May 16 - 3:20pm EDT   Accessory and peripheral maker FastMac has announced a new external battery charger for Mac notebooks, the U-Charge. The unit is a 45W adapter that bridges from an AC outlet directly to a battery's terminals, eliminating the need to have the notebook itself present. As a result the U-Charge also consumes less energy than some adapters, having no need to power the computer at the same time. Indicator LEDs mimic those of Apple's, and safeguards are installed against overcharging, overheating and power surges. [full story]

May 9 - 3:30pm EDT   Apple on Friday announced it would refund between $25 and $80 to as many as 2.3 million iBook and PowerBook owners, after a significant number of adapters went defective, fraying and sparking. The Los Angeles Times reports that US District Court Judge James Ware granted preliminary approval on March 24th on the 2006 class action filing. The agreement makes Apple responsible for paying for a portion of replacement power adapters for the portables. [full story]

April 7 - 3:50pm EDT   Both the consumer MacBook and the performance-minded MacBook Pro will receive a major overhaul with their next updates, say sources speaking with AppleInsider. Either design has remained largely unchanged but will now allegedly receive visual cues from the aluminum iMac and MacBook Air, including an all-aluminum design, traces of black, and more tapered edges. The trackpad is also likely to switch to the extra-large design found in the Air, though whether the 13-inch MacBook will gain multi-touch is unknown. [full story]