Refurb $949 MacBooks, $849 iMacs return...

Apple's online store is once again offering $949 reconditioned MacBooks and $849 refurbished iMacs after a long dry spell when nearly no refurbished items were available. The Cupertino-based company is offering just one discounted White MacBook model with a 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 512MB of memory, and a 60GB hard drive for $949. Apple is also taking orders for its 17-inch 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac with 512MB of memory, a 160GB hard drive, and a 24x Combo Drive for $849. Three additional available refurbished iMac models include the 17-inch 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 1GB of memory, a 160GB hard drive, and a slot-loading 8x double-layer SuperDrive for $1,049; the 20-inch 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 1GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive, and a slot-loading 8x double-layer SuperDrive for $1,299; and the 24-inch 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 1GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive, and a slot-loading 8x double-layer SuperDrive for $1,699.

iPhone e-mail reveals minor changes...

Subscribers to the AT&T iPhone newsletter may be missing very subtle changes to the product in the latest mailing. An animated GIF in the message cycles through generally familiar images of the device, with the exception of the navigation screen -- in the lower-left is a double-arrow button, previously missing from Apple's official introduction at Macworld. Though its exact purpose is unclear, it may be a toggle for zoom functions.

MS/Yahoo merger out, collaboration in?...

Microsoft and Yahoo's merger talks have already fallen apart, say sources in touch with the Wall Street Journal. Although the two companies share an equal worry about Google leading in web ads and searchs, neither has found the common footing needed for a union. The two software firms have instead decided to explore teamwork in the future, though the nature of those deals wasn't available Friday afternoon.

External PCIe support for MacBook Pro ships...

Magma today began shipping ExpressBox, which it claims is the first external PCI Express expansion product for laptops. ExpressBox provides an easy means of attaching a PCI Express card to a laptop via the ExpressCard slot included in Apple's MacBook Pro. The device works with any "single-width" video card that requires 55 watts or less, and the company plans to support "double-wide" GPUs that require auxiliary power with the next generation of the Magma ExpressBox later this year. The accessory ships in two sizes to support half-length cards up to 6.6-inches long ($730) or full-length cards up to 12.283-inches ($750).

Tom Bihn ships redesigned Buzz notebook bag...

Tom Bihn today introduced a redesigned version of its Buzz one-shoulder sling bag with a built-in padded sleeve for laptops. The Buzz was originally designed for Apple's 12-inch PowerBook, but after numerous customer requests the bag was redesigned to fit the Cupertino-based company's newer 13-inch MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro. New features include a removable waist strap for extra support or stability while cycling, a thicker built-in laptop compartment with padding on the bottom, a lighter interior lining fabric, a thicker shoulder strap designed to conform more naturally to the shoulder, and a revamped cell-phone pocket designed to fit Apple's forthcoming iPhone. The Buzz is available for $120 in 11 color combinations.

Ebcases jumps gun with iPhone cases...

Not willing to wait until the official release, Ebcases today unveiled a pair of cases that it promises will fit the upcoming iPhone. The pictured eNOVO flip case uses a novel magnetic latch to keep the lid firmly in place and protect the screen. Owners can holster the phone through a belt clip and will also sync through the Dock Connector without removing the Apple handset from its protection.

In turn, the eCopilot pouch is tested with the iPhone's dimensions and can also support other high-profile phones such as the Motorola Q or Samsung BlackJack. A multipurpose design, the case can either be worn through a belt clip or carried with a bundled handstrap.

DocHaven 2.0 comes to Intel Macs

Holy Mackerel Software has released DocHaven 2.0, the latest iteration of the company's "Finder-like" Document Management System that expands from one roaming MacBook or PC to hundreds of users. Changes in DocHaven 2.0 include smart projects with aliases, DocHaven Solo for laptops, automatic FTP Web coding, multiple versions of documents, and unattended offsite backups. The update also supports multiple authors, workgroup collaboration, and internet sharing. DocHaven 2.0 runs natively on Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary and is available for Mac OS X as well as Linux and Windows. DocHaven MySQL is priced at $80 per user, while DocHaven Solo is available for $100. DocHaven "Ultimate Server" supports 1,000 users and is priced at $10,000.

Sierra rolls out audiophile iPod speakers

Sierra Sound has just released the iN STUDIO 5.0, its new bookshelf audio system designed for higher-end listening with iPods. Patterned after discrete speakers, it includes a dock on one unit for charging and playing music from recent iPods, including the second-generation iPod nano. Power is one of its strong points, says the company. The system includes a dynamic amp that avoids the need for a separate component to drive sometimes weaker digital audio. The iN STUDIO also packs an S-video connection for linking the video signal of newer iPods to a TV. Dual aux-input jacks are also relatively unique; owners can hook up dedicated second sources such as CD players through RCA or minijacks while still freeing a second port for other MP3 players.

The company says the iN STUDIO is shipping now for $399 in iPod-matching black or white, as well as a more conspicuous and stylized Ferrari red.

DRM group plans retaliation for HD DVD key exposure...

The group behind the AACS copy-protection scheme is contemplating "legal and technical tools" for going after those exposing the key used on HD DVD discs, according to the BBC. The code made headlines on Wednesday, when after one Digg user submitted a Boing Boing story with the key, site staff complied with a removal request and began deleting posts and comments. The userbase fought back, flooding the site with the key through numerous new posts. Digg founder Kevin Rose has since agreed to allow the key, and accept any legal consequences.

MacPractice 3 due in third quarter of 2007

MacPractice today announced that its MacPractice 3.0 software is slated for release in the third quarter of 2007. The latest release is server-based software designed to establish the foundation for future releases of MacPractice EMR, MacPractice Digital Radiography, and MacPractice Tooth Chart. The software interfaces with many third-party clinical and accounting products, according to MacPractice, with the initial release of MacPractice 3.0 separating accounting data from patient attachments for automatic accounting data backups to a .Mac account. Accounting backups can occur separately from photos, x-rays, scanned documents, and files that may reside on another volume. MacPractice 3.0 expands the options available for doctors to create Web interfaces with the company's scheduling and accounting software while also providing a more user friendly experience for tablet owners.

Nova unveils high-speed USB modem for Macs

Nova media today unveiled GlobeSurfer ICON 7.2 Ready, a USB modem for Mac notebooks and desktops designed to establish fast mobile internet connections around the globe. GlobeSurfer ICON 7.2 Ready features support for high speed HSDPA and 3GUMTS data connections with up to 7.2Mbps in appropriate mobile networks as well as EDGE and GRPS connections in all other cases. The modem includes launch2net as well as a wizard to set up and establish mobile internet connections. Launch2net includes connection settings for most mobile network operators from Alaska to New Zealand, according to the company, and takes only seconds in most cases for users to get online. The new modem will ship in late May for $410.

PianoDisc unveils iPod player piano

At this year's MusikMesse expo in Germany, PianoDisc made an unusual addition to its lineup with the introduction of its iQ add-on. The docking device works with most pianos and retrofits them to respond to the melody of almost any digital device, with special attention to Apple hardware. While it will cue the piano to play alongside CDs, DVDs, and generic digital players, the receiver includes a Universal Dock to play directly from any compatible iPod. The system is also smart enough to play music from a networked computer's iTunes library and will record the owner's own pieces through software.

Pricing and release dates for PianoDisc's system are currently unavailable. [via AVING]

NoteMind 1.5 adds file links, Web archives

Synium Software today released NoteMind 1.5, an update to the application designed to help users collect and organize information centrally in one single location. NoteMind learns the way users organize documents and automatically attempts to find a matching folder for new information, displaying collected documents as a modifiable "mind map." The latest release enables users to set link to files in the NoteMind database, archives Web pages without requiring an internet connection to open the sites, supports rotating objects in mind maps, and fixes the indexing process. NoteMind 1.5 is priced at $20, requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later, and includes numerous bug fixes.

VBA/AppleScript transition guide now free

MacTech has made its 150 page VBA/AppleScript transition guide available online for free to aid Mac Office scripters who recently discovered that Office 2008 for Mac no longer supports VBA. Subscribers received the triple-size issue as part of their normal subscription, according to the publication, which received an overwhelming response after initially publishing the guide. "For months, MacTech worked with a team of VBA, AppleScript and Office experts from around the industry to create the most comprehensive guide available to aid users in migrating from VBA to AppleScript. Chock full of step-by-step examples, it not only helps people migrating from VBA, but is useful for anyone who would like to AppleScript Microsoft Office." Bundled with the PDF download, Microsoft's Mac Business Unit is sponsoring a limited number of complimentary subscriptions by charging only shipping and handling fees ($10).

Microsoft to buy Yahoo?...

Microsoft is looking to buy Yahoo as a way of staving off Google, according to sources speaking with the New York Post. The newspaper claims that the Redmond software company is considering a deal that could be worth $50 billion to buy Yahoo to improve its distant third-place standing in search advertising, which is dominated by Google. The frustration is said to have reached a boil in recent months as Google has bought many of the companies Microsoft had been interested in, especially web advertiser DoubleClick. This in particular may have been the tipping point, as shown when Microsoft argued that Google was creating a monopoly.

Apple claims 'most innovative' title (again)...

Apple once again has claimed the title of "the world's most innovative company" in BusinessWeek's latest rankings. The Cupertino-based company tops the BusinessWeek-Boston Consulting Group’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for the third year in a row: "That sort of staying power speaks volumes about the sort of innovation that matters today. Unlike the Post-it Note, which proves the value of lone inventors, the iPod epitomizes today’s innovation sensibilities," the publication wrote. Apple has managed to dominate any would-be contenders by earning more than twice as many votes as two-time runner-up Google.