Speculation abounds this week as a little known item hits the iPhone Online Store across the US and the UK.  No, I’m not breaking news about the availability of the version 2.0 device (though I wish I could…). I’m merely pointing out that the current generation 8GB and 16GB iPhones are no longer available for purchase via Apple’s Online Store.

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Like many people who have made the switch from a PC to a Mac, Joel Evans has learned how to manage a work-around or two. I read with some interest an article which he forwarded me this morning, because it details some of the frustrations I was experiencing when syncing my iPhone to Entourage. I was becoming increasingly frustrated because events that I’d enter into the iPhone would not transfer back to my MacBook, which was causing me to miss appointments (totally not cool!). It eventually got so bad that when I stopped using my Exchange account, I also abandoned Entourage and went to iCal, the native Mac calendar application. Looks like I wasn’t the only one…

Out of the box the iPhone is supposed to sync effortlessly with Entourage. While that’s the claim, in the past I’ve had more than my share of issues. Sometimes the syncing just doesn’t work, other times it syncs from the iPhone to Entourage but not back again. I’ve tried a number of “fixes” in the past and a couple of months ago I couldn’t take the strange behavior anymore so I moved to just iCal and left Entourage out of the equation.

I have been thinking about getting another Hosted Exchange account because I am about to start using a Windows Mobile device again, but the idea of how I would move all of my data back to Entourage was proving rather daunting; I didn’t see an easy way to do it. Luckily Joel also reached that point slightly ahead of me…

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Web site MacHeist is introducing a retail bundle of 12 shareware Mac applications now available for $49 via download. Included in the bundle: Awaken, Cha-Ching, CoverSutra, DEVONthink Personal, iClip, Overflow, Wallet, WriteRoom, XSlimmer, Enigmo, Budgom 2, Nanosaur 2. The bundle will be offered online for about a month before being moved to retail stores. Offering bundles through retail is a new strategy for MacHeist as explained here on their site:

The plan is to have the bundle sell for a 1-year term. We wanted to make 100% sure that we didn’t cannibalize the sales of the developers on their own sites, so we’re doing a 30-day trial period with them. If at the end of the trial any dev feels that things aren’t going as they’ve hoped for, they have the right to opt-out and we’ll replace their app with another one. The good thing is that according to all the devs I’ve talked to so far, their sales have actually gone up significantly so far (my iClip sales included). So far, so good.

Link: MacHeist Retail Bundle - $49

Here’s a heads up that the Apple Store has refurbished 4GB ($99) and 8GB ($149) iPod Nanos in stock. These are reconditioned models, thus the $50 discount from retail prices. In the past the Apple store has sold out of these quickly - so if you’ve been contemplating an iPod Nano (Mother’s Day gift anyone?) - head on over to Apple before they sell out once again.

Link: Apple Store: 4GB and 8GB iPod Nano Refurbs
Via: Fatwallet.com

Last week I bought into the $64.95 MacUpdate promo that was offered until April 29. If you missed the deal and wanted a cheap copy of Parallels Desktop, don’t despair. I have a copy from my purchased bundle which I don’t need. If you’d like it - leave a message in the comments. I’ll give it away to one random commenter chosen on May 1 at 8pm EST. This includes the unused license key which I will email to you for your exclusive use. The software itself can be downloaded from the Parallels site.

Run Windows, Linux, and more side-by-side with Mac OS X on any Intel-powered Mac, without rebooting. With Parallels’ award-winning virtualization technology, you can run Mac OS X and Windows at the same time. You can even drag-and-drop files between desktops!

Leading the way with our trademark innovation, Parallels Desktop 3.0 comes packed with 50+ new features and enhancements, including Snapshots, 3D graphics, and the new Parallels-only SmartSelect.

Link: Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac

AT&T today introduces a $40 iPhone Accessibility Plan designed for customers with disabilities who may not need the voice portion of a phone plan- but could use unlimited text and data. The plan includes unlimited SMS, Unlimited data usage (email and web), .40 per minute pay-per-use voice, visual voicemail. This plan follows an earlier $29 plan that AT&T offered - but available only to NON-iPhone users. To activate a phone on this plan, follow the normal iTunes activation, download and complete this form, then call the National Center for Customers with Disabilities at (voice) 866-241-6568 or (TTY) 866-241-6567.

Link: $40 Text Accessibility Plan for iPhone
Link: $29 Text Accessibility Plan for Non-iPhone users

Free online dating site DatingDNA.com today unveiled their iPhone optimized site. Dating DNA approaches online dating differently by issuing a unique “Dating DNA” number based on answers to questions about dating preferences. To use the site, exchange DNA numbers with other users. By using the unique Dating DNA number of the other person, you can view compatibility at a glance. The site provides the option of disallowing contact by anyone failing your compatibility criteria.

Through a patent-pending system devised by Carmony, Dating DNA encapsulates over 300 pieces of information down into a single 9-digit number, including all the particulars about a person and the type of people they prefer to date. For example, encoded in the number is a person’s hair color, height, line of employment, religion, if they have children, political leanings, and hundreds of other pieces of information. Also encoded in the number are the person’s dating preferences, such as do they prefer to date a non-smoker, someone who likes pets, someone who wants children, someone who owns their own home, and so on, as well as the weight a person places upon each of the different criteria.

Link: DatingDNA iPhone Specific Site
Link: DatingDNA Web Site
Link: iVillage Online Dating WebSite (Share war stories with other online daters)

The Apple iMac product line was refreshed yesterday - and that means one thing. Refurbs! Once the “older” models have been updated with spry new versions, Apple will move out remaining stock. Sometimes this is done through gradual inventory reductions leading up to the launch. Other times you may find they simply mark the hardware as refurbished and sell it at a discount. The day before the iMacs were updated, the refurbs were selling at a top discount of 17%. Right now the discount reaches all the way up to 31%. These steep discounts on refurbished models won’t last - so if you’ve been thinking of purchasing an iMac and you don’t mind yours may be slightly used - check out the iMac refurbished store.

Link: Apple Refurbished iMacs
Link: AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - extend the warranty up to 3 years

The news has been leaking out over the last three or four days about a rumored iMac refresh due Tuesday. While this probably means faster and bigger iMacs for those needing the very best - for the rest of us it means one thing. The refurbished section of the Apple web site will likely have bigger deals on the barely older models. This happened on the day of the last MacBook and MacBook Pro refresh - where deals of up to 40% off older models were available. From what I’ve read, the refurbished section of the Apple store doesn’t distinguish between old models and models that have been repaired — so you may wind up with a never used computer at a fat discount. It’s worth keeping an eye on (FYI - for comparison purposes prior to refresh - iMac refurbs are currently 17% off retail).

Link: Apple Refurb Store

The MacUpdate promo which features 10 different Apple applications, including the popular Parallels software, which allows your Mac to run Windows, Linux, and more side-by-side with Mac OS X on any Intel-powered Mac, without rebooting, has now been officially unlocked. All 10 programs are included for a total of $64.99. This promo had been holding back on including Parallels until 15,000 bundles were sold. Apparently the threshold has been reached. This offer expires on April 29, 2008.

Link: MacUpdate Promo - 10 Mac programs for $64.99