Typically a solid indicator of an Apple product refresh is when the previous model of that particular product begins to see constraints and shortages.

Instagram , Apple’s 2011 “App of the Year,” just released an update to its iOS application that includes a sleek user interface, tappable notifications, a new filter, and an enhancement feature.

Apple, today, has filed a lawsuit against Motorola over their use of Qualcomm technology, as reported by Reuters . Apple explains that Motorola has breached a contract pertaining to their use of a patent license and “asks this Court to enjoin Motorola from prosecuting and 4 enforcing its claims against Apple in Germany.” Specifically, Apple is suing Motorola over their claims that Apple is illegally using Qualcomm’s baseband chip.

Apple has begun offering a stripped-down 13" MacBook Air to educational institutions purchasing in bulk, replacing the two-year old white plastic MacBook offering the company recently discontinued . Apple had ceased sales of the MacBook to consumer customers back in July of 2011. The new educational-exclusive MacBook Air is a 13" model with the same specs as the entry-level consumer 11" MacBook Air : 1.6GHz i5 processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB flash storage, and the Intel HD Graphics 3000 chipset

We told you in November that Apple had prototypes of an unreleased 15-inch MacBook Air floating around its Cupertino, Calif.-based headquarters. While it is in many ways similar to the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air designs currently on the market, the prospect of a 15-inch Air left the future of Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup in question. We followed reports from iLounge in February 2011 that indicated Apple was working on a new MacBook Pro lineup for a 2012 launch described as a “milestone” for the product line

Early last week, Apple discontinued the white plastic MacBook, which had been an education-only item since mid-2011, but is continuing to sell the product to education institutions while supplies last. The remaining supplies are being sold for $899, and sources say that Apple’s white MacBook inventory for educational institutions is still rather high

Yesterday we brought you the FBI’s file on Steve Jobs , which, among other things, revealed Jobs was possibly considered for a “sensitive position” in the Bush I White House in 1991.

The CEO of JC Penney Ron Johnson sat with CBS “This Morning” to defend his company’s new spokesperson Ellen DeGeneres from attacks by the religious group One Million Moms that seeks to boycott the retailer if it did not axe DeGeneres over her sexual orientation. Putting the controversy aside, the interview (available on the CBS website and over at YouTube ) gets interesting at mark 3:50 when Johnson reflects on his long tenure as Apple’s Vice President of Retail. The “Steve Jobs of the retail industry,” as some have dubbed him, said retailing is anything but a walk in the park: Retailing is hard and that’s what Steve said when we started stores at Apple

From 9to5Toys.com : Today is the last day for this one which has been very popular.

The flurry of iPad 3 part leaks continues today following yesterday's interior photo of the rear shell and some follow-up photos of the exterior of the shell and the Smart Cover magnets. Among the most prominent additions today are new photos of what may be the iPad 3's display. Japanese blog Macotakara points to a posting by repair firm iLab Factory showing a 9.7-inch LCD panel from Sharp that is said to be a 2048x1536 high-resolution display set for inclusion in the iPad 3