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The smooth little black pebble above from XtremeMac is a new combo charging/bluetooth-streaming option called the InCharge Home BT ($80). Pretty simple concept: Plug it into a wall outlet, then hook it up via the 3.5 mm jack to any speaker system and bango, you’ve given the system Bluetooth streaming capability, which means you can stream music to your speakers from any iDevice or Mac; then use the USB port to charge stuff (comes with a USB t0 30-pin connector and a 3.5 mm jack cable). There’s also an auto version called, naturally, the InCharge Auto BT ($80) that XtremeMac says allows hands-free calling, so we’re assuming it’s equipped with a microphone.

Mophie’s new Juice Pack Plus for the iPhone 4 (both versions) is just one millimeter thicker than Mophie’s flagship Juice Pack Air — but stuffs 25 percent more battery into that sliver. The $100 Plus is the most massive battery ever produced by Mophie and comes with all the fancy frippery of it’s lighter brother (rubberized casing, LED status indicator, standby switch and what Mophie calls an “Acoustic Sound Enhancement,” which we weren’t sure actually did anything in our test of the 3GS version of the Air).

Liking the purple? Better get a jump on ordering; only 3000 of those were made. If you miss out, there’s still cyan, yellow, magenta or good ‘ol black-on-black to pick from.

Can a $99 second-gen Apple TV operate under heavy load as a web server? With the death of the venerable XServ line, one hosting company is going to try to find out.

San Francisco-based Cult of Mac staff and any others of our far-flug correspondent crew as can get here look forward to meeting readers and WWDC attendees at a cocktail reception on Thursday, June 9 from 6pm – 9pm during Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference.

Think recent reports that Mac malware is a very real threat are just another example of security researchers crying wolf? Think again.

An AppleCare support representative says that not only are call centers being inundated with reports about the MacDefender malware, but that Apple employees who help customers remove it from their computer can be fired.

Do you get feverish and sweaty when you even think of a new Apple product? You might start experiencing bleeding palms and other stigmata next, according to a new study. The exact same part of your brain is lighting up when you think about Apple products as when you have a religious experience.

The Smart Cover is a beautiful invention, but pour a couple of beers and accidentally extinguish a couple of cigarettes on one, and it’s clear that some Smart Covers are better than others. So which one should you buy?

It is increasingly looking like the huge event Apple has in store for May 22nd isn’t a new product launch, but instead the unveiling of what is being christened Apple Store 2.0… an all new and improved retail experience which could also debut NFC-based payments, and possibly a surprise from Square.

Lodsys seems to be hell-bent on ruining things not just for application developers but for Apple as well, and it seems owing to its new-found skill in patent trolling for the odd buck, the App Store’s approval process for in-app purchases has now been frozen.

Tablets are the new must-have device for the cubicle crowd. Trouble is, once that shiny iPad is in their hands, most suits treat tablets like oversized smartphones.

A new job listing on Apple’s website reveals the company is in search of a media engine guru who may help the company kickstart its cloud-based media streaming service dubbed iCloud.

Sit-ins are so twentieth-century. Protesters Wednesday ‘planked’ outside a Foxconn shareholders meeting in objection to the Apple manufacturer’s long history of worker suicides.

Faced with the ongoing PR crisis of suicides and alleged human rights violations of its Chinese contractors, it’s looking increasingly like Apple might shift a sizable portion of their iPad production to Brazil. To prepare, Brazil’s president lowered taxes on producing and purchasing tablets in the South American country.

Despite talk of a coming onslaught of Android alternatives, almost all consumer tablet conversations begin and end with Apple’s iPad.

One of the best things about being a student – apart from all the parties, the freedom, and more free time that you know what to do with – is Apple’s back to school promotions, which typically see the company offer a free or discounted iOS device to students buying a Mac. Those waiting to get a free iPod touch before they purchase their next MacBook may not have to wait much longer, as this year’s promotion could be just around the corner.

Dreams of getting our mucky mitts on a super speedy LTE-enabled iPhone in 2011 have just been quashed by a new report which claims Apple’s plans to release an ‘iPhone 4S’ later this year have gone down the pan.

Apple’s mission to trademark and patent pretty much everything it can like an overactive canine marking its territory continues, with a new trademark filing that reveals the Cupertino company has protected the word ‘Noteworthy’, classifying it under the category of computer software.

Of course, I’m sure that in reality yesterday’s review had nothing to do with this whatsoever, but right off the back of me slagging off the Dragon’s Den game for iOS, an update has arrived to address some of its issues – and it no longer sucks quite as much as it did.

A new iPhone application called Web Browser for Apple TV aims to… well… bring a web browser to your Apple TV.

Apple’s latest lineup of MacBook Airs are incredible, and since their launch they’ve been lavished with attention from just about everyone – from the tech world’s greatest reviewers to the hooded youths that gather around them in the Apple Store. But a recent refresh to the MacBook Pro family is beginning to steal their limelight – boasting features like Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt ports – and the Airs want it back with their share of new components. They may only have to wait a little while longer, however, as one report suggests a refresh within the coming months.

On Tuesday this week Square started passing out invitations to the companies first special event. The event will take place at Square’s headquarters in San Francisco on May 23rd at 10:00 AM PDT. Some “exciting news” will be announced.

Apple has released two new updates today that improve support for processing raw image files from recently released digital cameras and provide enhancements and bug fixes for Apple’s audio/video production tools for professionals.

Apple’s Retina Display is one of the sexiest around, and now it’s getting some official recognition.

Inside every iPhone 4, there’s a darling little chip that, up until now, no one had the slightest inkling about what it might actually do. But those gadget vivisectionists over at iFixIt have finally sussed it out.

My most favorite feature of Mac OS X Lion, Mission Control, now has a separate control panel in System Preferences in Mac OS X Lion Developer Preview 3. However, this isn’t the only new thing you’ll find in the latest release of Mac OS X Lion.

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