as he lay surrounded by his family members.

In a moving eulogy published on The New York Times web site, and first read at Jobs' memorial service on 16 October, Simpson reveals that, even when in hospital during the last days of his illness, Jobs was developing new product ideas.

"He sketched devices to hold an iPad in a hospital bed. He designed new fluid monitors and x-ray equipment. He redrew that not-quite-special-enough hospital unit," she said.

Simpson also reveals that Jobs' well-known perfectionism even followed him to the hospital, dismissing a staggering 67 nurses during his periods of illness before accepting just three to tend to him.

The anecdote is perfectly in keeping with Jobs' character, and the recently released biography by Walter Isaacson charts many instances of Jobs clashing with those around him over tiny details of style and taste.

V3 is currently working its way through the 600-page epic, which is proving an engrossing read, even for non-Apple fans, offering fascinating insights into how Jobs and Apple came to develop the iPod and his work at Pixar that helped create Toy Story.

Jobs died on 6 October after a long-running battle with cancer, provoking a wealth of tributes from the great and the good in the worlds of technology, music and politics.

Down at St Paul's Cathedral there are a few people in tents trying to overturn the capitalist system they hold responsible for all the ills in the world. So far they've managed to get St Paul's itself closed, but the business world hasn't imploded yet.

Nevertheless, the protestors have managed to highlight another important aspect of the modern world: our increasingly unwavering belief that whatever technology does or shows us is unquestionably right.

Several papers (with a certain right-wing appeal) had purported to show thermal images of the camp in which the tents appeared empty overnight. They said this proved the protestors were a risible bunch who disappear back home for their creature comforts at night, and therefore deserve our scorn.

However, in response to this slight, the protestors claim to have rented the same equipment from the same thermal imaging company to show that in reality the cameras are not good enough to see into the tents.

A video on YouTube shows the device failing to pick up a load of protestors emerging from a single tent just a few feet away, which certainly seems to back up their point.

V3 contacted the press arm of the protestors for information on the company they had hired the equipment from, but they said they had not made the video, suggesting it was made by a lone protestor at the camp.

The YouTube uploader, the wonderfully named thermalunderpants, didn't respond to our messages on the site asking for information on which manufacturer they had rented the equipment from, either.

Whenever politics is involved it's hard to know exactly how truthful anyone is being, but the situation certainly shows that, even though we live in a world reliant on the magical forces of technology, we should still question its capabilities.

Apple fans are well-known for their fanatical support for any product the firm unveils, and even the ever-so-slightly underwhelming iPhone 4S has not dampened their enthusiasm, with six people already queuing at the Regent Street store in London.

Five of those in the queue were from iPhone jail breaking group Jailbreak Con who had been in line since Friday last week to ensure they are first to get their hands on what has been described by some as an "iPhone 4 on steroids".

They said they intend to get a 16GB version of the device as Apple's new iCloud service makes any more storage unnecessary. The sixth member of the queue wasn't part of that group but looked content enough enjoying some time with his Macbook.

Meanwhile down at the Covent Garden Apple store, recently the scene of a smash and grab robbery, there were no signs of any queues in progress, just the lone figure of one Robert Shoesmith, who's been camping out for eight days as part of a publicity stunt.

V3 asked Shoesmith if when he first started queueing he had actually been expecting the iPhone 5 to be launched, rather than the subsequently announced iPhone 4S. Shoesmith admitted he had, but added that he intended to get his hands on the new device anyway.

Well, if you've queued for 11 days you need something to show for your efforts. Shoesmith is expecting some company come Wednesday, which will be nice for the poor chap, who was looking a tad sleep deprived and confessed to being a bit bored.

However, he did see some of the excitement of Sunday night when the store was robbed, waking at 1:15am to the sound of bikes buzzing around the area before they zoomed off and the police arriving on the scene. Now that's a jail broken iPhone.

Meanwhile, across town at the Dixons store on Oxford Circus the brand new Kindle 4 was on sale, priced at a low £89 and boasting a new smaller, lighter design as well as a graphical keyboard.

Currys, clearly keen to generate a false buzz of excitement around the launch, breathlessly sent out a press release telling the media it expected to sell of stock within 24 hours.

V3 popped along and spoke with sales staff in the store who looked bemused when asked if they had seen this anticipated rush, saying they didn't think they'd even sold one unit and that there were still 40-odd devices in stock.

When it comes to queues, it appears Apple's got it licked.

Long-haul flights are only really bearable because of the chance to sit back and watch hours of films and TV shows, but using small fiddly screens with poor sound quality is hardly the high life.

However, passengers on British Airways' dedicated London City to New York service are now being treated to 64GB iPads preloaded with films, TV shows and games to help pass the time as they cross the Atlantic.

The tablets are locked down, so passengers in the 32 seats can't use them for anything other than the entertainment services, but it's safe to assume that most people flying on such a service have their own iPads. Probably two.

V3 asked BA whether passengers get any sort of stand for the iPad, as holding it for seven hours doesn't sound that appealing, but the firm had yet to reply at the time of publication.

BA did inform us, though, that it will ensure there are enough tablets with adequate charge times for all paying punters by juicing them up at JFK or London City on arrival.

As for how much it has all cost, BA wouldn't say. But, assuming each iPad costs £500 and that BA bought 75 units (32 each for the two services it operates, plus a few spare if anything goes wrong) the bill is likely to be around £35,000.

V3 decided it might book a flight to enjoy the service, but the £2,500 to £3,500 price tag put us off somewhat. Still, if 32 rich people booked at £2,500, that's £80,000 in fares, more than covering the iPads in one go.

We were going to ask how BA will ensure people won't nick the tablets once they land, but at those ticket prices, why would they need to?

The news follows the revelation that Boeing has chosen Android to power the new touch-screen entertainment systems on its next-generation Dreamliner jet.

Still, it doesn't reduce the dreaded jet lag, does it?

UK customers looking to get their hands on a cheap HP TouchPad will be pleased to hear that Dixons Group, which owns Currys and PC World, will begin selling the device from £89 in an effort to ditch its stock.

Mark Webb, an employee at Dixons Group, confirmed on his Twitter page that the 16GB TouchPad will sell for £89 and the 32GB TouchPad from £115 at 6pm online on Monday and from Tuesday morning in the retailer's high street stores.

The move comes after US retailer Best Buy slashed the price of the TouchPad to just $99, around £60, after HP confirmed that it will not produce any more of the devices and is looking to sell off its hardware division.

Currently only Amazon has made any notable discount to the tablet in the UK, dropping the price from £399 to £312, but the fire sale at Dixons Group underlines just how keen retailers are to get rid of the tablet.

The rush for TouchPads in the US is likely to be mirrored in the UK as consumers unwilling to splash out on an iPad take advantage of the low prices to get their hands on what was a well thought of tablet.

No manufacturer has managed to challenge Apple in the tablet market, as devices retailing at the same price as the iPad often lack the build quality, applications and brand appeal of the Apple tablet.

The rise of tablet computers such as the iPad marks the beginning of the end for the PC era, IBM has argued on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the first PC.

Mark Dean, IBM's chief technology officer for the Middle East and Africa, said in a blog post that, while the PC has changed the world since its creation, the technology will eventually become obsolete.

"It's amazing to me to think that 12 August marks the 30th anniversary of the IBM Personal Computer. The announcement helped launch a phenomenon that changed the way we work, play and communicate," he said.

"But, while PCs will continue to be much-used devices, they're no longer at the leading edge of computing. They're going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs."

Dean added that, despite IBM's role in the creation of the PC age, the company is adamant that it made the right decision to sell its own PC division to Lenovo.

"It may be odd for me to say this, but I'm also proud IBM decided to leave the personal computer business in 2005," he said.

"While many in the tech industry questioned IBM's decision at the time, it's now clear that our company was in the vanguard of the post-PC era."

Dean's comments make for interesting reading and, in many respects, the era of the PC as the single most important device used by a consumer or business professional is certainly drawing to a close.

However, to suggest that the PC will become a relic of our age, like the typewriter or vinyl record, seems a step too far. This article was written on a PC, it will be read by most people on a PC and PCs are the best tools for mass content creation.

As such V3 contacted Dean to ask if he wrote the blog on a tablet or PC but he confirmed he had indeed written it on a tablet, although suggested he used a traditional keyboard as well.

"I wrote and edited the blog on my tablet. When needed, a bluetooth keyboard can be used to enter larger amounts of information into the tablet," he said.

V3 has several interesting articles relating to this historic anniversary, including the republication of a review of the IBM PC at its launch in 1981.

A school in Kent is to give 1,400 pupils an iPad 2 at the start of the academic year in September, in a move that underlines just how pervasive Apple's market leading device has become.

The project was set in motion in April, but came to light after a local reporter heard from the parents of a pupil at the Longfield Academy that the programme was going ahead.

It was organised in conjunction with education charity e-Learning, which will provide a grant to cover part of the cost, the rest made up by voluntary donations from parents.

V3.co.uk spoke to the chief executive of the charity, Valerie Thompson, who explained that providing children with technology such as the iPad 2 has numerous benefits.

"Using technology is something children relate to and enjoy. It helps them get better grades, to increase their attention span and means they can access all sort of resources through dedicated applications on the iTunes store," she said.

"Parents aren't being forced to buy the iPad; it's up to them to make a donation and most have been very impressed by the project and keen to contribute. Those that can't afford to do so, though, will be able to have the cost covered by the school and ourselves."

Of course, having 1,400 pupils running around wanting internet access could well put a severe strain on the school's Wi-Fi network, something also noted by Roger Hockaday, marketing director at wireless networking firm Aruba Networks.

"It will be interesting to see how this develops, and I suspect many other institutions will be keeping a close eye on the rollout at Longfield Academy over the next few months," he said.

"However, before taking the decision to follow in Longfield Academy's footsteps, it is important to recognise that iPads run bandwidth-hungry multimedia applications in a way that laptops simply do not."

While many will be unconvinced by the project, wanting pupils to use stuffy, musty old textbooks full of long, impenetrable text, it's an indication that even the simple back to school check list is becoming more hi-tech. Shoes, check. Pencil case, check. IPad 2, check.