Last year, Apple signed an exclusive agreement to use Liquidmetal — a high-strength metal that is light and can be processed like plastic — in their future products.

An ex Liquidmetal exec thought Apple would make iPhones out of it. A source speaking to MacTrast, though, says that Apple’s Liquidmetal investment won’t debut in the iOS line, but instead in March’s MacBook Pro refresh… which looks like a far more radical redesign than previously suspected.

We start today with a number of deals on unibody MacBook Pro laptops, starting at $999 for a 2.4GHz model. Also on tap: a MacBook Air laptop powered by a Core 2 Duo chip running at 1.86GHz for $1,318. We wrap up the daily spotlight with the Otterbox Defender case for the iPhone 4. The case includes a belt clip and access to the camera lens, dock connector port and home button.

Along the way, we’ll also check out other bargains, including a faux leather iPad case, plus software for your Mac. As always, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

The iPad 2 isn’t the only new Apple product that is likely to hit stores in March. For weeks now, supplies of existing MacBook Pro models have been plummeting, and given Tim Cook’s obsession with supply, that indicates a refresh across the board.

So when can you expect the new MacBook Pros? Unknown, but according to Danish Blogger Kenneth Lund, the date he’s hearing in Denmark from Apple Resellers is March 1st.

We start off the day with a deal on the MacBook Air. The Apple Store is offering a number of refurbished MacBook Airs, starting at $849 for a 1.4GHz 64GB SSD unit with 2GB of RAM. Also on tap are several refurbished iPads with price cuts up to $100 from the Apple Store, starting at $429 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model. We wrap up the day’s deal spotlight with an iLuv iPod docking speaker for just $27.

Along the way, we’ll also take a look at other speaker units, a flip case for your iPod touch, as well as software for your Mac. As always, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Evidence continues to mount that Apple will release the next refresh of the MacBook Pro line soon, with Best Buy’s internal inventory system already showing a new 13-inch MacBook Pro for $1199 that will be in stock come March 11th.

If Best Buy’s inventory is accurate, it further stresses the likelihood that the new MacBook Pros will use Intel’s dual-core Sandy Bridge chips, which are due to start shipping on February 20th.

Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture promises faster performance in both computing and integrated graphics power, all the while maximizing power efficiency. It is the successor to Intel’s Arrandale mobile processor line, which Apple failed to adopt for the last MacBook refresh, instead depending upon the aging Core 2 Duo processor.

It is unknown what other changes the new MacBook Pros will integrate, but given Tim Cook’s comments that the MacBook Air is the future of the MacBook line, a slimmer footprint, SSD options and instant-on ability seem like the most reasonable guesses. What are your predictions?

When he first showed off OS X Lion last year, Steve Jobs explained Apple’s reluctance to add multitouch displays to their line of iMacs by saying that multitouch needed to be horizontal to be pleasant to use. Use it in a vertical position and you’re always leaning forward to poke and prod the screen, leading to what Steve Jobs calls “gorilla arm.” That’s why Apple has only brought multitouch to the Mac through peripherals like the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. Even so, some patents have shown up over the past year that suggest that Apple’s been experimenting with multitouch-capable iMacs with pivoting displays that pull down to a more appropriate horizontal orientation when a user wants to interact with on-screen elements directly.

If you want to see what such an iMac might look like in the flesh, though, check out HO’s latest TouchSmart PC. Look familiar? Yup, that’s right: it features a pull-down design that drops the multitouch display into a horizontal position to reduce arm fatigue… just like in Apple’s patent!

We close out another week with hardware deals in the spotlight. First up is a batch of iPads, starting at $429 for a 16GB Wi-Fi tablet. Next is an 8GB iPod nano for just $120. We finish the top deals with a number of MacBook Air laptops, beginning with a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo model for just $849.

Along the way, we take a look at some iPad cases, a bargain on a 27-inch LED Cinema Display, and more. As always, details on these items and more can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

We close out another week of Mac deals with a MacBook Air and two iPhone bargains. First up is a number of refurbished MacBook Air laptops, starting at $849 for a 1.4GHz model with a 64GB SSD. Next is a list of free iPhone applications, including “Knight Defense.” Finally, although not free, it is pretty close: AT&T is offering a refurbished 8GB iPhone 3GS for just $9.

Along the way, we take a look at several cases for your iPad and iPhone – from leather to carbon fiber. As always, details on these items and many others can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

In a unique alliance, Samsung (maker of the iPad rival Android-powered Galaxy phone and tablet) will sell half of its mobile processor chip output to Apple (maker of the iPhone and iPad), according to a Friday report. Samsung makes the low-power but brawny A4 chip which Apple designed and uses in its iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV.

“Samsung has agreed with Apple to quadruple monthly shipments of its mobile AP chips to 20,000 sheets throughout this year from 5,000 last year,” reports the Korea Times, citing an industry source.

We start the day with a new batch of reduced-priced iPad applications, including the game “Puzzle Agent HD.” We also check out a new crop of free iPhone apps, including “Real Skijump HD.” To round out the spotlight, we take a look at some iPads that are marked down by as much as $100. A 16GB refurbished Wi-Fi model is just $429.

Along the way, we also look at a 1.4GHz 64GB SSD MacBook Air for just $849, as well as various other hardware and software for your favorite Apple product. As usual, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.