If you missed out on Apple's previous offer of refurbished nanos and iPods, don't fret because Apple Store is back with an even more enticing offer of refurbished iPod bundles and Mac minis.

A $49 512MB iPod shuffle comes with a free iPod shuffle armband. Ok, that may be an offer you can refuse, but can you say 'no' to an external battery pack? If you're through with the shuffle, you can get one of those 20GB clickwheel iPod with free iPod Dock for $169. For just an additional $30, you can have a 20GB color display iPod.

Refurbished Mac minis powered by 1.5Ghz Intel Core Solo with 512MB RAM and 60GB SATA hard drive/Combo drive is offered at $519. If you want bigger storage capacity of 80GB, you can get it at a discounted price of $699. The 1.42GHz G4 with 512MB RAM, 60GB Ultra ATA hard drive, a Combo drive, and a  32MB ATI Radeon 9200 graphics card is a steal at $519. The 80GB with SuperDrive, DVI or VGA video output version is only $599.

Sealed with expert professional photographer's approval, the latest  version of the powerful image editing tool Aperture, now allows users to run it on both PowerPC-based and the new Intel-based Macs, including MacBook Pro.

Recent additions are an improved RAW image quality, you'll see the results in areas such as noise reduction, sharpening and highlight recovery. It also gives you the ability to retain the original 1.0 RAW decode to maintain the image integrity. Professional Project Management lets you import photos from a wide variety of sources and preserves the method you used to organize files when you drag folders from your hard drive. Enjoy powerful compare and select tools by automatically creating stacks, a full screen workspace, viewing images side by side and having your metadata on display.

Aperture is also built with nondestructive image processing by protecting your RAW and identifying them as digital masters. It also has versatile printing and publishing capabilities. You can print contact sheets, lab prints and custom designed books or share images on the web with its professionally designed Gallery and Journal templates.

This all-in-one post-production tool for photographers is available through the Apple Store for $299.00 and will arrive at your doorsteps within 24 hours.

It seems that Best Buy's faith in Macs is slowly but surely coming back. Apparently, Best Buy Co. - the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, is testing the possibility of selling Apple Computer Inc.'s full line of computers in its stores. In an earlier article, we mentioned that some Best Buy outlets are already stocked with the regular MacBook and Pro alongside iMac systems.

Now, Best Buy has added Apple computers in seven stores and it's considering expanding Mac sales across the chain. This was mentioned by Best Buy Senior Vice President for Merchandising David Morrish said at the company's annual meeting on Wednesday. He also added that the test started four weeks ago.

If you could remember during th year 1998, Best Buy stopped selling Apple computers because of slow sales. After which, the Steve Jobs camp began to pull out from other stores as well, only to come back with their own retail operation.

V.P. Morrish also mentioned that the Apple computers will be sold by Best Buy employees who have been trained by Cupertino, Calif.- based Apple. Best Buy wants to see if the computers will be hot commodities and if they will sell in a very profitable manner. They also want to know if their Best Buy employees can provide the level of customer service that Apple customers are used to getting in an Apple store.

Apple is on a roll, opening stores left and right. This time out, Steve Jobs' company is opening its seventh retail store in Japan. This coming weekend will have the Japanese welcoming an Apple Store in Sapporo.

Apple Store Sapporo will be located on Sapporo Ekimae-dori, next to Sapporo Mitsukoshi department. According to the Apple site, the newest Japan store will be a "One-minute walk from Odori station on the Nanboku Subway Line, the Toho Subway Line or the Tozai Subway Line, through Sapporo Mitsukoshi department." Opening of Apple Store Sapporo is scheduled for June 24 at 10 a.m.

And Apple doesn't stop there. Seems like the company is also in the lookout to add to their six stores in UK. Apple is currently recruiting for new shops in Bentall Centre in Kingston, new store at Manchester's Arndale Centre, and staff for its West Quay shop in Southampton. Ifostore also noted that July 1 will see a new Apple retail store in Stamford Town Centre, Connecticut. Moving closer to home, an Apple Store is said to be in construction in South Beach, Miami.

You've hold off buying an iPod long enough so don't miss the chance to grab one at a super low price. That is if you don't mind buying refurbished items. The Apple Store is now selling refurbished 2GB and 4GB iPod nanos for $169 and $219, respectively. Both models are available in black and white. Fifth generation iPods with video capability are also being offered for $259 and $339 for the 30GB and 60GB, respectively.

If the 14% to 16% discount is still not enough to entice you, then perhaps refurbished iPod Shuffles might just do the trick. The 512MB model is at it's lowest price point of $49, a 51% discount from the retail price. The larger capacity 1GB Shuffle is being offered for $79. If you fancy iPod with color displays, the 20GB and 60GB are going for $199 and $279, respectively.

As always, refurbished Apple merchandise comes with a one year warranty, and are shipped free of charge.

You know I watched that movie a long time ago with Natalie Portman, pregnant, and how she decides she's going to spend a night at the Wal-Mart after her boyfriend ditches her. Yeah, that was a good movie.

But anyway, somebody out there has made up her mind that she's going to spend a full week at Apple's new store in NYC (that's New York City for those of you outside the know) and, here comes the good part, blog about it!

Disregarding the sense behind it all, it still makes for some interesting reading, I'm sure.

According to MacNN: "The Suicide Girls have recruited member named "fakecake" to document this event as "she attempts to channel her inner David Blaine and survive in midtown Manhattan's new Apple Store, trapped underground with little more than moxie, MacBooks, and the desire to blog about her sure-to-be-thrilling experience in ultra-nonstop realtime..."

Eight Apple Stores across the US were beset by marching anti-DRM protesters clad in brightly-colored Hazardous Materials (HazMat) suits. The "flash mob" was organized by Defective By Design to warn the public about Apple's DRM scheme, which prevents purchasers of music on iTunes from reselling them once they are finished with it.

To most people, DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, but Defective By Design label it "Digital Restrictions Management". With the said scheme, Apple is said to lock-in people who buy music tracks at the iTunes store.

The protests took place between 10:00AM and 12:00PM at the following Apple Stores: San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL; Seattle, WA; Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; Huntington Station, NY; Plano, TX; and Los Angeles, CA.

The five ladies who got unwillingly trapped for 45 minutes inside the glass elevator in Apple's latest flagship store in the heart of Manhattan, might still be fresh in your memories. Now, Brian Heater from Laptop Magazine, has decided to do a David Blaine, and spend 12 long hours inside Apple's 32-foot glass cube. He chronicles his thoughts on the iPod, iPod video, the Genius Bar, cleaning folks, Apple's nocturnal customers and random rants on Brit comedy and Gwen Stefani among many others.

Using a journal-type writing, Brian Heater does a Columbus as he log every single thing he did during the 6:00 pm to 6:05 am stretch he was inside the Apple Store. His entries between 1:50-2:30 am:

1:50 a.m.: Watch a Conan sketch on the video iPod, involving a cigar smoking dog hand puppet, and the various subjects that might be good for him to poop on. When I remove the headphones, after laughing much louder than any decent person should at a computer store, in the middle of the night, I emerge to the solitude of 2:00 a.m., and the instrumental break of the original "Layla."

 

2:30 a.m.: Watch the same episode of The Office on a video iPod for the second time. Turns out I didn't miss any jokes the first time.

A person has to be soo bored to endure those kind of activities. To read Heater's antics during his 12-hour, not so exciting mini-adventure, click link below.

Apple recently launched its Computer Take-Back Program that offers US Mac buyers an environmentally responsible way of discarding their old computers. Starting yesterday, the Apple Store and all Apple retail stores are giving  customers the option to  recycle their unwanted PCs regardless of brand.  Participating customers will receive an email from Apple with instructions and a label for free shipping and recycling.  All customers have to do is package their old equipment, attach the label provided and send them on their way. People living in or near Cupertino can also avail of the company's free drop-off recycling service at its headquarters.  According to the company all equipment received will be recycled domestically and no hazardous material will be shipped overseas.
 
Speaking of Green Apple, the company's free iPod recycling program is still available to consumers looking for environmentally friendly way to dispose of unwanted iPod.  Participants to the iPod program not only help keep the planet cleaner, they also get a 10% discount on the purchase of a new iPod. 

Since 1994,  Apple's recycling programs have processed more than 21 million pounds of electronics around the world.  We say keep up the good, green work!

We reported earlier about a guy proposing marriage to his girl in front of the newest Apple retail store at 5th Avenue, New York. Now, maybe you're wondering what happened next...well, the girl named Uschi Lang said yes. The blushing bride-to-be accepted the marriage proposal of her guy, James.

Apparently, James had been meaning to propose for a few months, he already discussed it with his dad and was only looking for a good opportunity to do it. The idea popped into his mind as they were in line for the 6pm opening of the Apple store and he saw the camera and poof - the romantic proposal.

At 4:30 am, he snuck out of bed without her noticing it and headed back to the Apple Store. Based on the timing of the time-lapse video, James stood with the signs for about 15 minutes (5 minutes per sign) to ensure that they were visible in the video.

Surprisingly, she didn't know about it right away in spite of a handful of web coverage, so a few days after that, James set up a "romantic trail of candles" leading up to his G5, showed Uschi the video and then, well you know what happened next. Congratulations you guys!