Apple just released software version 3.0 for Apple TV.  Bottom line is that the user interface has been completely redesigned and users can now browse iTunes LP, compile Genius Mixes, and listen to Internet radio stations.  Check out the full story on PC Mag.com, which includes screen shots of the new interface, and check out the video above to see the new interface in action.

The Apple Store's dirty little secret? Its employees are using Windows-based PDA handhelds to help you out with your purchases. That may well change this holiday season, however. The company is reportedly transitioning its stores to an "EasyPay" checkout system comprised of an iPod Touch, credit card reader, and barcode scanner.

Apple has apparently already begun the transition--rolling the devices out in its Santa Clara-based Valley Fair Mall location, which, as Apple Insider points out, is the closest store to Cupertino.

What's this? A fuzzy photo of the Apple Tablet? Well, yeah, kind of. It's a photo from around right around 1990 of a an unreleased tablet from the company--the Pen Mac. It's a full-on Macintosh with a pen-based touch screen. According to reports, the whole thing was roughly an inch thick and had a port for a keyboard.

The image comes from Michael Arrington who is calling the thing an exclusive. The guy in the picture is Samir Arora, the current CEO of Glam Media, who worked on the project and recently informed the TechCrunch founder of its existence.

The device's demise came when Apple's then-CEO John Sculley vetoed the device in-favor of the not especially well received Newton.

Are you a mom who wears headphones on your belly to help pass the time for your unborn child? Well, I have good news: "There's an app for that!" It's called iTunes, and you can pair it with the new Lullabelly Prenatal Music Belt, available now for $49 or $55 (with packaged headphones for mom, too). I haven't tried one out yet (know any unborn babies looking for freelance work?), but the device seems straightforward enough--and I doubt your kid will start kicking if the speakers lack rich-sounding bass.

The Prenantal Music Belt from Lullabelly ships in three colors--Pink, Green, or Blue with polka dots--and is available as a Standard Package (speakers only) for $49, or as a Deluxe Package (with a dual earphone adapter and earphones so you can listen along) for $55 from Lullabelly.com.

I don't suppose this would be news were it not part of a much larger pile of evidence that Apple is, in fact, prepping a tablet for early next year. During an in-house speech to his staff, New York Times executive editor, Bill Keller, said this,

We need to figure out the right journalistic product to deliver to mobile platforms and devices. I'm hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate, or whatever comes after that.

See, toward the end there he made mention of that much anticipated device. The reason why people are jumping on what might otherwise be regarded as pure speculation is the fact that The Times is rumored to be a content partner for the device, so Keller and company may, in fact, have some inside information, something compounded by the fact that the editor never really expected the speech to get leaked to the Internet.

How could something like that happen in a room full of reporters, anyway?

For plenty of folks in the tech community, this week was all about Windows 7, sure, but Apple has never be one to be outshone. Earlier this week the company launched refreshes to much of its hardware line, including new versions of the Macbook, iMac, and Mac Mini. The company also introduced the hyperbolically-named Magic Mouse.

Apple sent along a number of these products along for review in the PC Labs. Over at PCMag, you can check out the recent reviews of the Macbook and iMac. We've also got some exclusive hands-on video with those two devices and the brand new Magic Mouse after the jump.

We recently got our hands on the new MacBook (on the left, next to the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch), and our laptop analyst Cisco Cheng took a few photos of the unboxing. According to Cheng, "the rejuvenated Apple MacBook (Unibody) has had a major overhaul, as it now comes with Unibody enclosure similar to that of MacBook Pro laptops." For more details, check out our full review of the MacBook, and take a look at our unboxing photos after the jump.

Shure's SE115  recently joined the realm of iPod and iPhone-friendly earphones. The SE115m+ incorporates Apple iPod and iPhone remote controls and a microphone into its cable. Fully compatible with the iPhone 3GS and the latest generations of iPods, the SE115m+ features three buttons for adjusting volume, audio and video playback, and menu navigation. The mic can be used for phone calls and recording voice memos, as well. Available later this month, the SE115m+ goes for $119.99--$20 more than the non-Apple version of the SE115.

In addition to revamping its MacBook line Tuesday, Apple also unveiled a new remote for the iPhone, iPod, or Mac as well as upgrades to the AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule.

The Apple Remote will allow users to control an iPod that is connected to a home stereo, powered speakers, or TV set, provided you have an iPod Universal Dock, an iPod with a dock connector, or any iPhone.

"Ready to move on to the next song? No need to get up. Just press the Next button on the Apple Remote. Getting a call on your iPhone? Press Pause, then pick up where you left off," Apple said on its Web site.

The remote is also compatible with any Mac introduced in 2005 or later that has a built-in infrared receiver. "When you press the Menu button, your desktop fades and the sleek Front Row interface takes its place to give you control over your music in iTunes, your photos in iPhoto, the videos in your Movies folder, and your DVDs," Apple said.

The remote retails for $19.

Meanwhile, Apple has made improvements in antenna design on the AirPort Extreme Base Station. The upgrades will provide up to 50 percent better performance and up to 25 percent better range than previous base stations, Apple said. The device will run you $179.

Finally, the $299 Time Capsule now includes new technologies and refinements intended to make backing up the device in Snow Leopard 60 percent faster than before.

What, you thought Apple would neglect the poor iMac with today's refresh? The company updated its perennial favorite all-in-one desktop today, with 21.5-inch and 27-inch 16:9 backlit displays (1,920 x 1,080 and 2,560 x 1,440 resolutions, respectively), with 178-degree viewing angles. The systems ship with the Apple wireless keyboard and the brand new Magic Mouse.

The models also feature an i-Sight camera, four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1, a bu8ilt-in SD card slot, and Gigabit Ethernet.

The 21.5-inch 3.06 GHz model runs $1,199 for 500GB of storage. You can bump that up to 1TB and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics for $1,499. The 27-incher starts at $1,699 with a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. At $1,999, you get a 2.66 GHz Intel Core i5 quad-core processor/ The price bump also upgrades the ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics to ATI Radeon HD 4850.

The new iMacs are available today.

At the centerpiece of Apple's mass hardware refresh is a brand-new unibody Macbook. The 13-inch notebook features a new glossy-white plastic body, which uses the same unibody technology as those Macbook Pros. The computer has a glass multitouch trackpad, a built-in 7-hour battery, and a backlit LED screen.

The new Macbook packs a 250GB hard drive, a SuperDrive, a 2.26-GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM (upgradable to 8GB), and NVIDIA 9400M integrated graphics. The notebook weighs in at 4.7 pounds and meets Energy Star 5.0 and EPEAT Gold requirements. It ships with Snow Leopard and the iLife Suite.

The new Macbook starts at $999, and is available today from the Apple Store.

Alongside refreshes to the its Macbook and Mac Mini lines, Apple today made yet another attempt to get the whole mouse thing right, with the Magic Mouse. The latest Mac mouse follows the not especially well received Mighty Mouse and its much-hated predecessor, the single button Round USB "hockey puck" mouse. According to Apple, the new Magic Mouse is "the world's first multi-touch mouse."

The mouse doesn't feature physical buttons, instead relying on touch, taps, and swipes. As Apple puts it, "the mouse itself is the button." Users can scroll and flip through Web pages and photos, and can click or double-click anywhere on the mouse's surface. The mouse also utilizes laser-tracking for increased efficiency without the need of a mousepad.

The Magic Mouse is Bluetooth-enabled and is customizable via Apple System Preferences. Users must have Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later and the Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0.

The new mouse ships with new versions of the iMac or can be purchased separately for $69 from the Apple Store. It's available now.

Apple's unexpected hardware refresh on Tuesday included an update to the Mac mini, a piece of hardware some thought Apple had forgotten about.

The new addition is a server option, which includes a pair of hard drives and Snow Leopard Server, to allow consumers, enthusiasts and small businesses to host an email server.

The new minis, priced starting at $599, feature the option of either a 2.26-GHz or 2.53-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and either 2 Gbytes or 4 Gbytes of memory. An additional options page lists an optional 2.66-GHz Core 2 Duo option, available only as an online upgrade for an additional $150.

Specifically, the 2.26-GHz processor/2-Gbyte RAM/160-Gbyte storage option costs $599.00, while the 2.53-GHz/4-GB RAM/320-Gbyte storage option costs $799.00. The mac mini Server configuration costs $999.00.

Apple has taken the Apple Store down for maintenance, usually a good sign that new Apple hardware is on the way.

In its record earnings call on Monday, Apple gave no indication that it would ship new hardware on Tuesday. The company did, however, make an offhand comment about record air freight expenses that immediately prompted rumors of new devices.

What might be expected? Aside from the omnipresent rumors of an Apple tablet, rumors have swirled about new Macs and perhaps a touchscreen peripheral for the Mac line as well.

We'd expect all to be revealed a little closer to Apple's open of business at 9 AM PDT.

When it comes to Apple, you take rumors where you can get them; when a company is so tight-lipped, inspiration comes from strange places. Recently most rumors have been the result of leaks from third-party manufacturers in countries such as Taiwan. This morning, however, everyone seems to be going nuts over the company's "abnormal" increase in air freight.

Asked to address the bump, COO Tim Cook said that it "is not related to the iPhone." Otherwise he refused to comment. "I'm sorry I can't be specific on the product but it's an abnormal sequential increase," he told the press. The bump is also not likely an increased shipment of iPods--Apple's music players have actually been taking a sales hit as of late.

So, what is it? A tablet? Seems like the most logical cause. But hey, this is Apple we're talking about, so your guess is as good as ours.