Apple was given the No. 1 spot on this year’s Wired 40, Wired magazine’s annual list of the 40 companies leading in technology and innovation. Apple ranked third on the list last year. From the May 2005 issue (not yet online): “As the world moves toward open standards, the last ture believer in closed systems refuses to capitulate. Funny thing: No one is asking Apple to change. That’s because the computermaker turned consumer electronics powerhouse has made a virtue of proprietary control, consistently delivering quality and flair. The company sold 8.2 million iPods in 2004, and iTunes accounted for 70 percent of legal music downloads, leading to exceptional revenue and profit in Q4. With such a foothold in music, can an assault on TV be far behind?”