Although, if you’ve got an iPad, it’s like a $500 Facebook in the bathroom device, which makes this look not as bad in comparison because you probably also use it for porn.

FaceMac is a post from: The Inquisitr

UPDATE: According to a report by MIC Gadget, the Mac OS X Lion release date is tomorrow, July 15. Their sources state that Apple stores in China are prepping for “overnight setup” – which, for the uninitiated, means that the launch of something is imminent. We’ll continue to update this post if any new information comes in.

According to a report from 9to5 Mac, Apple will be releasing new MacBook Airs and MacBook Minis with Apple’s latest OS, Mac OS X Lion, sometime this month.

The report originally pinned the launch of the new MacBook Airs, as well as the launch of the latest OS, on July 14. Considering that July 14 today and Apple hasn’t made an announcement, it seems that part of the report turned out to not be true.

9to5 insists their source is accurate, however, and that the launch could have been pushed back for some unknown reason. To further back the story up – or add confusion – SpeakApple also managed to intercept information from a source close to Apple that suggested Mac OS X Lion would be launching at 12 AM today in the UK.

The launch of the new OS was reportedly to take place after the scheduled downtime, but that obviously didn’t happen, either. All SpeakApple could say is that “Apple seems to have delayed the launch this time.”

The launch date of these new products is still up in the air, but the amount of chatter seems to suggest new product lines featuring Mac OS X Lion are imminent. We’ll let you know when we hear anything more.

[UPDATE] New MacBook Airs, Mac OSX Lion coming soon? is a post from: The Inquisitr

MacBook Pro users have plenty of reasons to celebrate today. The companies MacBook Pro series has been refreshed with new specs that include Intel’s uber-popular Core i5 and Core i7 high-speed processors, along with various other new upgrades.

The companies high end 13″ and 15″ models are available with a 2.66GHz Core i7 process and Core i5 Processors at 2.4GHz and 2.53GHz. It’s also being reported that the 17-inch model will feature a BTO Core i7 option.

Along with those upgrades, it’s being reported by AppleInsider that Apple will ditch their matte screens and  go with a “glossy anti-glare” screen.

The devices also get memory bumps with 13 inch models getting 4GB RAM and storage increases to 250GB (formerly 160GB), while higher end 13 and 15-inch models will jump to 320GB.  The upper-most advanced units will also get a memory bump to a minimum of 500GB with options up to 750GB for standard HDD’s and 512GB on the SSD side.

Further spec increases show NVIDIA Optimus which provides GeForce 300M support with Intel graphics which can be switched over at any time to save on power.

Electronista is also reporting that the good old plastic MacBook could get a 2.26GHz Core i3 processor if it stays in the Mac family or it could end up with MacBook Pro type specs.

Check out the Apple Store today to find the full line of specs.

MacBook Pro Gets Intel Core i5 Specs, i7 Specs is a post from: The Inquisitr

Personally I hate it when people plaster the outside of their laptops with all kinds of start-up company stickers. You see them all the time at conferences or your local Starbucks but to do this kind of thing just ruins the look of any laptop – and especially Apple MacBooks.

However people love to personalize their possessions and it’s no different when it comes to laptops. That doesn’t mean you have to slap layers of company stickers on it as you can see from these really cool MacBook stickers.

The first one is pretty recognizable since it’s been around for a while but the rest of them might be new to you.

Snow White

Snow White’s Witch

Apple Pie

Ryu and Ken Hadoken Street Fighter

Whack A Mole

Ironman

Bart Nirvana

ET

Twilight

Mac Evolution

hat tip to My Modern Metropolis

Skinning some personality onto your MacBook is a post from: The Inquisitr

It may only be $50 but in a weakened economy any drop in Apple product pricing is a welcomed change. Today Apple announced that their Macbook student pricing will now sit at $899, $50 cheaper than the previous cost of $949.

The Macbook offered is the white polycorbonate version that comes equipped with a 2.26GHz Intel core 2 Duo processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM, a 250GB Hard Drive, Macs signature SuperDrive and the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M Graphics Card.

As TUAW points out, student pricing on Mac accessories appears to have remained unchanged. This appears to be the set new pricing but you may still want to rush out and pick one up before Jobs changes his mind.

Apple Drops Student Pricing On MacBook To $899 is a post from: The Inquisitr

While it isn’t the first instance of a MacBook battery blowing up and/or malfunctioning in some fashion, the team at Engadget unearthed one of the more interesting cases of a battery malfunction in recent memory.

According to the user, their MacBook Pro (non-unibody) was just sitting around on their desk when it began to become increasingly loud, then the entire machine “jumped up” into the air and turned off. The results of the malfunction? Just take a look at the picture shown on this page.

Luckily for the user he didn’t have his Macbook Pro sitting on his lap when the battery decided to pound against the table and go for a quick leap.

Has your Mac exploded or otherwise malfunctioned? Send us your pictures so we can compare the carnage.

Macbook Pro Battery “Blows Up,” Causes Mac To “Jump Up” is a post from: The Inquisitr

While I might not have much use for it this little goodie that is available for $50 bucks at your local apple store might be something that some of my Mac friends might be interested.

The idea is a little stand – nicely designed as all Apple products – that you can put your MacBook in to give you some more room on your desk when you are doing some home office type ninja work. Of course this will only be useful if you are running an external monitor not to mention that according to the product page using that external monitor you might even get a speed boost.

The stand is called Bookarc and is brought to you by TwelveSouth

hat tip to SlipperyBrick

A little goodness for my Mac friends (yes I have some) is a post from: The Inquisitr

Today it was announced that the state of Maine, known predominantly for Stephen King, lobster rolls and silly accents, has ordered 64,000 MacBooks for students in grades 7-12. An additional 7,000 laptops are planned for the coming weeks.

The initiative- aka the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI)- may just be the world’s biggest educational technology program of its kind. Even cooler is that Apple plans to hook Maine up with educational software, technical support, repair and replacement, so the pimply rugrats don’t even have to drag their cranberry-bogging selves to the Genius bar.

In a statement, Education Commissioner Sue Gendron said boringly:

“We have seen incredible success with our middle schools showing increased student engagement and achievement with MLTI in place and we want to bring this same opportunity to our high schools. This is not just about technology, it’s about using the technology to support education.”

Not so hot is the fact that only half of the state’s districts plan to participate in the initiative. Places you’ve read about in It and Needful Things such as Portland, Bangor and Augusta are seeking permission hook a brother up using stimulus funds to get the MacBooks for their oddly-speaking youngsters. It would be pretty awesome if that happened, because the lucky kids in Maine get to take their shiny new MacBooks home for homework, online teaching sessions and other edumacational stuff.

No one said what I really wanted to know- are they going to stick porn filters on them or something lame like that?

[Image: CNet]

Laptops and lobster, or why Maine is cooler than where you live is a post from: The Inquisitr

I have been known to rag on Apple every once in awhile for various reasons but have always tried to keep any fanboy attitudes out of the discussion. I don’t own any Apple products and chances are I probably never will manly because of their pricing structure which I consider to be too onerous for what you are getting.

Today though I was reading my morning RSS feeds when I ran across a post by felix on his blog #comments where he was ruminating over a discussion that had happened on FriendFeed about Apple. The discussion was centered mainly around the hardware aspect of the Apple product line but it got felix thinking about Apple as a whole and its effect on the technology landscape.

What felix saw was how Apple didn’t follow in markets but rather created them or changed the landscape of the market

As I was thinking about this I thought about the iMac which I believe to be the best of breed all-in-one computer, but really what competition does it have? I moved on to thinking about the iPod Touch, I think it’s probably the best of breed PDA, but again where’s the competition? The App Store? Competition? As I started thinking about these I realized that Apple makes markets. It sees opportunity where everyone else has failed.

As I thought about felix’s post I realized that he was absolutely correct but to carry it one point further I would also suggest that Apple has in its rebound managed to have a real impact on our perception of what our technological tools should look like. Anyone who has been around long enough in this business will be among the first to tell you how ugly much of our computers, cell phones, music devices, and assorted other devices were.

Apple has shaken all that up. Where once beige boxes ruled the desktop in business and home suddenly we saw that the machines we used on a daily basis could actually look beautiful; and yes even – sexy. They didn’t have to be dull bland looking boxes and monitors sitting there. They could be conversation pieces that we didn’t want to hide away in a corner.

Then we had our MP3 players that were either cheap plastic hunks of crap or overpriced plastic pieces of crap. Bluntly, they were fugly looking so it was no wonder we were willing to hide them away in our pockets. What does Apple do? they made it a piece of handheld art that we strutted around like proud peacocks showing whoever would look in our direction how cool our music player looked.

When it came to laptops we found ourselves back in the utilitarian world of blah. They were for the most part just hunks of plainness wrapped around some electronics. We would hide them away in briefcases only pulling them out when we really needed to. Apple on the other hand showed that they could be something that we were proud to display to the world. They could be sharp looking and take their place predominately in our lives. They set Dell, HP, and other laptop makers back on their asses as people lined up at the Apple store to have a piece of art.

Apple let us be proud of our electronic toys. It doesn’t matter if there are questionable hardware problems with them. It doesn’t matter if we actually never even own and Apple product because we are all benefitting from the road they have travelled. Dell, HP, Acer, and other laptop makers are busting their asses to bring art and sexy to their offerings. Mobile phone manufacturers are beating each other up in order to bring cool looking products to market. The MP3 player market is all about function and form instead of being something shoved in a pocket.

For all this we should be thankful to both Steve Jobs and Apple. Now if we could just get all these Web 2.0 developers to learn the same lesson; and yes FriendFeed I’m looking at you.

We should be thankful for Apple (but don’t tell anyone I said that) is a post from: The Inquisitr

(Click to enlarge)

Staff members say the flames shot six feet into the air, originating from the PowerBook’s battery. The employees tell quite the story, saying that the laptop loudly burst and reignited just when they thought the worst was over. When the flames finally stopped, they say, the battery was “all molten inside and glowing red.”

The PowerBook was said to be three or four years old. The marketing company is trying to see if it might have been included in Apple’s battery recall a while back and never have been sent in for repair.

(Click to enlarge)

Have You Seen the Exploding PowerBook? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Yes all you Apple MacBook loving folks you to can now outfit yourself with some serious laptop bling courtesy of Computer Choppers. Granted it might cost you two grand to get something like the beauty above but hey it would sure let you stand out at that next cool web conference you go to.

If gold isn’t your thing Computer choppers apparently also will fit you out with aluminum (polishing) Nickel, black nickel, copper, chrome, white gold, rose gold or the ever popular platinum. What a way to say to hell with green and eco-friendly. Oh an apparently they can do the same thing for regular computer cases and of course your cellphone.

[hat tip to LikeCool]

Looking for a bit of MacBook bling? How about some 24kt bling? is a post from: The Inquisitr

MacRumors created a convenient chart that breaks down the discounts offered by MacMall compared to those coming to Best Buy’s Black Friday sale. As you can see, some of the models are discounted by as much as $200-$250 at MacMall. (Click on the chart to access MacRumors’ interactive version.)

You can also check out our list of places to track down the best Black Friday deals and discounts online for more tips on upcoming tech-related sales.

MacBooks and iMacs Get The Black Friday Treatment is a post from: The Inquisitr

Then all hell broke loose and people had to start thinking seriously about how they were spending their money. In this tempest Apple let the world know that they would be bringing forth on October 14th the next generation of their much drooled about laptops. Along with this we started to hear rumours about the Brick laptop which rumour had it was the new manufacturing process that saw the laptop chassis being cut from a single block of aluminum.

Rumours, rumours, rumours … the buzz that is the mystique that surrounds Apple and powers the Cult of Mac. This mystique was lifted today as Apple finally let the world see just what it had up its sleeve; which you can find out about in JR Raphael’s post today here at The Inquisitr but I have to admit I have come away underwhelmed.

When I first wrote about the impending laptop refresh from Apple I was going with the supposition that they would be releasing a version of the MacBook that would be more in competition with the going prices for entry level PC laptops. I believed at the time that if they did this; even if there was a $100.00 or so price difference, that Microsoft could be in serious trouble in the laptop world. I still think that, but given the prices that they announced today I think that the price spread is enough that Cult of Mac can be assured that their legion won’t be invaded by those horrible Windows noobs anytime soon.

The fact is that even at $899.00 (or to be real $900.00 not counting taxes which will still put it over the $1G mark) is still too much of a price to pay for an entry level laptop. When you have netbooks coming in around the $400.00 to $500.00 range and entry level PC laptops starting at $700 that extra $200 – $300 dollars is a lot of money especially in light of the current economic situation.

Oh and let’s not forget the fancy ass 24″ display that Apple wants to soak you for – $899.00 . Are they serious? Why in the world would I even think about forking over that kind of money when I can turn to a Dell monitor for under $400.00. As al3x said on Twitter after the announcement

Yup, I think the Mac world is still safe from an invasion by the unwashed masses.

More Recent Coverage

Apple Announces New Notebooks and Displays
Apple to launch $800 laptop
Apple Tells Silverlight to Step Away From the iPhone
Apple Announces iPhone Tech Talk Tour
Is Apple Finally Gunning for Microsoft?
Why Apple selling HD Televisions makes sense
Apple patents OS X dock, imitators may be targeted
Apple Everywhere: New Brick Images, New iPhone Rumors

The Cult of Mac Still Safe From The Unwashed Masses is a post from: The Inquisitr

First, the new images: An Apple.pro blog has posted three new shots of what may be the new MacBook case utilizing the “Brick” manufacturing process. They’re not quite the same as the last shot, posted at MacRumors last night — these new ones seem to have a smaller screen and no speaker grills and look more like a typical MacBook Air case. Think they’re real?

Second, there’s a rumor of a new security flaw in the iPhone. A blogger says his pre-teen son’s attempts to keep his text conversations private exposed the problem. The boy, he says, would activate password lock and disable SMS preview to keep his parents from seeing incoming messages from his girlfriend. The blogger, however, discovered that if he switched the phone to emergency mode, the settings would be overridden — and the SMS previews would be displayed.

“All I need to do to intercept the messages from his girlfriend is to place the phone in emergency mode and wait 30 seconds for the next sickly sweet message,” he says.

Apple hasn’t yet responded.

More Recent Coverage

Apple Announces New Notebooks and Displays
The Cult of Mac Still Safe From The Unwashed Masses
Apple Tells Silverlight to Step Away From the iPhone
Apple Announces iPhone Tech Talk Tour
Is Apple Finally Gunning for Microsoft?
Why Apple selling HD Televisions makes sense
Apple patents OS X dock, imitators may be targeted
Apple to launch $800 laptop

Apple Everywhere: New Brick Images, New iPhone Rumors is a post from: The Inquisitr