On Wednesday MacRumors’ Eric Slivka broke the news that Apple has notified resellers in its educational institution distribution channel that the white polycarbonate MacBook is now classified “End of Life.”

Direct sales of the white MacBook to general consumers were terminated last July with the release of the Sandy Bridge Core i powered refresh of the MacBook Air, at which time the 11.6″ Air took sole possession of the $999 price point it had theretofore shared with the MacBook. However, the MacBook continued to be available to educational institutions with its price reduced to $899.

First introduced in May 2006, plastic-bodied MacBooks replaced the G4 powered iBook in Apple’s changeover to Intel silicon, and was initially available in both white and black polycarbonate livery, the latter at a $200 price premium. There was also a short-lived aluminum unibody MacBook released in October, 2008, which morphed into the 13″ MacBook Pro at its first refresh in May, 2009. The plastic-bodied MacBook received a major redesign in mid-2010 with a new polycarbonate housing, also of nominally “unibody” design.

It is speculated that production of the white Apple ceased production of the MacBook some time ago, and has finally exhausted its stock of the model. Apple is expected to ramp up its focus on the iPad as an education computer platform, in conjunction with its new venture into the ebook textbook publishing and distribution market.

It’s unlikely that the white MacBook will be greatly missed. The iPad is a more economical solution for education users, and the MacBook Air is a more than worthy replacement for those who continue to prefer a clamshell laptop form factor. However, the MacBook’s termination does mark the end of the era of plastic-bodied Apple notebooks, which extends back to the original PowerBook 100 in 1991.

As the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models live on, no other portable Mac models have taken over the MacBook’s spot. However, it seems Apple has replaced the need for a MacBook with its other portable products: iDevices, particularly the iPad. As the old MacBook was meant as a solution for students more than anything, the iPad has replaced it in that area. The iPad offers many advantages for students that even the white, plastic MacBook couldn’t provide, such as ultra portability.

The MacBook was originally introduced in May of 2006 as a replacement for Apple’s iBook. The MacBook was Apple’s best-selling notebook during most of its lifetime, although the lower-end MacBook Air models started taking over that title upon their introduction. The low-end 11-inch, 64GB MacBook Air now fills the old MacBook’s spot as Apple’s most inexpensive MacBook at $999 USD.

Via [TUAW]

Although Apple does not live stream such events very often, this is certainly not the company’s first time. The company has been streaming its annual iTunes Festival to users, and went so far as to release an iOS app for the 2011 edition of the festival. However, this will mark the first time Apple has live streamed to its Apple TV directly (users could, of course, use AirPlay to achieve similar results in the past). This could quite possibly be a sign that the company is beginning to focus more on Apple TV, as a refresh (or possibly an update in the form of an Apple-branded television?) is due.

Via [MacRumors]

Release notes for each update follow:

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6:

This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Pro (Early 2010) models.

MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3:

This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Air (Late 2010) models and addresses an issue where the system could restart if the power button is pressed immediately after waking from deep sleep.

iMac EFI Update 1.8:

This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on iMac (Mid 2010) models.

Lion Internet Recovery, a feature introduced into OS X with the release of Lion, allows users to re-download the entire operating system from Apple’s servers without having to go through the Mac App Store. This feature is most useful when access to the Mac App Store is unavailable for whatever reason, and a reinstall of Lion is also necessary for whatever reason. The feature was only available to the newest Mac models at first, but has been since added to older models through software updates such as today’s EFI Firmware Updates.

Via [MacStories]

Best Buy has sent out a customer survey asking customers about their opinions of a potential Apple iTV or HDTV and whether they would be interested in purchasing one. The description of the Apple HDTV Best Buy gives seems to be a combination of the current Apple TV and a large-screen television.

The features of the Apple iTV or HDTV concept include a 42″ 1080p LED flat panel display, iOS functionality to allow users to download movies and apps from the App Store, and iCloud integration to store movies, TV shows, and music you’ve purchased from iTunes. It would also turn your iPad or iPhone into a remote control, come with a built-in iSight camera and microphone, and offer the expected content from Netflix, YouTube, and flickr.

This would all come at a cost of $1,499 which is quite a bit over plain 42-inch LED TVs you can purchase from Amazon and other re-sellers. Will the added benefits the Apple iTV or HDTV provides be enough to sway someone from getting a bigger TV for the same or lesser cost instead?

The Verge believes it’s not an indicator of an actual product Apple will deliver in the future, but just a way to determine if Best Buy should carry the product if and when it becomes a reality. As evidence, they point to the mention of Skype (instead of FaceTime) and iSight (which Apple hasn’t used in a while).

Would you buy an Apple iTV if it had these features and for this price?

Via [The Verge]

Apple has rolled out a new feature for Apple TV users. Owners of the media streaming device will now find a new option called Genius under Movies and TV Shows. The Mac version of the iTunes Store has had Genius recommendations for quite some time, but the feature has been absent from Apple TV until now.

The Genius feature recommends iTunes content to watch based on your purchase history.

There will not be a software update required to see the new feature. This small changes was made on Apple’s own servers, so users are a click away from Genius recommendations if you’re ready to use it.

According to MacRumors, has been automatically pushed to all connected devices. If you’re not seeing the new menu on your Apple TV menu screen, it’s recommend to maintain an active internet connection to make sure it updates.

Via [MacRumors]

Concededly, the original 13″ aluminum unibody form factor, which debuted as a plain MacBook in October 2008, is getting a bit long in the tooth. As Stein observes, that was before Barack Obama was elected president, Avatar hadn’t yet been released, the iPhone was still on its first refresh, and the iPad was still a year and a half away.

Still, that’s a much shorter production tenure than the old dual USB iBook form factor had (that model (in various G3 and G4 permutations) staying in production for about five years), and the 13″ unibody is a much better design than the iBook ever hoped to be. I’ve owned both, and know whereof I speak.

Stein seems disgruntled that since October ’08, the 13″ unibody has barely changed in appearance at all, although he acknowledges that beneath its anodized aluminum skin, it’s a completely different computer today than it was 3-1/2 years ago—now with an Intel Core i processor, Thunderbolt, an integrated long-life battery, and a better screen—but he seems bothered by the fact that you can plunk a 2008 13-incher down beside the latest 13″ Pro and most people won’t be able to tell the difference.

And the problem is? Sometimes they get things right on the first try. I would argue that the 13″ aluminum unibody is one of the best, if not the best, all-round Apple laptop design(s) ever. If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Indeed, Stein concedes that he himself has leaned slightly toward the 13″ Pro as the laptop of choice if one had to pick an all-around Apple computer.

Of course the hot new(ish) kid on the block is the second generation MacBook Air, but bear in mind that it’s already nearly a year and a half old itself, and has undergone major refreshments since its debut in October 2010. I find the Air enticing too, but the 13″ Pro still retains some substantial advantages, such as the built-in optical drive, vastly greater hard-drive storage capacity compared with the Air’s SSD-only, RAM expansion capacity up to 16 GB compared with the Air’s hard-soldered, non-upgradeable two or four GB, a FireWire 800 port, and built-in Ethernet networking. It’s also significantly cheaper than the 13″ MacBook Air, and you can order or swap in a SSD if you wish as well. The 13″ Air does have a higher-resolution display.

Stein counter-argues that few people use optical drives (I still do, albeit not often), both processor and graphics performance are roughly equivalent, and he suggests that making hybrid drives optionally available in the Air—a la some of the new PC Ultrabooks—would address his only misgiving about the Air vs. the 13″ Pro since hybrids are available with 500GB capacities. He admits that he doesn’t want to live with only 128GB of storage on a laptop, and would rather not pay the stiff tariff for 256GB.

I think that’s skipping over the Air’s RAM limitations a bit too blithely, but with Apple’s entire notebook lineup due for replacement in 2012, I’m guessing he’s probably right that just one 13″ form factor will emerge, and it will almost certainly resemble the current 13″ Air more than the 13″ Pro.

Nevertheless, the 13″ MacBook Pro is established one of the great Apple laptops of all time, and like the Pismo PowerBook and the 12″ PowerBook G4, it’s destined for the Mac portable hall of fame as one of Apple’s classic computer designs.

Confused? Let’s let them explain:

The Karotz “smart” rabbit is the first-ever hardware device tailor-made especially for Facebook. It is the third generation of the multipurpose, internet-connected rabbits which first launched in 2005 as Nabaztag, and has since become an Internet icon. The immensely popular robotic companions transform daily life by providing a link to family, friends and the world. Karotz is now compatible with Facebook—a wonderful addition to its already extensive range of features.

Karotz can record and post status updates as an audio file, text or photo directly to your Facebook wall.  You can speak directly to Karotz and share news and thoughts with friends at any time of day in real time by updating your Facebook status. You can also show friends what Karotz sees by taking a picture of yourself via the built-in webcam and posting it directly on your Facebook wall. In a few days friends will also be able to take control of your new companion Karotz via the Facebook app to communicate with you by sending messages and audio files and even you sending a poke.

A poke? That option’s still there?

You put Karotz into active mode by saying “Facebook,” and can then take pictures to post to your wall, dictate text to update your status and send messages, and even have Karotz read other posts to you. All without your computer or mobile device.

More features will be added to those already in place, and various accessories are already available. And for greater control, the free Karotz Controller application is currently available from the App Store and Android Market!

Karotz is available now for $129.99.

Product [Karotz]

Here is a roundup of some of the best audio products demonstrated by several companies, some old standbys and a few fresh faces:

Bang & Olufsen

The venerable Danish firm B&O used Macworld | iWorld to demo the first B&O Play device, the Beolit 12. B&O Play represents a new iDevice-centric sub-brand for the upmarket firm, with their signature focus on simplicity and stunning design all at a more affordable price.  The Beolit 12 is a portable, rechargeable speaker capable of playing tunes via AirPlay, audio in, or USB connection. 

Gavio

A surprise newcomer, and a selection in Appletell’s Favorite Products of Macworld | iWorld 2012, Gavio turned many show attendees’ heads with their impressive audio and even more incredible designs. The Wrenz speakers, which look like small metallic or jewel-encrusted birds, and Sgul earphones, which resemble the Terminator sans skin carried loads of style and an impressive sound to match. 

Polk Audio

The display at the Polk Audio booth certainly matched its description in the press materials: High-Flying and High-Fidelity. The stars of the acrobatic trampoline act were pro acrobats demonstrating the staying power of the Polk’s new Ultrafit sport & fitness headphones, while the stars of the booth were the Ultrafit headphones themselves. The 500, 1,000, and 3,000 series in-ear headphones looked good and sounded better, while the 2000 series on-ears were comfortable and provided convenient controls right on the headset.

SRS Labs 

Rounding out the bunch is SRS Labs and their MyTunes iPhone app. This app provides audio enhancement, equalizer, and volume leveling technology developed by SRS labs for custom hardware—Apple even used the SRS Surround Sound processing tech in its old MultipleScan AV line of displays. With customized audio enhancement profiles for various output devices like car audio, in-ear or on-ear headphones, or speakers, MyTunes makes your music sound its best regardless of where you’re listening. The free version provides a time-limited trial, while the full version is $4.99 on the App Store.

Be sure to check out the rest of our Macworld | iWorld 2012 coverage.

AirPort Utility 6.0 will definitely be more highly favored among novice users with supported hardware, as the interface has been significantly updated to offer the simplicity of the iOS version of the software. However, more advanced users may still choose to stick with version 5.6, even with a supported base station. Unfamiliarity with the new user interface in AirPort Utility 6.0 and lack of some advanced features—including the inability to use the app while performing a firmware update on a base station—are reasons aside from hardware incompatibility that may convince users to stick with the “older” and more familiar AirPort Utility version.

Regardless of your choice, whether voluntary or not, both AirPort Utility 5.6 and 6.0 are available now via Software Update and Apple’s support documents for each version.

Via [TUAW]