Good news iMac fans. Apple is refreshing the iMac lineup today, with prices starting at $1,199 for the 21.5-inch (1,920 x 1,080 pixel IPS panel) model with new 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and 512MB of AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics.

After that prices go up to $1,999 for a 27-inch (2,560 x 1,440 IPS) model with 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 CPU and 1GB of AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics, or optional 3.4GHz quad-core Core i7 processor and 2GB of HD 6970M graphics.

Good news for magazine readers. Time Inc. has made a deal with Apple to allow print magazine subscribers to access the company’s iPad editions for free. Starting this week, those who subscribe to print versions of Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Time will be able to download the iPad versions at no cost, directly within the magazines’ apps, as it should be.

iPad users still won’t be able to purchase exclusively digital subscriptions to Time Inc.’s publications. Time wants to incorporate digital subscriptions to its iPad model, but negotiations have hit some snags, mostly due to how Apple shares subscriber data. Publishers claim to need that data to apply the TV Everywhere model to magazines, but Apple says that the subscriber information should only be shared on an opt-in basis. It doesn’t seem like they will agree anytime soon.

Everlight Electronics has reportedly delivered samples of its LED backlight products to Apple, according to China Times. Since Everlight’s products are intended for use in tablet-style devices, it makes sense that Apple is exploring the idea of using the company’s LED backlights for the iPad 2.

Apple has steadily expanded the availability of the iPad 2, launching it in new countries and adding new retailers in the U.S., but component supplies for the iPad 2 are reportedly constrained, so Apple is looking various ways to meet the demand. This also might help to cure the bleeding backlight issue in some iPad 2 tablets.

According to a report, Apple could launch an Internet-connected high-definition television set by the end of 2011, expanding into the $100 billion LCD TV market. Analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities said in a note to investors that he picked up “data points” that point toward a “Smart TV” launch by Apple, possibly as soon as by the end of this year.

If Apple does want into this market, (which seems inevitable) will an Apple HDTV take the world by storm like their other products? Maybe. It could be paired with a subscription service to iTunes, allowing users to access content and services at a flat subscription rate so that a cable box and digital video recorder will no longer be needed. That would make a lot of folks happy.

Thunderbolt is the new communication standard developed by Apple and Intel. You might remember that it was unveiled a few weeks ago with the new MacBook Pro computers. It was thought that Intel was mainly responsible for its development, with Apple playing a small role. However, Apple’s latest move seems to suggest that it played a larger role.

Apple has filed to trademark the name Thunderbolt, branding the high-speed data transfer as something they own, not something they share with Intel. So is Apple just trying to slide in and claim it or is there more to this?

Just when you thought that they couldn’t get any more restrictive, it looks like Apple is tightening its iron grip in their iTunes App Store. The company has reportedly rejected Sony’s eBook store app – the Sony Reader Store from the iTunes App Store.

The reason for the rejection was changes in Apple’s App Store policy: All in-app purchases will now have to go through Apple. Apparently apps that sell their own content will not be allowed in the App Store in the future. Apple also may be planning to get into in the eBook business. Apple’s The Daily announcement is happening tomorrow, so we will see if they shed any more light on this.

There is hardly a day that goes by where we don’t have an iPad or iPhone rumor. Here is today’s. Apple’s overseas manufacturing partners will apparently start production of the iPad 2 next month, while they will also be building the fifth-generation iPhone in May.

Take this with the usual grains of salt until we have something more concrete. One thing is for sure, no matter when they start production, it won’t be soon enough for Apple fans.

The other day we told you how close the App Store was to reaching the 10 billion mark and now it has happened. 10 billion individual apps have now been downloaded. The lucky 10 billionth person will get a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card. MacPhun is also giving away $5,000 to the same person.

This is a huge milestone for Apple, not to mention a great prize for the lucky winner. I wonder how long it will take for Apple to double this number?

Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has just announced that the Apple Board has granted him a medical leave of absence. This leaves Tim Cook to be responsible for the day to day running of Apple while Jobs is away. We don’t have any details about what the medical leave relates too specifically, or how long he will be gone for.

The email that was sent out by Steve Jobs to Apple employees is below, and it does say that he will continue to be involved in Apple’s major decisions, which is great news for everyone.

If you are a music lover then you have probably dreamed of what you could do with a $10,000 iTunes gift card. Well, Apple is giving away just that to one lucky person who downloads the 10 billionth app from its App Store. It could be you.

The company is on track to hit that milestone. So far around 9.76 billion apps have been downloaded. The counter is going up up up. Users are limited to 25 downloads a day, automated software will disqualify you, and you have to agree to let your name and image be used for Apple.

Apple’s Mac App Store got off to a shaky start since it didn’t take long after the store was launched for people to figure out how to get some apps off without paying. But there’s some better news today. Apple has officially confirmed that over a million apps have been downloaded from the store in its first day in business.

Since the store offers over 1,000 free and paid apps, it wasn’t going to take long to hit that mark. The Mac App Store is available for Snow Leopard users through a Software Update as part of OS X 10.6.6 if you haven’t checked it out already.

There’s an app for everything, or so it seems. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Apple has a high chance of passing the 500,000 app milestone for the App Store in 2011, based on current data. They have already unofficially passed 325,000 active titles as of December 26, with the App Store seeing about 25,421 apps submitted per month.

That means that if every app were approved, Apple could exceed the half-million point in just seven months or so. Of course what with app rejections, titles voluntarily pulled from the store etc, it might take a bit longer. Whenever it actually hits, it is quite a milestone.

Sales of Apple’s iPad device will certainly grow in 2011 according to a report from DigiTimes. So it will need more screens. LG Display could receive orders for 35 million iPad panels from Apple in 2011, with Samsung and Chimei Innolux (CMI), who are scheduled to join Apple’s iPad supply chain in the first quarter of 2011, each possibly receiving orders for as many as 15 million units.

Apple’s 9.7 inch screen is making it difficult for competitors to match and the iPad’s screen size will likely lower component pricing in a way that only benefits Apple. This forces competitors to design and build 5 and 7 inch screens that don’t benefit from the scale of Apple’s high volume sales.

Apple is a patent filing monster. Let’s face it, they have a patent for everything. The latest patent app to surface from Apple has the name of many of the members of the iPhone team on it and once the app is approved, it will have the Apple name applied to the final patent.

The patent app details a new way that Apple wants to put antennas behind logos on their products. So in the future, your iPhone antenna might be behind the Apple logo. The antennas will be used on notebooks, phones, and other devices. This is one that we will likely see come to pass at some point soon.

Disney’s upcoming Tron Legacy is getting plenty of hype and Sci-Fi fans are waiting anxiously. Apple users also can share the excitement as iAd for iPad is for this very movie. This is the first and only iAd to hit the iPad for 2010 since iAds have been showcased for just iPhones until now.

However, 2011 could see a bunch of iAds hitting the device. Each ad features rich graphics, touch navigation and video native to apps. Disney’s Tron Legacy iAd is a full screener and will run in iPad apps like TV Guide. It’ll also have purchase options for various apps etc. based on the movie. The soundtrack can also be previewed or downloaded right from the ad via iTunes.