No, really. Click on this second picture for a closer view. I can't be imagining that many annoyed expressions and grimaces, can I?

If nothing, it's an interesting bit of a contrast to these smiling folks:

Happy or not, the students don't keep the laptops permanently, instead they use them like loaners during school semesters. Still a pretty sweet arrangement unless you really prefer a non-Apple product. [USF]

The Price

$80

The Verdict

It looks better than it tastes..err...sounds.

I can't deny, my MacBook Pro's tinny speakers have never sounded better than when complemented by the BassJump. Through USB (and some unobtrusive bundled software), the BassJump mixes with your existing laptop speakers to give you a more balanced audio experience.

The tenor range, generally underrepresented by my MBP, is audible with the BassJump. The Beatles, especially, were hugely improved through the richer vocals and guitar riffs provided by the mini sub. Walking to the next room and closing my eyes, I decided my MacBook now sounded like a low-level iPod dock.

Still, the audio isn't especially clear. And despite the BassJump's name, it doesn't really give you bass. It's more like a midrange speaker that's still incapable of bumping R&B.

So while the BassJump certainly looks adorable and legitimately turns MBP music from unpalatable to sort of listenable, its low end capabilities can't match a real dedicated subwoofer. And its overall audio effect, while passable, would be thwarted by most any 2.1 speaker system in its price range. [BassJump]

Charming aesthetic

Quality build

Improves midrange audio but lacks brilliance

Lacks bass

Needs to be either cheaper or better

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Magic Mouse: It's a bit too expensive for stocking stuffer territory, but we've called the nipple-less design the best mouse Apple has ever made. And if you can't appreciate touch-sensitive scrolling, you have no soul (or, at least not one that we can see). $70 [Apple]

Buffy Gelaskins: Loving Apple will only half-fill one's necessary geek quotient. Your loved one will do well filling the other half with Buffy, now that Dark Horse comics has teamed up with Gelaskins re-stickable case skins for the iPhone and MacBooks. $15 iPhone, $30 MacBook. [Dark Horse]

iMac (27-inch i7): You simply won't find a more striking desktop on the market, but maybe more importantly, benchmarks on Apple latest top-tier iMac are currently challenging far more expensive Mac Pros. Plus, the line has just seen a refresh, so it's a good time to buy. $2200+ [Apple]

BookArc Stand: No, it's not the gift for everyone. But if you know a guy who just docks his MacBook anyway, the BookArc Stand is a far more elegant solution than sitting a laptop on a desk (especially since the laptop should run cooler given the increased surface area for airflow). [BookArc]

Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree (T-Shirt): Who says the apple doesn't fall far from the tree? This t-shirt, that's who. $18. [Go Ape Shirts]

Apple Tablet IOU: Apple fanboys love Apple's products. But true Apple fanboys—those who take commitment and fanaticism to the next level—could never be pleased with what Apple currently has on the table. They need the Next Big Thing. We're about 1000% certain that Apple will release a tablet some time in 2010. Promise your loved ones that you'll camp overnight and drop the cash so they get the Apple Tablet first. Of course, they'll still bitch about it, anticipating version 2.0. Price Unknown, Costs Some Dignity

DON'T BUY MacBook Pro: There has simply never been a worse time to buy a new MacBook Pro. With Core i5/i7 tech inevitably waiting to make its way into Apple's premium laptops, your hard-earned cash will almost certainly buy a vastly more powerful, more future-proof machine less than a month after Christmas. The same can probably be said about Mac Pros, too. Oh, and that 27-inch iMac we keep raving about? What a glorious alternative to the aging, 30-inch Apple Cinema Display! [Apple]

Wall of Sound iPod Dock: There are iPod docks, and there are iPod docks. This is most definitely the latter, a handcrafted, 3x4-foot, 225lb, 125W beast. And one day, when Apple inevitably tweaks the iPod port, this behemoth will be useless—feeding into the general regret and dissatisfaction critical to Apple fandom. [Wall of Sound]

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite Apple gear in comments-include pics and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Rather than merely plugging in through USB, the BassJump uses proprietary software to remix all audio coming out of your laptop, essentially treating those tinny integrated speakers as tweeters while the BassJump handles the lows.

I can't believe that this solution works better than simply plugging in a whole new 2.1 speaker system, but I must admit, the Mac Mini styling coaxes my fanboyism to at least give the idea a shot. $80 and available now. [BassJump]

The Price

$80 on pre-order now.

The Verdict

I like it both more and less than I expected to.

On one hand, AViiQ's portable laptop stand matches my MacBook while angling my keyboard at a truly perfect 12 degrees. And it folds, with relative ease, down to an absurdly thin, near-weightless strip of aluminum that can squeeze into any bag, I'm certain.
On the other, the stand feels cheaper than I'd expect for its $80 price. Sure, we're talking about aluminum, but more like flimsy, pop can aluminum than unibody Mac aluminum. And it folds through a plastic connective tissue that loosens over time but never feels 100% in terms of general structural integrity.

For $20, the investment would be a no-brainer. For $80...well, it's a bit more complicated. Do what you will depending on your particular socioeconomic status.

Super light

Crazy-thin

Excellent ergonomics

I can't help but worry about long-term durability

$80

UPDATE: This, from AViiQ:

"The product IS very light so it may seem less substantial, but in this case, it's a purposeful part of the design to make the product ultralight for easy travel. Alcan, the developer of Hylite, says that the hinges can be folded more than 5000 times without any wear. As for the price tag, like titanium or carbon fiber, lightweight often equals more expensive and Hylite certainly adheres to that truth. We tried making it out of a material that was lightweight and inexpensive, but feathers just don't have the structural strength we required (not to mention the sneezing it caused in the studio)."

Even though this free app doesn't really do anything except display exactly what your trackpad is sensing, it's still spectacular. Even with all ten fingers moving in different directions, inputs seem to be monitored just as precisely as with a single finger. I have no idea how you're supposed to map 10 finger inputs into anything useful, but man, the pointless toy potential here is massive. Update: As is, evidently, the dick joke potential. 11 bravos, to be shared amongst you. [Lericsson via Reddit]

Of course, this appears to be confirmation of the obvious, that Apple will be updating their MacBook Pro line to include Core i5/i7 chips following the white MacBook's Pro-level spec bump last week. (Apple will need to adopt these new chipsets to stay competitive.) Now we just need an answer to the far more important question: When? [Foro Applesana via AppleInsider]

On the other hand, Maybe Ballmer noticed and didn't care. In the spot he discusses hardware diversity and this sort of proves his point. After all, you can run Windows 7 on a Mac. It's an amusing gaffe, but beyond that, the clip is interesting because it touches on Windows 7, the image battle between Apple and Microsoft and the issue of CEO pay all inside five minutes. [Crunchgear]

The Price:

$70

The Verdict:

It works, but damn if it isn't expensive.

If you're not really married to the higher quality digital audio, you might be better off getting the USB audio version for $50 $60, which performs basically the same service for $20 $10 less.

As for this unit, it definitely works—we've been using it on a Mac Mini hooked up to a 1080p TV for a week—and there are no dropouts or weird signal noise inconsistencies that we can see. Everything is plug and play, and you should have no problem using it on your 5.1 audio system.

Again, at $70, it's only really useful if Mini DisplayPort is your only display output, otherwise you can come up with a cheaper solution involving a series of cheaper tubes. [Kanex Live]

It works

It's very expensive

While it's possible Nicholas is just building up static and shocking himself, he says it happens "everywhere," and that when he used his friend's MacBook for a week, he went electrotherapy free. It's rare, but he's not entirely alone in his account.

The most often suggested solution is to stick to using the three-prong adapter, plugged into a grounded outlet. That won't help Nicholas so much, since he says it happens on battery power, too. Besides getting Apple to finally replace MacBook or wearing gloves, do guys have any possible solutions for Nicholas?

Besides being made of "environmentally friendly fabrics", the sleeves are pretty well padded (hemp has a lot of cushioning, it seems) and have an "earthy" feel. If you're the type of person who likes to advertise your love of things that come from the ground, while at the same time protecting your electronics investment, you could do worse. And at $30ish each, it's not like they're overcharging you for being green either. [ColcaSac]

Don't act surprised that the Envy 13 and 15 have chiclet keyboards and buttonless multitouch trackpads because HP certainly isn't hiding the fact that they absolutely stole their look and ergonomics from the Macbook Pros. The $1,700 13-inch Envy isn't as powerful as the $1,800 Envy 15's mobile Core i7 processor, but it's more like a MacBook Air at just over 3 pounds, and its beautiful screen has been in my dreams. Neither are as strong as the MacBook Pro's unibody though—they're a bit more flexy, but if unibodies rated a 9, these would be a 7 or 8.

Envy 13
The Envy 13 is almost more Air than Pro, at .8-inches thin and 3.74 pounds. (The Air is .76 inches thick and weighs 3 pounds.) Its screen, framed by the same style glossy black bezel as the unibody MacBook family, is absolutely stunning. Dubbed HP Radiance, the 410-nit display is apparently two times as bright as other LED displays and it looks it. Apple doesn't list the MacBook Pro's display brightness in nits, but the Envy's display definitely looked brighter and clearer.

It pulls the dual processor trick the 13-inch Pros don't, with switchable ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics and an Intel ultra low voltage Core 2 Duo processor inside. Its removeable battery promises 7 hours of battery life, however its add-on extra battery is sweet: It magnetically clips to the bottom of the notebook to make it look like it is part of the actual build. HP promises 18 hours of juice with that thing clipped on. Did I mention it has Dr. Dre's fingers all over it with Beats Audio integration?

Envy 15
Where the Envy 13 leaves off in performance the Envy 15 picks up. The 15.6-inch version looks pretty similar to the 13, but is laser etched all around (on the palmrest and the lid) and lacks the flush glass display with the high-quality Radiance technology. But it'll outperform pretty much any other laptop out there so far, since it'll have Intel's next generation mobileCore i7 processors, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830 graphics and support for up to 16GB of RAM. The beast will also have two hard drive bays, which you can fill with SSDs. But it's still only an inch thick and 5.18 pounds, making it that much more impressive.

Both will be available on October 15, though it's probably worth waiting the extra week for Windows 7.

HP Redefines the Premium Notebook PC with ENVY
Precision-crafted, high-performance notebooks are bright, thin,deliver superb experience

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 15, 2009 – HP today redefines the premium notebook PC experience with the introduction of the HP ENVY sub-brand, which offers customers precision-crafted, high-performance models featuring HP Metal Etching and concierge service and support.

The new HP ENVY 13 boasts the brightest display in its class, and the HP ENVY 15 is the company's fastest consumer notebook PC ever. "HP ENVY includes the latest in materials and technology inside and out and pushes the technological and performance boundaries of what can be done in sleek, powerful and lightweight notebook PCs," said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. "Discerning consumers will get a premium experience and performance."

With HP ENVY, the focus is on designing an entire premium experience to satisfy the most demanding customers – from the products to the packaging to the service and support.

Breakthrough HP Metal Etching on the lid and palmrest of the ENVY 15, and on the palmrest of the ENVY 13, subtly signals luxury. The combination of materials provides exceptional mobility and a compelling metal look and feel, while
using energy-responsible manufacturing methods.

The HP ENVY line – building upon the Voodoo ENVY legacy – includes leadingedge components optimized to yield power and performance. HP partnered with Beats by Dr. Dre to develop a unique, high-performance subsystem tuned
for today's music and available exclusively on the HP Envy: Beats Audio. Envy users will feel the music – not just listen – and enjoy music the way the artist intended.

The lightweight heavyweight: ENVY 13
The ENVY 13 balances style and substance. Carefully crafted details inside and out will satisfy the cravings of demanding mobile customers.

The HP Radiance display is twice as bright as other notebook displays in its class – 410 nit (a measurement of display brightness) – and provides an exceptional movie and photo experience, even in high ambient light conditions. With 82
percent color gamut (versus standard 45-60 percent), photos appear richer with amazing color depth. Additionally, with fast 8-millisecond response time, customers can view movies with TV-like performance.

The ENVY 13's strong performance is delivered in a small frame – less than an inch thin and weighing 3.74 pounds.(1) The exterior's aluminum and magnesium construction provides durability in a sleek design. An etched-metal palmrest
further sets the PC apart from others, and a VGA webcam(3) optimized for low light also is included.

HP placed the same focus on design into its optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery. Taking the form of a "slice," it preserves the sleek look of the ENVY 13 while giving users up to 18 hours of battery life with the extended-life battery.(2) The standard battery is user-replaceable. ATI Switchable Graphics technology dynamically switches between ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4330 discrete graphics and the Intel® integrated graphics processor for either high-powered graphics processing or low power consumption for long battery life without booting the notebook. The Intel Core™ 2 Duo processor provides the power of dual processor cores while delivering extended battery life when the notebook is unplugged.

Designed with the most demanding mobile user in mind, the ENVY 13 notebook's premium AC adapter is small and light. It draws minimal power, has built-in surge protection and includes a rubberized strap that keeps the cables
organized and the adapter from slipping off a slick surface. An optional HP USB Ethernet Adapter also is available.

The performance powerhouse: ENVY 15
This lean, mean, dream machine is HP's fastest consumer notebook. The full metal case features a sleek, subtly crafted, laser-etched metal design on the lid that is repeated on the palmrest. The magnesium alloy casing provides
lightweight durability in a 1-inch thin, 5.18-pound package. (1)Customers have maximum speed and mobility with the future Intel Core i7 processor(4) and up to 16 gigabytes (GB) of DDR3 1,066-MHz system memory in four SODIMM memory slots. Versatile storage options include the ability to add two solid-state drives in a RAID-0 configuration to improve the overall speed of the ENVY 15 while providing excellent disk performance. Creative users will appreciate the ENVY 15 notebook's performance and full versions of Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo X2 and Corel VideoStudio® Pro X2 for creating photo and video content.

Power users and gamers can take advantage of premium graphics performance via ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830 graphics with 1 GB of dedicated video memory for visually intense applications, DirectX® 10.1 games and highdefinition video playback.

A choice of two 15.6-inch HP Brightview high-resolution LED backlit displays, including the Full High Definition LED HP Ultra BrightView Widescreen Display with up to 300-nits brightness, provides a superb display experience for a
notebook in this class. A Nightvision VGA webcam that is optimized for low-light or zero-light conditions is standard on the HP ENVY 15, incorporating an infrared LED that assists the webcam(3) by providing the necessary illumination in dark environments.

The ENVY 15 has an optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery, giving users up to seven hours of battery life.(2)

Designing the ENVY experience
The HP ENVY line includes a 360-degree approach to product design – from the products to the packaging:
• Building upon HP's success with instant-on technology, HP QuickWeb allows customers to access key applications without booting the PC. In less than 30 seconds, users can access the Internet, music, videos and photos, and
email.(3)
• HP Clickpad integrates the buttons into the touchpad and allows for fluid movements, while also allowing users to disable the clickpad if desired.
• The keyboard's direct-action keys (versus typical function keys) allow users to quickly access often-used commands such as print and volume adjustment.
• Minimal desktop clutter and trial software adds to notebooks' simplicity.
• An optional external optical drive complements the ENVY design and gives users the flexibility to carry the extra weight only when necessary. Two USB ports also transform the drive into a dock for additional capability.
• The ENVY 13 and 15 are presented in streamlined paper carton boxes using minimal ink. Included in the packaging is a simplified setup poster and documentation contained within an SD card.

Concierge service and support
The ENVY experience extends to premium service and support via the awardwinning HP Total Care program. This includes expert agents dedicated to addressing ENVY customers' questions via phone, online chat and email as well
as next-day shipping for hardware customer service.

Pricing and availability
The HP ENVY 13 and ENVY 15 are expected to be available in the United States on Oct. 18 with a starting price of $1,699 and $1,799, respectively.(5) Register for availability notification at www.hpdirect.com/go/newfromhp.
Additional information about HP ENVY is available at www.hp.com/go/ENVY.

[HP]

On Twitter we noticed that everybody seemed to get back more space from Snow Leopard than the guy before him: "I got back 9GB, wow!" "Hey, I got back 12GB, jeez." "Holy mother, I got back 20 gigs, whoooooa!" So by now, some of you should've gotten back like a terabyte—on your 250GB hard drive. We got back around 6GB, what Apple advertised.

Battery-wise haven't noticed much of a difference compared to Leopard, but if you have, let us know and what kind of machine you're using.

[Giz's Snow Leopard Coverage]

Lately, the plastic MacBook has felt like an unwanted orphan. It's a tired generation-old design that looks stodgy next to the slick new unibodies, but without it, Apple's cheapest laptop would cost $1200—a little too high for a lot of prospective Mac users, and most importantly, Laptop Hunters. (Think of the Laurens! The Jacksons!)

Apple needs something at or below the $1000 price point, but it'd help it it wasn't a product that was designed in 2005. So, this:

[The MacBook's] industrial design overhaul... will see them reemerge in the coming months with a slimmer, lighter enclosure and restructured internal architecture to boot.

This makes plenty of strategic sense, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if this turned out to be true, and if they well well below $1000. So, what would it look like? This description doesn't really narrow things down, so it could just as easily be a design child of the unibodies as of the old polycarb. Or something new entirely, which would obviously be much more interesting. [AppleInsider]