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Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a new line of MacBook notebooks made partly from recycled aluminum with “faster graphics” and LED-backlit glass displays.

They’re sexy and sure to be the object of your friends’ envy (until the next announcement). And the beefed-up video card performance should appeal to gamers and graphic pros.

That said, time will tell if Apple learned from problems that plagued the initial release of previous models, including battery issues.

But at almost $1,300 for a basic 13.3 inch MacBook that includes the new 9400M Nvidia graphics processor and aluminum body found on the $1,799, 15.4 inch MacBook Pro, could it be that Apple has found the sweet spot in terms of performance, aesthetics and price?

(Edited to remove reference to swappable hard drives)

(Photo: Reuters)

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a new iPod nano that lets users shuffle songs by shaking the device.

Not content with the so-called “shake to shuffle” feature, Jobs also boasted that the nano is the thinnest and cleanest iPod Apple has ever made, calling it “highly recyclable,” “mercury free” and … um … “toxic free.”

The 8-gigabyte model costs $149 and the 16-gigabyte version costs $199.

(Photo: Reuters)

We all know about the interest in Steve Jobs’ health – how many blogs and columns have been devoted to the subject? He even joked about it on Tuesday, with the help of a video screen that read, ”The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Without further delay, here’s how the Apple CEO looked.

Here’s how Jobs looked at previous company events.

Jobs at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California June 9, 2008

Jobs at the Macworld Convention and Expo in San Francisco, California January 15, 2008

Circle the date in your calendar. September 9. That’s when Apple Inc is planning an event in San Francisco — an event that most believe will showcase the latest new gadget from Steve Jobs & Co.

Apple isn’t saying much, other than sending out an invitation to reporters with the headline “Let’s Rock.” But Apple’s reluctance to spill the beans hasn’t kept others from chattering. Indeed, when it comes to Apple, commentators can’t resist speculating about two subjects: Steve Jobs’ health and new products.

Forbes’ Brian Caulfield even combined the two into a recent column, entitled “Five Things Steve Jobs Must Do Before He Dies.” He lists 1). A tablet computer. 2). A television 3). A remote control 4). A Digital Book 5). Another personal computer.

Two different reports on Apple this morning left us undecided how to view the Cupertino, California maker of iPhones, iPods and MacBooks run by Steve Jobs (left).

In the first report Apple blew away its PC industry peers in the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index for the fifth straight year. CNET News believes it had much to do with the fact Apple was the only company in its category that didn’t release a Windows Vista PC, which is not to say Apple’s products done speak for themselves.

The ASCI, is prepared by the University of Michigan, and measures a consumer’s overall satisfaction with a company but customers might not have been so satisfied in Japan after their iPod Nanos caught fire according to the second report.

If Steve Jobs’ well-being is somehow symbiotic with Apple Inc’s well-being, shouldn’t there be an application for tracking his whereabouts?

Someone must have a lucrative business plan for creating an “EDtv” or “The Truman Show” around the guru of the iPod Mac and iPhone.

Perhaps, this exclusive content could be piped to all Apple TV set-top boxes — for a fee. At the very least, how about a desktop widget that shows where in the world Steve Jobs is.

(Here’s an updated chronology. This first posted June 9)  

2007

January 9 – Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs unveils iPhone in the tech industry’s most anticipated new product introduction of the decade.

June 29 – Apple and U.S. carrier partner AT&T Inc start selling iPhone as technology enthusiasts form long lines outside Apple stores.

July 25 - After big build-up, first weekend sales figures reports disappoint investors. Apple and AT&T sold 270,000 iPhones in first 30 hours; but customers only activate 146,000 of the devices due to initial AT&T service problems.

 The heat is definitely on at Yahoo.

As though it weren’t under enough pressure, the board now has Carl Icahn warning them that they will be held personally liable for approving a controversial employee severance plan.

Oh, and shareholders suing the company now want a speedy trial related to failed merger talks between Yahoo and Microsoft, saying they would like to get to court before the company’s August 1 annual meeting.

Here’s the upshot of the fight over the severance plan: Shareholders suing the company argue that the board is free  to reorganize Yahoo’s work force as it sees fit without fear of triggering the severance benefits.

“The big news is $399 to $199,” CEO Steve Jobs said of sharp price-cuts Apple is making on its iPhone 3G.

Eight-gigabyte 3G iPhone to be priced at $199

 16-gigabyte 3G iPhone at $299

3G iPhone features:

Jobs calls it iPhone 3G. Offers two to four times faster speeds that existing models working on so-called 2.5G “Edge” networks, he says. The phone offers GPS – Global Positioning Services for real-time location tracking on one’s iPhone. Same 3.5 inch display. Jobs says it is thinner at the edges and has “dramatically improved audio” Promises five hours of 3G talk time. Five to six hours of Web browsing. Video viewing can run seven hours. In the first year of sales, six million of first-generation iPhones have been sold, Jobs says. The new phone will be available in 70 countries over the next few months — in 29 European countries, 15 Latin American countries and 8 in the Asia Pacific, not including China. price: $199 for 8GB ; $299 for 16 GB Available July 11, in more than 20 countries, with 70 by the end of the year, Jobs says. “We are going to be in 70 countries, this year,” he said.

A side-by-side demonstration of faster Web download speeds of iPhone 3G devives versus existing iPhone.

Promised improvements in battery life for selected functions on iPhone 3G: 

Here is a side shot of the slimmer iPhone 3G

A shot of the back of the new iPhone in black and white versions:

MobileMe

Apple head of worldwide sales and marketing Phil Schiller introduces MobileMe, a desktop-quality e-mail, calendar and contacts Web service. It’s a companion Web service for iPhone users. It’s priced at $99 a year and will be available in early July, he says.  

Apple Inc Co-founder and Chief Executive Steve Jobs is set to take the stage at the Apple developer conference in San Francisco where he is widely expected to introduce a new generation of iPhone devices that bring the Internet to phone users at faster speeds.

In preparation for the news, Apple has taken its Apple store offline temporarily. “We are busy updating the store for you and will be back shortly,” a notice on the store site read Monday morning.