The next version of Apple's MacBook Air will be lighter and able to process data faster than the current edition, according to the latest reports.

Japanese news site Macotakara.jp spoke to a contact at an "Asian electronic component company" who said that Apple will use 19nm NAND flash technology to transfer data at a speedy 400Mbit/s using a Toggle DDR2.0 interface.

The flash memory chips are likely to come from Toshiba as it is the only company thus far to produce fabricated NAND flash memories with 19nm process technology. Toshiba said in April that it would start mass production of 64Gbit, two-bits-per-cell monolithic flash chips from July.

According to the report, the new SSDs "will be soldered on" to the MacBook's logic board. This will make user hard drive upgrades impossible, but will make the laptop slightly lighter.

Apple has remained quiet on when the new MacBook Air will go on sale, although it is expected to be soon.

The MacBook Air news is just another reason for Apple fans to feel excited this week.

A few days ago an Apple iPhone 4 prototype appeared on eBay, attracting bids of up to £999,999.01. However, the item has now been removed from the site.

An Apple iPhone 4 prototype has appeared on eBay and is attracting numerous bids from fanboys as they fight to get their hands on the highly collectable item.

The smartphone carries the IMEI number DF1692, which identifies it as a test device, according to seller Jtmaxo. So far the iPhone has attracted a bid of £999,999.01, although the last serious bid seems to be have been clocked at $2,025. 

It is unclear just how far back the handset dates, but it looks pretty much identical to the final version of the iPhone 4. The only major difference is the lack of + and - symbols on the volume rocker.

The owner describes the handset as having some "wear on the frame" and there are small marks on the rear cover.

In terms of functionality, all buttons are in working order, the phone vibrates and the screen works, which is always a plus. Interestingly, it does not activate when synced with iTunes.

There are seven days left in the auction and, judging by the current bidding, the seller could make a small fortune. Of course, there is no warranty and no option to return, so buyers should be absolutely sure before they commit. Plus, the offer is open only to US residents.

However, Mac Inspector feels that it would be more sensible to invest in a fully functioning iPhone 4 or wait for the iPhone 5.

Apple was asked to confirm whether the device is genuine and whether there will be any attempt to retrieve it, but had not responded at the time of writing.

It looks like a new version of Office is on the cards, and this release could prove very useful for those who want to bring their Macs into the workplace.

Microsoft on Monday announced that it would be hosting an Office 365 event on Tuesday 28 June at its offices in New York City. With chief executive Steve Ballmer due to appear, a full relase for the Office 365 cloud service is all but assured.

So, with Microsoft set to launch web-based versions of Office apps, do Mac users have something to look forward to?

Last month, Microsoft posted a short Q and A entry discussing how Office 365 will impact Mac users. In short, not all of the Office 365 features will be enabled for Mac users, but key items such as SharePoint will be offered.

So while the choices might be a bit limited, Mac users have more reason than ever to insist on being able to use their platform of choice in the office environment, and unless current trends shift dramatically away from cloud-based services, the next version of Office for Mac will be even more integrated into a web-based platform.

Which brings up the question, will this be the suite that finally brings the Macintosh en masse into the enterprise space? Will administrators and CTOs, now having more support for the Office platform, finally cave in and let Macs run in computing environments that are increasingly placing the browser above the operating system in terms of importance?

The Office 365 release may not blow open the dam for OS X systems immediately, but it certainly looks to increase the pressure.

A rare authorised biography of Apple chief executive Steve Jobs is storming up the best seller charts on Amazon despite being months away from publication.

iSteve: The Book of Jobs has already climbed to 44 on Amazon's best seller list.

Interest in an authorised biography of the Apple co-founder is not in itself surprising, but what is raising eyebrows is the book generating so much interest despite being some nine months away from its official release date.

Surely Apple fans have placed their orders, but to achieve such a high ranking so early on points to a much larger interest among the general public.

Given Jobs's penchant for twisting reality to suit his own ends, Mac Inspector is going to view the book with a degree of scepticism.

After all, how could a renowned control freak like Jobs greenlight a book about his own life that isn't always going to cast him in a favourable light?

A Chinese teenager has reportedly sold one of his kidneys to buy an iPad 2. The launch of the iPad and iPhone in China has sparked scuffles outside stores, and people queued for hours to buy new models in the UK and the US.

But the case of a 17 year-old identified only as 'Zheng', who sold an organ to raise the cash for an Apple tablet, is a first.

"I wanted to buy an iPad 2, but I didn't have the money," the boy told Shenzhen TV, the Daily Telegraph reports.

"When I surfed the internet I found an advert posted online by [an] agent saying they were able to pay RMB20,000 [£1,885] to buy a kidney."

Zheng travelled to a hospital in northern China for the operation, and was discharged three days later. However, when he returned home with his new technology, his mother confronted him and reported the deal to the authorities.

"When he came back, he had a laptop and a new Apple handset," said his mother, identified as 'Miss Liu'. "I wanted to know how he had got so much money and he finally confessed that he had sold one of his kidneys."

Chinese police reported that the hospital has denied any knowledge of the operation, and that the agent who arranged the deal has since disappeared.

Apple is offering a voluntary recall and repair programme after reports that MacBook cases are falling apart.

It seems that the rubber surface on the bottom of the case, which helps to prevent the MacBook slipping on smooth surfaces, has developed a reputation for not wanting to stay put.

The rubber feet have reportedly been separating from the rest of the casing in some models, and Apple has set up a MacBook recall site to help customers fix any troublesome cases.

If you're the DIY type, Apple is offering a self-service kit. If you have a Phillips-head screwdriver, Apple will send you a new case bottom which you can install yourself to remedy the problem.

If you're not the type that fancies digging around in your computer, there's the service option. The company is offering repairs through the Apple Store Genius Bar or third-party authorised service providers.

MacBook models manufactured between October 2009 and April 2011 are covered under the repair plan.

Amidst all the hoopla about the 10th anniversary of Apple's first retail store, some interesting news has surfaced regarding the firm's shop workers.

A group seeking to unite Apple's retail employees has set up a web site which claims to announce the establishment of a labour union. Much like Apple's own product teasers, the site is minimal on information and leaves plenty of room to speculate.

What we do know is that the individuals behind the site are looking to unionise Apple store employees in order to improve the way the company treats them. The movement is said to have come out of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Whether the employees join a union or not, the campaign raises an interesting question. Apple has long prided itself on the way it treats its workers, and has a long-standing reputation for fierce employee loyalty.

More recently, the company stepped in to improve conditions at its manufacturing partner facilities, and extended a helping hand to employees affected by the disasters in Japan.

But will Apple be as willing to listen to the demands of a group claiming to represent its retail employees?

Rumours are flying that Apple is planning some kind of surprise for the 10th anniversary of the opening of its first retail store.

According to several reports, Apple has been holding staff meetings in the stores and has been imposing non-disclosure agreements on employees.

There has been talk of blackout curtains going up in shop windows, and rumours of everything from the launch of the iPhone 5 or OS X Lion, to the return of Steve Jobs to public view for a special announcement.

We are not going to add to the speculation but, in our experience, a new product is unlikely. New hardware and software is traditionally announced by senior staff at special events. The company also isn't known for making too big a deal about birthdays, and for messing up when it does.

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is proceeding on schedule for the first week of June, so expect any new products to be detailed there.

What we suspect is some kind of sale or discount in the stores, or possibly the addition of a near field communications system to allow customers to pay for Apple purchases with the company's hardware.

Apple, as ever, isn't talking to the press about this, and it's entirely possible that the company will be doing nothing special.

Apple loves to get people excited about forthcoming events, and actively encourages some rumours. Whether the kerfuffle is a genuine event, or just marketing shenanigans, we will find out by the weekend.