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Turns out you can't download that Dalai Lama iPhone app if you live on mainland China. Interested in Rebiya Kadeer, the exiled leader of China's Uighur minority? If you live in China don't look for any apps on your iPhone that mention that person, either.

You won't find them because Apple is likely complying to local laws banning specific political or religious beliefs in the Chinese version of its App Store. The Chinese government is infamous for its "great firewall" and routinely blocks large portions of the Internet with which the governing party disagrees.

Since surpassing the two billionth download mark this September, the App Store has seen an amazing increase in downloads over the holiday season. New iPhone owners are certainly involved, but iPod Touch users have surpassed iPhone downloads for the first time in late December.

With over 100,000 applications to choose from, owners carrying iPod Touch devices downloaded 1,000% more apps on Christmas than they did on the previous three Fridays. Yes, one thousand percent more downloads.

Waterford has been in the news lately as they have redone the crystal on the famous New Year's Eve ball for Times Square in New York. What you may not have heard is that the company has developed an iPhone app called Waterford Clink-Clink.

Believe it or not, the application is more useful than it sounds. Besides displaying a virtual glass of champagne that tilts when your iPhone tilts, the app can be used for sharing contact information and social networking.

Rumors of an 8GB iPhone 3GS were shot down this summer after Canadian carrier Rogers accidentally made the nonexistent handset available on their website. Now an iPhone user in Germany claims to have received this packaging label on his refurbished 8GB iPhone 3G.

This may be evidence that Apple plans to ditch the 8GB 3G model for an 8GB capacity 3GS. The move would make sense as a new iPhone 4.0 model is expected in summer of 2010.

Apple's legendary tablet device took a step closer to reality this week. Chinese component manufacturers have reported large orders from Apple for key parts of a touch-screen tablet computer.

According to DigiTimes, Innolux (a subsidiary of Foxconn) and Wintek will be producing 10-inch screens for Apple and could deliver them as early as March 2010. Wintek is currently Apple's main iPhone display manufacturer.