In December of 2012 Cook confirmed that Apple would be bringing Apple product manufacturing back to the USA in 2013. One of the earlier mentions of this move was made in May of 2012 where Cook made mention of “things we can do” in the future – and here it is. Parts of the newest iMac have already bore the “Assembled in USA” mark and the Mac Mini has been tipped to be coming to the USA for manufacturing as well.

The State of the Union address spoken by President Obama noted that “after shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three.” He went on to list groups like Caterpillar, Ford, and Intel who have moved (or will move soon) sets of jobs to the USA from overseas. Obama made the final mention appear most important: “And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again.”

According to MacRumors, the Apple CEO was seated just one seat away diagonally from the First Lady Michelle Obama and one seat behind the Second Lady Jill Biden. UPDATE: maybe he moved seats? See image 7 of the box. You can also see the full list of seats in the box at The White House website – note also that Bobak Ferdowsi was there: you’ll remember him from the NASA Mars landing last year without a doubt!

The latest rumor claims that Apple will be moving Mac Mini production to the United States with Foxconn. Production is tipped to come to the US next year courtesy of a $100 million investment. Foxconn currently has production facilities in Asia and South America.

Apple is predicted to sell significantly more Mac mini computers in 2013. Sales estimates for the Mac mini in 2013 are 1.8 million units, which represents a 30% increase from 2012. Previous rumors have suggested that the Apple US manufacturing facility could be located in Fremont, California.

However, that location is unconfirmed. While Apple is intending to bring some of the production of its Mac mini computer to the United States, the company continues to work hard to produce more iPad mini tablets. Shipments for the iPad mini are expected to reach 8 million units in Q4. The component that is difficult to get for the construction of the little tablet continues to be the touchscreen.

[via 9to5Mac]

The Mac mini gets credit for not using proprietary screws, unlike the pentalobes found on the Retina-class MacBook Pro, and there’s no glue holding down anything inside. iFixit also likes the fact that the RAM and hard-drive aren’t soldered in, which means they’re easily replaced by the user, and you can also add in a second drive (as Apple does by default for the server version of the mini).

Of course, there are always going to be some compromises with a small-form-factor chassis, and the Mac mini is no different. The fact that the CPU is soldered to the logic board and so can’t be replaced by the user is probably the biggest drawback, though iFixit also mentions the trickiness of actually unpacking and replacing all of the components involved.

The updated mini kicks off at $599 for the 2.5GHz dualcore Core i5 model with 4GB of RAM and 500GB of storage; it has Intel HD Graphics 4000 as standard. The server version, with a pair of 1TB drives and a quadcore Core i7 chip is $999.

There’s a new USB power adapter in the Apple Store that works with the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5th gen and iPod nano 7th gen as well as all the iPads. This charger is 12w instead of the until-now 10w, this allowing you to charge faster then ever before – or so we’re to understand. We’ll have to see once we’ve got our hands on a unit in the very near future.

Note that this marks a rather silent retirement of the iPad 3, as marked above. You’ll find the iPad 2 continuing to sit in stock in Apple Stores around the world while the iPad 4th generation device replaces it. This will have Apple’s stock quite obviously showing the iPad 2 as the lesser device across the board, even compared to the iPad mini – with prices that may make the iPad mini and the iPad 4th gen irresistible.

Have a peek at the rest of our Apple event coverage in our giant Apple iPad mini event round-up and stick around the Apple store portal for more information as it arrives. This update to the Apple store and the Apple ecosystem has a whole miniature vibe to it, wouldn’t you say? We’ll see how it all adds up with more in-person hands-on action soon!

Inside, there’s a choice of up to 1TB of HDD storage or a 256GB SSD. Intel’s HD Graphics 4000 keep your display going – via an HDMI output, among other things – plus there’s wireless connectivity in the shape of WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0.

There’ll also be a Mac mini Server version, with a 2.3GHz Intel quadcore Core i7 processor instead. It’s paired with 4GB of RAM and twin 1TB hard-drives. Up to 16GB of RAM can be specified.

The Mac mini Server will be priced from $999. It’s up for sale from today. Keep up with all of Apple’s news today at our Apple Hub.

With a 10AM PST start time we’ll be off and running with all the news you can possibly handle right here in the SlashGear main news feed and in our fabulous Apple portal. There you’ll see the iPad mini along with refreshes – rumored, mind you – of the Mac mini, iMac (probably not), Retina MacBook Pro (that being a 13-inch iteration), and more! Software will include a slightly updated iOS 6.1, updates to iBooks and other odd Apple-made apps, and a push for more.

Have a peek at a couple panorama shots we’ve got here from inside the theater that the Apple event is taking place in right this minute as well. You’ll see no lack of iPhone 5 units and Apple-made products of all sorts in hands and popping out of backpacks. Expect the stage to bring on a whole new wave of updates – check the timeline below for a few last-minute possibilities and stay tuned all day long!

This update has three new updates to the Mac mini lineup, each of them leaked to 9to5mac. The first of these is a 2.5GHz dual-core processor toting machine with 4GB of RAM and a lovely 500GB hard drive. The second has a a quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz with 4GB of RAM once again and a hard drive that’s twice as nice at 1TB. The Server edition comes in at 2.3GHz quad-core with 4GB of RAM and a massive 2TB hard drive.

• 2.5 GHz dual-core, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard drive
• 2.3 GHz quad-core, 4GB RAM, 1TB Hard drive
• Server: 2.3 GHz quad-core 4GB of RAM, 2TB Hard drive

The pricing on these devices has not yet been revealed. Expect each of these units to be available later today more than likely. Word has it that these Mac mini device will be working with 2x2GB stock RAM, but upgrades will be available from Apple up to 16GB – massive! Stick around for the main Apple event to find out the full run-down as Apple makes it all clear.

You can get all the Apple action from SlashGear via our massive Apple portal with full feature selection, including reviews and run-downs!

The big news – or little news, really – is the smaller iPad, which we’re expecting to come in at 7.85-inches and have some impressive justification as to why Steve Jobs well-circulated comments that “tweener” tablets are pointless don’t hold true with this homegrown model.

The new MacBook Pro 13R isn’t the only piece of OS X-related hardware tipped, either: there’s been chatter of an iMac refresh, and potentially a new Thunderbolt Display, though sources can’t agree on whether Apple’s supply chain is up to providing 21.5-inch or larger Retina-resolution LCD IPS panels for the desktops. Apple’s Mac mini could also be due a tweak, with whispers of improved performance without a physically larger box.

Apple has surprised us this morning by quietly announcing that Apple TV owners will be able to watch a livestream of the whole event via the set-top box. It’s unclear at this stage whether any other Apple device owner will have access to the same stream, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for you.

The Apple announcement for this event has many guessing that additional rainbow colors are coming to the Apple universe, but past examples of invites have shown colors regardless of the casing of the product. Also the iPod family has already brightened up once again at the iPhone 5 event, and the devices we’ll be seeing this week will much more likely be coming in any color you like – just so long as they’re black or white. Of course the aluminum family is set to get a bit denser too.

There’s likely going to be an announcement of availability for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, an iMac with a teardrop-shaped body, and an improved Mac mini. These will each be working together – and with the new iPad mini – in a collection of ways that Apple will surely outline in many magical ways. The iPad mini is, of course, going to be the star of the show no matter what, so it’s going to be all things miniature in a bit of a dance around the tablet release.

The timeline below this post will bring you some more insight on everything this event may very well contain, from hardware to software updates. This event has most recently been tipped to be bringing an education angle in on the iPad mini, with low costs and iBook updates for the students of the planet – we’ll have to see if this tip, like the rest, pan out soon!

Check out our giant Apple portal the whole event long as well!

We had a few Nexus-related stories hit this afternoon, with a new Nexus 4 leak giving us some details on the phone’s specs, and an internal Staples document telling us that the 32GB Nexus 7 model right be replacing the 8GB variant. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga will be launching in Japan as the NEC LaVie Y, and one expert is telling us today that there aren’t many visual differences between smartphone displays in 720p and 1080p.

Stanford Ovshinsky, who created the NiMH battery and helped developed many other products, passed away earlier this week, and YouTube launched Campaigns today, a feature that’s being called a “digital thermometer” for non-profits. Pricing for the rumored 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display could top $1,700, while the Skifta app for Android has been updated with support for Instagram and Dropbox. Moog unveiled its new LEV-96 “sensoriactuator” today, and we got word that T-Mobile is now requiring users to sign up for at least a 2GB data plan when taking home a new smartphone.

Microsoft unleashed the launch trailer for Halo 4 today, while EA CEO John Riccitiello was seen saying that social gaming isn’t dying. One unlucky Nintendo counterfeiter is likely headed to the slammer, Motorola has delivered a list of phones that won’t be getting an upgrade to Jelly Bean, and Rovio released a new teaser trailer for Angry Birds Star Wars today. Finally tonight, we have a new column from Don Reisinger for you to read through, in which he asks “How many tablets do you really need?” That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you have an excellent weekend!

These refreshes have also been tipped to be coming with some upgrades, of course, including a Mac mini with 16GB of RAM included in two RAM slots and a denser machine overall. That’s not to say much for the weight of the machine, but the insides will certainly be jumping at leaps and bounds while the size of the unit stays relatively similar to past models. This update has the Mac mini finally able to join the official Apple ranks – rather than just 3rd party modified sales ranks – with its 8GB configuration replaced with 16GB of RAM for the standard edition.

The Mac mini may well have 32GB of RAM then with higher grade models, with four slots for RAM still being the situation on the innards. This boost has separately been tipped to be coming in at a thinner profile than before, strangely enough, this ringing true with the theme of the event, Apple showing us “a little bit more” as it were.

The iMac on the other hand will be keeping its height but reducing its thickness, with a bit of a teardrop design making this all-in-one sort of machine small as it is gigantic. The iMac has been tipped as having a price increase as well, so we’ll see whose reports add up in the end. Size reductions add to the possibility of there being a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro as well.

We’ll be live at the Apple event on the 23rd of this month – that’s next week – so stay tuned and make sure you’re ready for lots and lots of action. New hardware primarily is what we’re expecting, but we could very well see some software boosts as well – we shall see!

It’s said that the new Mac minis will come in three configurations. Two of which will be different based on the processor and storage, and one of the models will simply just run OS X Server. Plus, after the announcement, the new models are expected to be available immediately and will ship right away.

As far as specs, that’s something that still hasn’t really been speculated. However, we’ll most likely see the latest-gen Intel Core processors, bigger hard drives, better graphics, and more ports including USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connectivity. Apple hasn’t touched their Mac minis since 2010, so we should be seeing a substantial update.

It’s said that Apple will announce all of their products on October 23. This includes the iPad mini, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, and now updated Mac minis. If this is true, we should be in for an awesome and information-packed event. In the meantime, we’ll be taking things with a grain of salt.

[via 9to5Mac]

The discounting follows reports last month of Apple resellers such as J&R having trouble sourcing stock of certain Mac models. The 15-inch MacBook Pro, one of the mainstays of Apple’s line-up, was particularly constrained, it was suggested, indicating Apple was ramping down its own stocks in preparation for an updated version.

Exactly what that updated version will include has been the subject of great speculation over the past months. While previous refreshes of the Mac line-ups have generally left the aesthetics of the desktops and notebooks unchanged, focusing instead on the internal specifications, this next upgrade is believed to be more comprehensive, certainly for the MacBook ranges.

Apple is believed to be pushing its OS X machines to follow the path of the iPhone and iPad, with Retina Displays offering hugely pixel-dense LCD panels, while the inclusion of Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors is pretty much a given. More interesting is talk of USB 3.0 connectivity, something Apple has so far avoided in favor of Thunderbolt and, before that, FireWire 800.

When, exactly, the new models will drop is uncertain, though supply chain whispers have suggested a June arrival.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Those notebooks using Intel GMA 950 or Intel GMA X3100 GPUs are apparently out of luck, but the list also includes the 8-core Mac Pro from 2007 and the mid-2007 Mac mini. However, if you have one of the following models you should be okay:

• iMac (mid 2007 or later)
• MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later), (15-inch, 2.4/2.2 GHz), (17-inch, Late 2007 or later)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
• Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
• Xserve (Early 2009)

Gradually phasing out support for older hardware is usual practice, though it’s unlikely to be met with pleasure from owners (unless they’ve been looking for an excuse to upgrade). Still, OS X Lion should be supported by Apple for some years to come, if you’re stuck on the existing version of the platform.

For more on OS X Mountain Lion, check out our full hands-on preview.

Bluetooth Smart devices pertain mainly to sensor-type devices like heart-rate monitors that run on a button-cell battery and were designed for limited and specific tasks. And hence, due to their lower power consumption, they cannot connect to traditional Bluetooth labeled devices, but only to Bluetooth Smart Ready devices.

The iPhone 4S, Mac Mini, and MacBook Air are considered Bluetooth Smart Ready devices, which can also include Bluetooth 4.0 equipped tablets, PCs, and TVs. These Bluetooth Smart Ready devices can connect to traditional Bluetooth devices as well as Bluetooth Smart devices.

Therefore, you may start noticing that future device packaging will sport one of three new Bluetooth logos, including the traditional Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart, and Bluetooth Smart Ready.

“Once consumers have a Bluetooth Smart Ready device, like the new iPhone 4S, they can continue connecting to existing Bluetooth devices and are also ready to experience the new world of Bluetooth Smart peripheral devices that will carry the Bluetooth Smart logo,” said Bluetooth SIG CMO Suke Jawanda.

[via Apple Insider]

Well, Apple has some bad news for those who were hoping to daisy chain an existing Apple LED Cinema Display. Although those screens sport a physically identical Mini DisplayPort, they have never been able to support daisy-chaining and will not work when connected to a new Thunderbolt Display. However, they do work with Thunderbolt cables as long as no additional displays are in the chain.

As for the number of Thunderbolt Displays supported by recent Macs, the answer varies depending on the model. MacBook Airs can only support one external Thunderbolt Display in addition to its built-in screen, while MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac minis can support two Thunderbolt Displays. But do note that with the lowest-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, attaching two displays would mean disabling the built-in screen, while the highest-end Mac mini with discrete AMD graphics can support two Thunderbolt Displays in addition to a third display attached via its HDMI port.

[via AppleInsider]

Market expectations pegged the September rate to be 16 percent, which Apple surpassed. Munster believes the strong sales can be attributed to the launch of Mac OS X Lion along with the release of the refreshed MacBook Air and Mac Minis. He also predicts that 10 to 20 percent of the 4.5 million units likely to be sold will be of the MacBook Airs.

Additionally, NPD’s data revealed that Apple’s iPod sales have declined for the first two months of this quarter, dropping 16 percent year over year. This figures is actually not as bad as the expected 23 percent drop. Apple is on pace to sell between 7.2 million and 7.7 million units from the iPod lineup this quarter.

[via Apple Insider]

Some of the issues addressed include unresponsiveness when playing a video in Safari, audio not playing when using HDMI or optical audio out, Wi-Fi connection reliability, problems with data and settings migration to a new Mac running OS X Lion, and an issue with admin user accounts going missing after upgrading to OS X Lion. Details on the update can be found here.

For users with MacBook Airs and 2011 Mac Minis, there are bug fixes specific to each hardware. The update for those products can be directly downloaded here. Some of the problems resolved include an issue where the MacBook Air may boot up when a MagSafe Adapter is attached, an issue causing intermittent display flickering in the MacBook Air, and an issue that causes the SD card slot in the Mac Mini to run at a reduced speed.

Apple:
Mac OS X Lion available now!
Apple MacBook Air updated
Apple Mac mini refreshed: Sandy Bridge and dual-drive Server
Apple Thunderbolt Display revealed
OS X Lion update kills Flash Player hardware acceleration and more
Adobe admits OS X Lion Flash claims were false
iTunes 10.4 and iWork 6 Updates Released For OS X Lion Full-Screen Support
MacBook Air 13″ core i5 hands-on (mid-2011)
OS X Lion Sold Over 1 Million Copies In First Day
Complete Apple retail store faked quite convincingly in China
Apple Killing Off More Boxed Software From Stores
Apple Hints At iPhone 5 In September?
Apple Q3 Earnings Exceeds Expectations, $28.57 Billion Revenue, $7.31 Billion Profit

Intel, Microsoft, and Nokia:
Intel Q2 Earnings Beat Expectations, Netbooks Down, Cloud Computing Strong
Microsoft Reports Solid Q4 Earnings Thanks To Enterprise, Servers, And Xbox
Windows Phone Mango App Submissions In August Support September Launch
Nokia “Sea Ray” Windows Phone caught on video
Nokia Q2 financials “clearly disappointing” says CEO Elop: €487m loss

Google:
Google+ For iPhone Now The Top Free App In iTunes
Google+ Games Stream confirmed
Google acquires Fridge: Groups for Google+ incoming
Google+ hits 20m unique visitors; Social chief admits brand strategy was “a mistake”
Google+ Celebrity Acquisition Plan In The Works
Google Is Shutting Down Google Labs And Some Experimental Projects
What Google Labs Shutting Down Means for YOU the Google Lover

Spotify:
Spotify Reached 70,000 Paying Subscribers In First Week Of U.S. Launch
SlashGear Spotify Invites Now Up for Grabs!

Reviews & Hands-on/Unboxings:
Verbatim Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard Review
Mac OS X Lion Review
MacBook Air 13-inch core i5 Review (mid-2011)
Toshiba Thrive Review
Lenovo IdeaPad K1 and ThinkPad Tablet hands-on

The continuing Android legal assault is reportedly seeing some smartphone firms looking for other operating systems. The legal assault is said to be sending phone makers to Windows Phone and MeeGo. LinkedIn’s CEO has said that Google+ can’t coexist with Facebook and Twitter. Jeff Weiner has claimed that Google+ makes demands on time that users don’t have.

Eric Schmidt has said that Apple’s lawsuits are prompted by jealousy and a lack of innovation. He said that the Android suits are “inspired by our successes.” An early version of Google+ iOS app was released by accident this week. Thousands of users were able to download the app before it was pulled leading to issues for some that had use the app.

A company in China has faked a complete Apple Store and it looks almost just like the real thing. Apparently, the fake Apple Store was selling real Apple gear though. Vince went hands on with the IdeaPad K1 and the ThinkPad Tablet this week. Vince liked the ThinkPad Tablet, but thinks the K1 will struggle.

Apple is hinting that the iPhone 5 will come in September. CFO Peter Oppenheimer mentioned the company would undergo a “future product transition” in September. Apple refreshed the Mac mini desktop computer this week. The main changes were new Sandy Bridge processors and a dual-drive server version along with Thunderbolt.

The MacBook Air was also refreshed along with the mini this week. The refresh brought new Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt. The Senate Antitrust Subcommittee chairman is opposing the AT&T and T-Mobile merger. The chairman says that the merger could cause substantial harm to competition and consumers.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down last week and ended 26 years of space flight aboard the shuttle fleet. It will be four years before the US has a replacement for the Shuttle. Some really funny mock T-Mobile commercials have turned up that make fun of the merger between AT&T and T-Mobile. If you haven’t seen them, they are worth a watch.

Toyota showed off some cool concept tech this week with a window for a car that lets the user zoom in on things that are far off. The odds of this sort of tech coming to market are slim. Some official pics of the Droid Bionic surfaced this week at Amazon when the listings for some accessories turned up on the site. The accessories were a desk dock and a car dock.

Google+ has grown to 20M unique visitors already. While the growth is massive Google has admitted that its brand strategy was a mistake on the project. A special edition Star Wars Kinect bundle is coming that has the console in R2D2 livery and the controller is designed to look like C3PO. The console will land in time for the holidays at undisclosed pricing.

We put up our review of Mac OS X Lion late last week. Burns really liked the OS and said that it would be the OS he uses for the foreseeable future. Gerber unveiled a new multitool called the Steady that has a camera tripod built in. The tool will land next year for about $65 and will be great for photo shooting hikers.

Rue posted up a review of the Toshiba Thrive tablet. She figures if you are willing to go with the fatter design you better really want the full size USB port. The tablet is also cheap but those seem to be its only big selling points. Vince also posted up his review of the new 13-inch core i5 MacBook Air. The new Air has portability and performance with the only lacking point being no integrated 3G. Thanks for reading this week’s edition!

After all, as I noted on these pages earlier this week, the new Mac mini is the best computer to hook up to a television, and I’m a firm believer that the Apple TV is the top set-top box in the market. It seemed like an open-and-shut case.

But then I started thinking about things a bit more deeply. More specifically, I thought about Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Kinect devices and all that they offer. Upon doing so, I came to a new conclusion: Microsoft is actually making Apple look bad in the living room, and it’s doing so with ease.

See, when I think about Apple’s living-room products compared to Microsoft’s, I’m left wanting more. For years now, I’ve hoped that the Apple TV would feature gaming, and it still doesn’t. I’ve wanted it to allow me to record live television, and it doesn’t. And although I don’t have a problem with it, the latest Mac mini’s missing DVD drive is an issue for some folks.

The Xbox 360, on the other hand, comes with many of the things I’m looking for in a home-entertainment device. I can play top-notch video games both offline and online. And if I want to sit back and relax with a favorite movie, I can pop a disc into the device and do so. Even better, Microsoft’s console allows for access to a host of streaming services, including Netflix. Combine that with the Kinect, and I don’t think there’s any doubt that Microsoft is trumping Apple in the living room.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the Kinect or motion gaming. In fact, I’ve said on SlashGear before that my Kinect is collecting dust. But I can still appreciate innovation when I see it. And I think that Microsoft deserves a lot of credit for delivering a product that breaks down some barriers and sets benchmarks in its respective market.

It’s rather odd to say such a thing about Microsoft. In most cases, it’s Apple that breaks down the barriers and sets benchmarks. But in the living room, the iPhone maker has been decidedly run-of-the-mill. Rather than push boundaries, Apple has stayed well within them. And in the process, it has allowed companies like Microsoft and Sony to win the battle for the living room.

Before Apple fans jump all over this column, allow me to say that I fully realize that Apple knows what it’s doing in the consumer space, as evidenced by its recent financial showing. And in many markets, it has made Microsoft look bad. But whether the company’s fans like it or not, the living room isn’t one of them.

The new Mini is about an inch and a half thick and has a tiny little fan that should be very quiet. The geeks taking the machine apart found the Broadcom BCM4331 WiFi chip inside along with a BCM20702 single chip Bluetooth 4.0 processor that supports BLE. It’s the same part inside the MacBook air as well. On the bottom of the mainboard are a bunch of other chips.

On the bottom, you find the Intel BD82HM65 platform controller hub, the Intel processor, the USB 2.0 hub controller and a lot more. The RAM slots are also on the bottom of the board. On the top of the mainboard are the Intel Thunderbolt controller and a Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet and memory card controller as well as the FireWire controller and audio controller. The Mini has a tiny little power supply inside the case. Check out the source for all the teardown pics.

The Mac mini is a cheap computer that lacks much of the power found in other Apple products. But what it lacks in power, it makes up for by delivering Web browsing and entertainment opportunities through iTunes. In many ways, it’s an ideal companion for any HDTV.

But with a new Mac mini on store shelves, some folks are undoubtedly wondering if the new device can deliver the same level of usability in the living room as its predecessor. The critics say that the new Mac Mini’s lack of a DVD drive is enough to get it disqualified as a worthwhile home-theater PC.

As far as I’m concerned, the latest and greatest Mac mini is just as good as its predecessors. Sure, it lacks an optical drive, which could prove troublesome for those who like to pop a favorite movie in a player and watch it, but let’s face it: just about every device has a DVD drive nowadays. And as long as you have an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or a DVD player, do you really need another drive in the Mac mini?

In the slight chance that you actually do, Apple points out that you can still access the optical drives of other PCs or Macs. The computer also works with the MacBook Air SuperDrive.

What’s more, the new Mac mini is far better looking than many of the competitors it faces, and would be a fine choice for anyone who wants more style in the living room.

But more than anything else, the Mac mini’s true appeal from the very beginning has been its software. After plugging it into their HDTVs via HDMI, the Mac mini welcomes users into the world of OS X. With the Mac mini, they aren’t limited like they are in the Apple TV, and they can perform all the same tasks on the device as they normally do on their notebooks or desktops.

Just as with older versions of the Mac mini, Apple’s latest version of the computer offers the best of both worlds — computing and entertainment.

Now, I should note that this entire discussion has left out another key component in the Mac mini’s appeal to people like me who consume a lot of entertainment in the living room: it’s cheap. For just $599, you can buy the bare-bones Mac mini and get all the features you’d likely need to improve your entertainment and productivity in the living room.

So, I’m not displeased by the new Mac mini one bit. The latest update still delivers the functionality we’re all looking for in a top-of-the-line home-theater PC, and it does so at a price we should all be able to live with.

First again let’s take a look at these giveaways we’ve got going on. First we’ve got Tabletpalooza. This is a giveaway where you’re able to win one of five NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor toting Android tablets, this week’s tablets being the Acer Iconia Tab A500 and the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Get out there and win those tablets NOW! Then there’s our Spotify giveaway where you’ve just got to go to a single landing page and submit your email. Simple stuff! ALSO if you’re not sure if you’ve won one of the first weeks of Tabletpalooza, head to our Week 1 and 2 Winners post!

Next we’ve got a few Featured items you should take a look at, one of them from last week that I think you aught to take another look at since we’re using it in all of our most recent Android reviews: Qualcomm’s Vellamo benchmarking system – our hands-on testing should let you know everything you need to know. One of the first places you can see this benchmarking system in action is in the SlashGear review of the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide. We’ve also gone hands-on with the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 and ThinkPad Tablet.

Then comes the Apple! The Apple MacBook Air has been updated to include some sweet new Sandy Bridge insides and a lovely new Thunderbolt port, the Apple Mac mini has been refreshed with Sandy Bridge and a dual-drive Server, and the Apple Thunderbolt Display has been revealed and it’s gigantic and it’s awesome. Also you should take a look at Apple’s Q3 Earnings as they exceed expectations at $28.57 Billion in revenue and $7.31 Billion in profit.

We’ve got reviews up of the following:
Verbatim Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard
iRiver Story HD
SwiftKey Tablet X
Swiftkey X for Android Handsets
Spotify Premium Mobile App and Service
Android Market 3.0.26 – still not officially released!

Columnist Don Reisinger lets us know what he thinks in A RIM Apple TV Competitor is the Worst Idea Ever. Philip Berne drops some knowledge with a couple of columns, one called Can the Internet and Nostalgia Get Along? while the other goes by the title Permutations of Relationships on Social Networks. Meanwhile Google’s Eric Schmidt has had some controversial things to say lately: first that Google was “left behind” on social then also that Apple’s lawsuits are prompted by jealousy and innovation-shortfall.

For a look at a big roundup of everything from last week, head to Rue’s SlashGear Weekly Roundup Video – fun for everyone!

Among the features offered include Disk Utility, which can check and repair a hard-drive, erase it, and reinstall a fresh copy of Lion, and the ability to restore a Mac from a Time Machine backup. If there’s an internet connection on offer, Lion Recovery will connect to Apple and offer access to its online support forums, too.

Lion Internet Recovery is built into new Macs, starting from today’s refreshed MacBook Air and Mac mini, and will be a new feature on all models moving forward. For more on OS X Lion – which is available as an upgrade now from the Mac App Store – head over here.

[via Twitter]

The consumer models have a choice of dual-core Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 processors, paired AMD Radeon HD 6630M discrete graphics, while the Server model has a quad-core Intel Core i7. $599 gets you the 2.3GHz Core i5 mini with 2GB of RAM and a 500GB HDD, while up to 750GB of hard-drive and 8GB of RAM are options. $799 gets you the 2.5GHz dual-core Core i5, with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB HDD; a 2.7GHz Core i7, 8GB of memory, and either a 750GB hard-drive or 256GB SSD are options.

Finally, the 2.0GHz quad-core Core i7 Mac mini with Lion Server model has 4GB of RAM, twin 500GB hard-drives and starts at $999. Options include up to 8GB of RAM, two 750GB hard-drive or two 256GB SSDs.

Ports and connectivity include Thunderbolt and WiFi. The new Apple Mac mini ships from today.

The basic Mac mini will have a 2.3GHz Intel chip, it’s said, paired with 2GB of RAM. Its more powerful counterpart will boost the CPU to a 2.5GHz chip and double the RAM to 4GB, though the hard-drive will remain at 500GB.

There’ll also be a new Mac mini Server model, with a 2.0GHz processor but 4GB of RAM. It will drop the optical drive for a second 500GB hard-drive, taking total storage to 1TB, and presumably come preloaded with OS X Lion Server. Thunderbolt ports are expected on all of the new models.

The source also claims that Apple will indeed launch the updated LED Cinema Display today, which was spotted last week supporting Thunderbolt daisy-chaining of multiple monitors to a single MacBook Pro.

Though OS X Lion will be distributed through the Mac App Store, rather than as boxed software sold through the regular online store, we’re guessing there’ll be a new listing for it linking to the download system. Apple is also rumored to be updating the Mac mini, the company’s compact desktop computer.

Like the MacBook Air, the mini is tipped to be getting an Intel Sandy Bridge refresh, introducing new Core processors from the silicon firm’s 2011 range. Thunderbolt connectivity is also expected, allowing for high-speed data connections to external drives, NAS, media interfaces and – thanks to DisplayPort support – monitors.

On that front, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Apple’s updated LED Cinema Display, which was prematurely added to the company’s site last week, also go on sale today. The new monitors will have Thunderbolt ports, allowing them to be daisy-chained off a single MacBook Pro or other Apple computer.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

The same sources apparently accurately predicted the details around Apple’s iMac launch in early May. The Mac Pro is long overdue an update, and various rumors are circulating around what the company may have done to the latest-gen hardware. Popular among graphics professionals, musicians and anybody else in need of high-performance crunching, there’s talk that the new Mac Pro could use a rack-mountable chassis and in effect replace both the previous desktop and Apple’s discontinued Xserve.

As for the Mac Mini, that update is expected to be a more minor one, replacing the Mini DisplayPort connection with Thunderbolt, and swapping out the processors for Intel’s Sandy Bridge chips. A RAM and hard-drive bump are also highly likely.

Other specifications, however, are unclear for both machines. Tong’s sources say the refresh could take place as early as the last week of July, though an early August refresh is more likely. Apple is also believed to be readying a MacBook Air refresh, again using Sandy Bridge chips and Intel’s high-speed connection, and also held back until OS X Lion is ready for public consumption.

Mac OS X Lion was unveiled at the Apple WWDC 2011 developer conference earlier this month. It’s a major update that will bring a whole load of new features including new gesture controls, a built-in Mac App Store, an Expose and Spaces combination called Mission Control, and a iPad/iPhone-like app grid-style interface called LaunchPad. And, unlike previous versions that cost $129.99, the new OS X Lion lowers the barrier to only $29.99.

Apple Insider’s sources familiar with the situation, say that Apple wants to wait until OS X Lion is done so that the new MacBook Airs can launch with the Gold Master build of Lion allowing customers to enjoy the enhanced experience on their new notebooks right off the bat. Complimentary iCloud services will also come built-in with the software.

This is reportedly also the case with the Mac Minis, which are also due for Intel’s Sandy Bridge chip and Thunderbolt-equipped refresh. Mac OS X Lion is scheduled to be available by July, with developer versions already widely installed.

[via AppleInsider]

The deal may be enticing, but if you don’t want to regret picking up an older generation iMac just a day before the new one is released, then hold on tight. We reported last week that a refreshed iMac was likely to arrive on May 4th. Speculation had been building up on the refresh due to reports that there were constrained supplies of the current model iMac on retailer inventory sheets. Delays on shipping iMacs for online orders until May 2nd, also further supported this claim.

The new iMac will likely feature Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge processor chip along with Apple’s new Thunderbolt connector port. Your attempt to save $70 off by purchasing the current-gen iMac on sale could make you lose out on the added performance and speed of the next-gen iMac, just days away. Either way, you can check out the sale here.

[via MacNN]

One of the versions is the NuShelf for Mac mini and it fits the pre 2010 update mini computers and sells for $27.99. The NuShelf Mount for 2010 Mac mini is designed to work with the newest mini in the line. A Dual Mount for 2010 Mac mini is also available and is designed to hold a pair of the small desktop computers.

All three of the versions are designed to do the same thing. They mount to the underside of your desk so that you don’t loss any desktop space to your mini. The NuShelf for the old minis sells for $27.99, the single 2010 mini holder is $39.94, and the dual 2010 mini NuShelf is $44.95. All three versions are made from 3/16″ PETG thermoplastic and are laser cut.

Alternatively, there’s the Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server, as first announced back in 2009; you’ll get two of those to a 1U space. Pricing for the Mac Pro server – which Apple claim is over 25-percent faster at certain tasks than the Xserve – kicks off at $2,999, while the roughly quarter-powered Mac mini server starts at $999.

Plex is a free media player app that allows you to use either an Apple remote or an iOS device running the free controller software to record live TV and manage a library of downloaded and ripped content. In fact, with OWC’s setup you can apparently easily rip DVDs to the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID enclosure.

Availability is pegged for the end of January, with OWC planning to announce pricing at the same time. Options will range from 4TB – up to 2,045hrs of DVD-quality footage – to 12TB – 6,145hrs – and OWC will also offer Blu-ray too.

Press Release:

OWC Unveils Industry’s First Plug And Play Three Screen Home Theater Media Center Solution For 2010 Mac mini At Macworld Expo 2011

Pre-configures 2010 Mac mini as home entertainment media server with first three screen (PC, TV, mobile) interface that simplifies and improves how content is viewed and managed across multiple devices

Options include enough capacity to hold up to 6,145 hours of DVD quality movies with Mercury Pro Qx2 RAID storage solutions up to 12TB – – and the ability to make copies of purchased CD/DVD/Blu-ray media with OWC’s Slim portable bus-powered drive

Complete bundled solution includes RAM upgrade to 4GB, HDMI A/V cables, Elgato EyeTV tuner or DVR recorder, and Apple Remote

January 27, 2011 San Francisco, CA — Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, announced today its new OWC Media Center Solution for the 2010 Mac mini to address the growing need of consumers wanting to search, navigate, consume, store/backup, and sync digital content from multiple content sources and devices with one easy to use solution. The OWC Media Center Solution includes installing the Plex digital media management platform onto a customer’s 2010 Mac mini, upgrading the mini with 4GB of OWC RAM, and bundling all the necessary hardware – including an OWC Mercury Pro™ Qx2 storage solution, OWC Slim portable CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc burner, Elgato EyeTV Hybrid tuner or HD DVR, and Apple Remote – to deliver a complete and hassle-free Plug and Play Mac mini based home theatre/entertainment solution. OWC will be demonstrating the new OWC Media Center Solution and other first-to-market products, like the OWC Mercury Aura Pro SSDs for MacBook Air models, in booth #513 at the Macworld Expo, which begins today in San Francisco, California.

Access And Manage Content Anywhere With Any iOS Device
At the heart of the OWC Media Center Solution is Plex, the first open three screen (PC, TV, mobile) media platform designed to simplify and improve the way people view and manage personal, commercial and streaming content sources across a variety of connected devices. With Plex installed, Mac mini owners can watch videos, access their music library, and control their Plex media manager at home with the included Apple Remote or while mobile with any iOS Device with the Plex iOS application installed.

Plug And Play Media Organization And Storage
The OWC Media Center Solution offers pre-configured Plug and Play organization and high performance storage of all your digital media, whether from local drives, network shares, optical media, and/or the Internet in one, easy to use application without having to install any additional third party plug-ins or programs. Because it requires virtually no hardware, networking, or home theater knowledge, the OWC Media Center Solution ensures even the most novice Mac mini user will able to access their favorite TV programs, movies, photos, and more with the intuitive, yet visually striking interface that compliments the home theatre experience.

Streams Free Media For Greater Viewing Options
Obtaining new content from free online sources with the OWC Media Center Solution is easy too. With the Plex App Store, a built-in library of free third-party plug ins, users can expand their media viewing choices by streaming content from websites like Apple Trailers, Hulu™, Joost™, Netflix®, Pitchfork™, Vimeo®, and YouTube™.

Backup And Save Content
With the included OWC Mercury Pro Qx2 storage solution, users can save up to 12TB of content – enough space for up to 6,145 hours of DVD quality movies – backed up by the safety of RAID 5. And with the optional OWC Slim portable, bus-powered CD/DVD/Blu-ray optical drive and the included MakeMKV application, users can make backups of purchased DVD and Blu-ray media and convert the files for use on any iOS and Android based device.

Watch And Record TV In High Def
Watching and recording TV with a Mac mini has never been easier than it is with Elgato EyeTV products. The OWC Media Center Solution offers a choice of either an EyeTV Hybrid to watch and record cable and broadcast TV channels broadcast in standard definition and unencrypted HD; or an EyeTV HD DVR for capturing up to 1080i HD from a cable or satellite receiver with component video connections. Once a program is recorded, it can be exported to the OWC Mercury Pro Qx2 for permanent storage and later viewing.

Live Product Demos Presented At Macworld Expo
The OWC Media Center Solution for 2010 Mac mini will be demonstrated live at the Macworld Expo in OWC’s booth #513. Pricing and ordering information for the custom configured bundle for 2010 Mac mini, which will include a 48 business hours or less installation turnaround, various shipping options, and OWC’s renowned warranty coverage; will be announced by the end of January. For additional OWC Media Center Solution details and answers to commonly asked set-up and usage questions, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/turnkey/Mac_Mini_Media_Center/AV

For more information on the OWC catalog of over 2,900 performance upgrades and accessories, or for reseller inquires, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/.

“By creating a comprehensive, yet option rich bundle and configuration service, we eliminated all the hassle of incorporating a 2010 Mac mini into a home theatre system,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. “This is the ideal solution for managing and viewing personal and public content whether it be a single user or an entire family with multiple devices.”

The OWC Media Center Solution Includes:

OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 storage solution in choice of 4TB, 8TB, and 12TB models pre-set with folders linked to Plex Media Server.
Optional OWC Slim portable, bus-powered CD/DVD/Blu-ray optical drive
HDMI audio and video connection cables
Apple remote control
Quick Start guide
Choice of:
o Elgato EyeTV Hybrid TV tuner stick for watching and recording cable and broadcast TV channels broadcast in standard definition and unencrypted HD.
o Elgato EyeTV HD digital video recorder (DVR) for connecting directly to a cable or satellite receiver to capture premium programming in full HD.

Video demo after the cut

The setup is running the Moog Little Phatty analog synth, Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere software synth, and the new Omni TR iPad app. All of the pieces fit together into a gorgeous, hand-crafted curly maple cabinet, complete with twin keyboards.

The Moog OMG-1 is intended to be a performance instrument, not something hidden away in a studio, and it’ll actually be given away as a prize to one lucky winner. The competition kicks off on March 15, with more details to be announced by Spectrasonics

[via Wired; video via SynthMe]

Press Release:

Sneak Peek: Spectrasonics Contest to Benefit Bob Moog Foundation

Bob Moog Foundation Gives Sneak-Peak of Spectrasonics Benefit

Custom Hardware Synth Created by Eric Persing Revealed as Grand Prize

NAMM – Anaheim, CA — January 13, 2011 — The Bob Moog Foundation gave a special presentation at NAMM, announcing a unique collaboration with Eric Persing of Spectrasonics on a fund-raising contest to benefit the foundation. Details of the contest are to be revealed when it begins on March 15th. During the presentation, Persing unveiled the Grand Prize for the benefit contest — a stunning, one-of-a-kind custom “OMG-1” hardware synthesizer he created that integrates the worlds of analog synthesis, computers, software synthesis and the latest multi-touch surfaces into one extraordinary instrument.

The OMG-1 was designed by Persing as a live performance instrument and is not a commercial product — it’s truly one-of-a-kind. The state of the art dual manual OMG-1 combines a Moog Little Phatty® analog synthesizer, Spectrasonics’ flagship Omnisphere® software synthesizer, a powerful internal Apple Mac Mini computer, dual Apple iPads®, dual iPods®, and Spectrasonics’ brand-new Omni TR™ iPad app — all integrated into a beautiful, hand-crafted curly maple cabinet created by American artisan Daniel Auon.

During the special sneak-preview presentation, Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation, and Eric Persing talked about their collaboration and Eric gave a live performance with the OMG-1.

“I’ll never forget the first time I played a Minimoog when I was a little kid…it truly changed my life!” says Eric Persing, Founder and Creative Director of Spectrasonics, a leading music software company, “So it’s a privilege after all these years to give back to the foundation honoring my hero Bob Moog and keeping the spirit and history of his inventions alive for the next generation. I had a blast designing the OMG-1 with Dan and I can’t wait to see who wins it!”

Michelle Moog-Koussa added, “The Bob Moog Foundation is grateful to Eric Persing for creating and sharing this one-of-a-kind innovative instrument. The foundation’s mission is to ignite creativity at the intersection of music, science, history and innovation. It is fitting that Eric’s OMG-1 does just that. His instrument represents the contemporary convergence of analog and digital, hardware and software. I think Bob would applaud Eric’s efforts to transcend boundaries in order to create an instrument with new and unique capabilities.”

Complete details about this exciting benefit will be announced by Spectrasonics when the contest begins on March 15th, 2011 (www.spectrasonics.net).

The iPad version of the stand will hold the iPad vertically or horizontally and has a rubberized black finish that is soft to the touch and scratch resistant. I would assume that rubbery finishes is an effort to prevent scratches since you will likely be pulling the iPad out of the stand frequently. The stand holds the iPad at a 15-degree angle for comfortable use and weighs only 3.5 ounces. You can order it now for $24.99.

The NuStand Alloy for the Mac mini is the same weight and works with the 2010 version of the Mac mini only. It also has a rubberized finish to prevent scratched and has a silicone center to securely hold the mini. Both of the stands have rubber feet to prevent skidding and more. The Mac mini version of the stand is also $24.99.

Unfortunately the US version remains at $699 for the entry-level Mac mini, so it looks like not everybody gets to save some money.  No official word from Apple as yet, but we’re guessing they’ll slip out a press release later on today.

[via HardMac]

Back in June I talked a bit about a new offering for MacBooks from OWC that removed the optical drive fort computers and added in a special bracket for a second storage drive called the Data Doubler. OWC is back with a new addition to the Data Doubler line that will let the users of certain Mac mini and iMac desktops get more storage capacity in their machines.

The new kit comes with all the hardware that is needed to add a second HDD or SSD to the mini and it will also fit into some iMac models as well. The bracket replaces the optical drive on both machines just as the original device last summer did. It will fit into early 2009 mini and mid-2009 mini models and will work with 20-inch mid-2009 iMac, 21.5-inch and 27-inch late 2009 iMacs, and mid-2010 iMac models. The kit and hardware sells for $79.99. The Data Doubler can be installed by the user in the mini, but OWC says pro needs to install the device in the iMac.

But within hours of Steve Jobs announcing the new Apple TV, I surfed to Apple.com, found the new Apple TV, and pre-ordered it. I didn’t even think twice about the purchase. I simply ordered it and moved about my day.

So, why did I decide to go against my better judgement and buy a device that I just don’t like? Two reasons: it’s cheap and I have some hope for the future now that the device is not a “hobby.”

The fact that Apple is able to offer its new set-top box for just $99 tells me everything I need to know about the hardware company. Apple is feeling pressure from the Google TV and it realizes that investing in a decidedly “Apple” idea just doesn’t make sense at this juncture.

So, rather than cannibalize the Mac Mini, which is a fine set-top box, the company instead decided to create something for those of us who want something simpler. And in the process, it sold us on a device that, for all intents and purposes, is an underpowered alternative to just about everything else.

But for some reason, that didn’t matter to me as much as I thought it would. See, I like the idea of being able to pay just 99 cents for a television show. And although the selection isn’t as nice as it could be, I still have Netflix to fall back on when Apple’s offering doesn’t deliver what I’m looking for.

I’m also intrigued by the potential that AirPlay has. Sure, right now I can just stream content from other devices in my house to the Apple TV, but what if Apple does something truly revolutionary with AirPlay? The way Steve Jobs was talking, that seems more possible now than ever. And to be honest, I don’t really need my music on every device in my house if I can stream from one of the others.

And then there is the possibility of multi-room entertainment. Say what you will about the Apple TV, but its aforementioned cheap price makes it an ideal choice for those that want access to streaming content in the living room and all the bedrooms. For just $100 per room, just about all the entertainment content consumers want can be had. And as more consumers see that, Apple will be able to tout sales figures, which will then get the rest of the TV networks onboard. And when that happens, the Apple TV will be even more of a viable device.

So, maybe it’s just me, but I have faith in Apple products. And although the Apple TV won’t win any innovation awards out of the box, I think it has the kind of potential that other devices just don’t.

They’re all linked up via the car’s own network, complete with a UMTS/HSPA cellular data connection, and there’s a USB 2.0 hub for plugging in peripherals (though you get a Bluetooth Apple keyboard, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse too, all with their own storage slots).  They’re not just standalone gadgets, either; BRABUS has integrated the iPads with the S600′s COMAND system, responsible for navigation, climate control, phone and A/V.

The rest of the interior is finished in two-tone custom BRABUS leather, with power-operated curtains and color-changing LED lighting; a special iPad nook in the center console lets you hide away the slates when they’re not slotted into the portrait/landscape stands in the tray-tables.  As for the S600 iBusiness’s grunt, there’s a BRABUS SV12 R Biturbo 750 12-cylinder engine good for 0-62mph in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 211mph; don’t be surprised if your iPad is pressed up against your face with the g-forces at that speed, though.  No word on pricing, but this build-to-order Merc is not going to come cheap.

[via Born Rich]