The rumor was that Apple was due to begin selling a contract-free version of the iPhone soon “at list price.” It’s true, you can now pick one up for $499 (3G), $599, or $699 (3GS). They are still sadly locked to AT&T, like a pretty girl chained to Jabba The Hutt, but whatever. Technicalities.

We all know it takes like two seconds to jailbreak an iPhone. The assumption here is that you will do so I guess. The Apple store will be selling them at one unit per person per day.

Apple has now started promoting its 10-pack iPad bundles for educational institutions. Insert packaged maxi-pad jokes here. When purchased in a pack, the price of the iPad goes down by $20 per iPad, or $40 per iPad if purchased with AppleCare.

Purchasing iPads in bundles like this also helps the environment since packaging is reduced by eliminating separate retail boxing for each device. You should not have to buy pads one at a time. Ask any woman. In each package you get ten iPads and the USB-to-Dock connector cables, power adapters, and one set of documentation.

A Mac mini with HDMI seems like common sense, even if Apple hasn’t delivered so far. But that may change soon, according to AppleInsider, who were told by “two people familiar with the matter” that prototypes of a Mac mini with an HDMI port have been showing up in the inner circles.

One of these prototypes is apparently based on NVIDIA’s MCP89 chipset, but Intel’s ongoing licensing dispute with Nvidia will prevent Apple from using the MCP89 chipset alongside its latest generation of Nehalem-based Core i3, i5 and i7 processors if it is the chipset used in the final product.

he fountain of Apple rumors never runs dry. Almost as soon as rumors about a new Apple product turn out to be true when products are unveiled, rumors about the next version of the same product start. It’s a vicious cycle. The latest rumor has updates for MacBook Pro notebooks coming soon.

Rumors are popping up all over the place that the line will get unspecified updates. It has been a while since the MacBook Pro range was updated, so updates are sure to be coming soon. These rumors point to March 14 for the updates to land.

We will know soon which rumors are real and which are fake regarding the Apple iSlate. This “iSlate advertisement” is pretty neat and seems professional enough. If this is the real deal, our fingers are going to be very busy indeed.

The ad is very Apple-like and yet not at the same time. Whether this is a real ad for Apple’s tablet or not, it’s fun to watch while we wait for the official word. Let us know what you think below.

According to The Wall Street Journal, publishing company HarperCollins is in talks with Apple about bringing e-books to Apple’s rumored tablet. You know, the one that’s expected to be the focus of its January 27th event. That tablet.

Apparently other publishing companies have been in talks with Apple as well. Sure, e-book readers are what it’s all about at the moment, but soon after it will be all about being integrated into slates. It’s still unconfirmed and just a rumor, but this one makes logical sense and gels with what we’ve been hearing.

That’s right. Apple is holding an event on January 27th to show off what the company is calling their “latest creation.” The event will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco, and will start at 10AM Pacific. Gee, I wonder what they have to show.

The splattered paint might be a giveaway as well as the use of the word “creation”. Both suggest that we will be seeing the long-rumored Tablet, and tips on how you can get creative with it.

Previously it was looking as if the Apple Tablet could be launched in March 2010, but now word on the street is that the device could be officially announced in January 2010.

An article from the Financial Times states “Apple is preparing an announcement next month that many anticipate will be the official unveiling of its tablet, but the company has so far declined to confirm the existence of the device,”.

We already knew that we wouldn’t be seeing the Apple tablet this year. The latest rumors have some analysts saying we’ll be seeing a 10.1-inch tablet in March or April of 2010, and it will cost $1000. They also say that the tablet’s multitouch screen will not be an OLED panel, but an LCD display that could be up to 12 inches with “stunning graphics.”

1080p video? The sources claim that manufacturers are getting ready up to drop up to 10 million tablets in 2010.

Is Apple field testing the next generation iPhone? Could be. iPhone developer Pandav noticed some usage records of an unreleased iPhone in the iBART app’s analytics. The iPhone that’s listed in the usage logs is iPhone 3.1, which I don’t have to tell you, does not match any current iPhone.

The iPhone 3GS is listed as iPhone 2,1. While it wouldn’t be surprising to see that Apple is busy working on a new iPhone, (There are rumors that Verizon will be getting an iPhone somewhere in2010) is this the one?

It’s been rumored that Apple has been readying a refreshed iMac line with something more affordable. This weekend, Google AdSense further confirmed these suspicions as users in the Netherlands were treated to some ads for new iMacs, MacBooks, and Mac minis.

The ads point to a dead link at the Apple Store, and according to Google Translate they read: “Apple’s Newest MacBook. Thinner, lighter and faster! Free delivery. Order today,” “The Brand new iMac. Ultra Thin 20 & 24 inch models. From only €1099 (roughly $1,063). Apple Store,” and “Apple’s New Mac mini. Faster and more affordable than ever. From only € 499 ($723). Order immediately.”

According to Apple, the rumors of the iPod Classic’s death have been greatly exaggerated. They proved it by announcing that they will keep the iPod Classic alive, but give it a nice capacity bump.

Up until now the largest size iPod classic held 120GB, but now it will hold 160GB of music. That’s like 40,000 songs or 2 Pink Floyd albums. The rest of the good news is that Apple decided to sell it for the same price of $249. So now the classic can rest in storage, not in peace. Put the eulogies down and dry your eyes kids. Uncle Steve loves ya.

Here’s the latest “leaked” image of Apple’s upcoming tablet. Images hit the net this morning. It’s likely fake, though it comes from a French blog with a decent track record. The image certainly jibes with the iPhone/iPod touch and iMac, and with the rumors we’ve heard. But the thing that jumps out at us is the placement of the home key, which is odd.

You’ll also notice OS X on the display. Analysts have been guessing that the device would run some version of the iPhone OS. What do you think? Fake? Or the real deal?

According to a report in Barron’s, a “veteran analyst” is claiming to have actually handled Apple’s rumored tablet-device. If you believe the report, the tablet is still on for an announcement in September with availability in November.

The analyst claims the device will cost between $699-$799 and will be aimed at users as a media player and gaming device. Apparently the tablet is just waiting on Steve Jobs to give it the final go. He also claims that other ODMs have put a hold on new products until they see what Apple has up it’s sleeve.

According to the Financial Times, Apple is all set to launch the Apple tablet in September, along with some fancy new iPods. Word is that Apple is working with record labels and book publishers on new iTunes features for the new device. Companies like EMI, SonyMusic, Warner Music and Universal Music Group. They’ve apparently codenamed the project “Cocktail”.

If you believe the Financial Times’ sources, the device will have a 10-inch touchscreen and run iPhone OS. The tablet will be able to connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi and looks like it will also have a book marketplace.