Apple’s new aluminum remote is now perfectly synched with their aluminum iMac line. Still $19.99 (or included with new iMacs), the remote features the same four directional buttons along with the menu and play/pause buttons.

Apple has shifted the placement of these buttons slightly, but other than that, it’s the same simple sleek remote you know and love with a shiny new finish. It would make a great gift for the holidays for your favorite media-lover…!

After the market closed on Monday, Apple announced fourth-quarter profits that were simply stunning. Net quarterly profits were up more than 46 percent to $1.67 billion, on revenue of $9.87 billion.

Apple sold 3.05 million Macs (the most ever in a quarter) along with 7.4 million iPhones (up 7% from the year-ago quarter) and 10.2 million iPods. iPod sales were actually down 8 percent over the past year, but this was expected as people move from buying iPods to buying iPhones.

Numerous analysts and commentators joked that someone forgot to tell Apple about the recession.

“We are thrilled to have sold more Macs and iPhones than in any previous quarter,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve got a very strong lineup for the holiday season and some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010.”

It’s interesting to note that Apple would have had even greater sales ($12.25 billion revenue and $2.85 billion of net income) if subscription-based accounting for the iPhone and Apple TV was eliminated. Subscription-based accounting is used to parcel out income from iPhone and Apple TV sales over a 24-month period from the date of sale.

One chokehold on growth is that demand for the iPhone 3GS currently exceeds supply. “Apple can’t build enough phones to meet demand,” said Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.

Analysts are quite bullish on AAPL stock, recommending investors buy in anticipation of a potentially strong holiday quarter. Gene Munster has maintained his overweight rating for AAPL stock and raised his price target to $277.

The white MacBook has been a staple of the Apple notebook line for about four years now. Today, Apple gave it a facelift–it now boasts a *curved, polycarbonate __unibody__ enclosure.*

Fortunately, the updated white MacBook has new features under the hood as well. Along with the new enclosure and non-slip rubberized bottom (much like the Mac mini, the entry-level machine on the desktop side), it has a (much larger) glass Multi-Touch trackpad, an LED backlight, a longer-lasting (7 hr) non-replaceable battery and updates to its specs.

The processor has been bumped to 2.26 GHz from 2.13GHz and the hard drive is now 250GB (formerly 160GB). The RAM is now slightly faster, with 2GB included (upgradable to 4GB). It now features the Mini DisplayPort, a new standard in video connectivity.

All notebooks meet EPEAT Gold status and Energy Star 5.0 requirements. The LED-backlit displays are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. All internal cables and components are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

Overall, the white MacBook now includes things that were formerly exclusive either to the Pro line (built-in battery) or the aluminum unibody models (Mini DisplayPort, unibody enclosure and LED backlight). Many of these features have a reduced environmental impact, which is great to see carry over into Apple’s entry-level machines.

Here’s a rundown of what the white unibody MacBook includes:

* 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display
* 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
* 1066 MHz front-side bus
* 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, upgradable to 4GB
* an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics card
* 250GB serial ATA 5400 rpm hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor (in case you drop it)
* slot-loading double-layer 8X SuperDrive (DVD+ / -R DL/DVD+ / -RW/CD-RW)
* Mini DisplayPort for video output
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1
* Gigabit Ethernet port
* built-in iSight video camera
* (2) USB 2.0 ports (and NO FireWire)
* (1) audio line in/out port, supporting optical digital out and analog in/out
* glass Multi-Touch trackpad
* built-in 60WHr lithium polymer battery
* 60W MagSafe Power Adapter

*The white unibody MacBook still starts at $999.99,* with multiple custom configurations available as well. More to come!

“Read Apple’s press release here.”:http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/10/20macbook.html

Apple unveiled the successor to their Apple Mouse (“formerly Mighty Mouse”:http://www.macworld.com/article/143202/2009/10/mightymouse_trademark.html) today: the *Magic Mouse.*

In keeping with Apple’s Multi-Touch technology on their notebook trackpads and iPhone/iPod touch screens, the new mouse does more than your average mouse.

In addition to the standard right/left click, you can use one finger to scroll across the surface, thus eliminating the scroll button found on the Apple Mouse. You’ll also be able to use two- and three-finger swipes, though no pinching to zoom.

The Magic Mouse now incorporates wireless (via Bluetooth) as well–there are no longer two versions to keep both the wired and wireless camps happy. (However, the wired version of the Apple Mouse still exists for those who prefer to keep things physically connected.)

I’m bummed about being forced to go wireless to stay with the newest generation of Apple technology, but I think I’ll soon find it’s worth the batteries. We’ll keep you posted with feedback when we receive them!

Apple’s new line of iMacs will feature the Magic Mouse and it will soon be available on its own, with a *$69* price tag.

“Watch a video about the Magic Mouse here.”:http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/#hero-video

Today Apple quietly updated both the AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule Wi-Fi Base Station/wireless hard drive. Both feature improvements in antenna design that provide up to 50 percent better Wi-Fi performance and 25 percent better range than the previous-generation models.

Also, both devices are now certified to the 802.11n specification. Previously, they were certified to the draft ‘n’ spec.

Prices are unchanged for “AirPort Extreme”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|AirPort and “Time Capsule”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|Time_Capsule.