There’s an interesting, but nauseating, story at Wired’s Gadget Lab about how Steve Jobs probably won’t come back to work after his five-month sick leave, based on remarks from various analysts and experts. Long story short, Apple and Jobs haven’t been completely forthcoming about his health in the past, and this general unreliability casts doubt on any announcements he or the company make. Additionally, one doctor says Jobs’ thinner appearance over the last year is a sign of active cancer. The truly sad unmentionable here is that Jobs could very well die if these speculators are correct, but none of them have direct knowledge of Jobs’ situation. Maybe it’s best to let the man deal with his health issues in peace. [Wired]

Adding to the pile of iPhone Nano rumors, the Chinese language Economic Daily News reports that two chip manufacturers, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and United Microelectronics Corporation, may be on the receiving end of iPhone Nano chip orders from an unspecified buyer. The orders would supposedly be placed in March and shipped in June. Before you get your hopes up, several well-respected folks are already dismissing this one as bunk. Wired says it’s unlikely that a chip contract would be leaked before getting signed, and PC World simply says Apple has no reason to release such a product.

However, the idea isn’t totally dead. Recall that last month iPhone case manufacturer XSKN created an iPhone Nano spot on its Web site, and the company has a track record of doing the same thing for previous Apple creations. Plus, we got this supposedly leaked picture around the same time. So what if it looks like a Photoshop job? A man can dream. [Wired]

Macbooks may look beautiful in their simplicity, but these covers from iamhuman add a personal touch. You can choose from three basic categories — woods, prints and classics — plus custom designs by request and a “premium” category with limited edition refined materials. The cover can be ordered to fit specific computer models, and is backed with professional grade 3M adhesive. Just slap it on yourself and press down firmly. PC users, don’t worry; iamhuman makes covers for you in generic 13-inch and 15-inch sizes. Prices for non-custom prints range from $30 to $45. [iamhuman]

I’m not sure I approve of this, since it’s ultimately dealing with a man’s personal health issues. But hey, at least this T-shirt carries a positive message (I think). If you missed the news, Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrote a letter to the Apple community explaining his recovery from a hormone imbalance that robs his body of necessary proteins. He’s undergoing treatment now, and is most certainly not on his deathbed, despite rumors. To celebrate the occasion, someone set up stevejobslives.com (a quick whois search shows the registrant as Joshua Horton) and is promising a black tee with “STEVE JOBS LIVES” written in big white letters. Clicking the shirt on the Web site only reveals a link to Jobs’ letter and a contact e-mail. No word on pricing! [SteveJobsLives]

Today at MacWorld 2009, Apple‘s other big news was the release of a 17″ version of their latest MacBook Pro.  The new 17″ MacBook  features the same aluminum body enclosure as the 15″ model with a larger, hi-res widescreen display.  The 17-incher will run for 8 hours on a single charge, making it a serious option for those who need a large working environment away from an outlet for longer periods.  While those who were patiently awaiting an iPhone Nano or an Apple Netbook didn’t get their wishes today, MacWorld’s keynote always brings plenty of excitement.  [apple]

At MacWorld ’09 in San Francisco, Apple revealed the new iLife and iWork suite for 2009.  This software package includes new versions of iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand, whereas iWork is a completely new office software suite that is currently in free beta.  iPhoto features some fresh new sorting and tagging options– including face recognition and geotagging, making it easier to sort your photos by the faces you know and tag them based on location.  iMovie includes new themes, effects and even a video stabilization system that neutralizes your camcorder juggle-hands.  GarageBand now offers music lessons by some reknown artists for $4.99 each, including the work of Sarah McLaughlin, Sting, John Fogerty, Norah Jones and others.  The box set of iLife and iWork will be available later this month fo r$169, where iLife ’09 will be available alone for $79.  Head on over to gdgt for more live MacWorld coverage… [gdgt]

Word on the street is that Apple may be announcing a new uni-body 17-inch MacBook Pro this year at MacWorld. The 17-inch model would follow in the footsteps of it’s 13 and 15-inch siblings and would (like the others) make the battery for the laptop non-removable.  While we have to admit the uni-body laptops do look pretty cool, having a battery that can’t be removed easily just seems like an unnecessary pain, especially for travelers who may need to blow through a few batteries while flying cross country or during meetings and other events where a power source isn’t directly available.  We’ll keep our eyes peeled and keep you up-to-date on any forthcoming Apple news this week… [via SlipperyBrick]

Word on the street is that Apple is working on creating a new larger screen iPod Touch. The device, which is rumored, to be released in fall 2009 would have a 7-9inch screen, making it more a tablet PC than an iPod.

Rumors of a Mac tablet have been swirling for years, it wouldn’t be completely out of the question for Apple to create one – and use the design on their popular iPod Touch as a template for it. Apple has been supposedly watching the market to see if their could be a widespread demand for a tablet-like device from Apple- we’re not exactly sure there is. What do you think? Would you buy an Apple tablet? Or any tablet PC for that matter? [via CNET]

While Apple has started to lose sales, netbook creator Acer has started to gain in its place.   The computer maker grew it’s shipment market share by a whopping 49 percent in the fourth quarter. Even more impressive is that the company grew an astounding 79 percent over last year. Acer shipped close to three million– thats right, 3 million more notebooks in the third quarter of this year than they did in the 2nd quarter. The company is now only two percentage points in sales behind Dell for the market share of all PCs. [iSuppli via BoingBoing]