It seems like it was just yesterday when we received news that Apple sold one million iPads in a matter of 28 days.  Oh wait–that did just happen.  Time for another milestone in the history of the iPad.  Shortly after launching the iPad in international waters (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK), Apple can proudly claim that they’ve sold two million iPads in under 60 days since its US launch on April 3.  Says Apple CEO Steve Jobs: “Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do. We appreciate their patience, and are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”  And let the good times roll for Team Apple.  Full PR after the break.

[Via Apple] (Click here for more…)

That voice and those words sound strangely familiar…look after the break. (Click here for more…)

On Friday, May 28 the following nine countries will join the U.S. with iPad launch festivities: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.  Eager customers who can’t wait to get their oily hands all over the magical device can preorder it online on Monday, May 10.  Apple pledges to release the iPad in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore sometime in July.  Look after the break for the full PR and price listings.

[Via Apple; Engadget; Mashable] (Click here for more…)

April 3 to May 3.  28 days.  1 million iPads sold.  The “revolution” has begun, wouldn’t you say?  The “magical” device Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced to the world back in January now sits in the hands of over one million people.  This impressive feat surpassed the rate at which the iPhone flew off store shelves, and Jobs was quick to make this fact known: “One million iPads in 28 days-that’s less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with iPhone.  Demand continues to exceed supply and we’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers.”  Also within this time frame, over 12 million apps from the App Store and over 1.5 million ebooks from the iBookstore were downloaded to iPads.  Read the full PR after the break.

[Via Apple] (Click here for more…)

At any given time, we’re looking at new ideas, investigating, testing, incubating them. It’s in our DNA to develop new form factors and natural user interfaces to foster productivity and creativity. The Courier project is an example of this type of effort. It will be evaluated for use in future offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time. – Frank Shaw, Microsoft Corporate VP of Communications

And just like that, Microsoft confirmed and, unfortunately, denied the Microsoft Courier.  Back in September Gizmodo broke news that Microsoft had a magical tablet of sorts in the works; pictures and even a video of the prototype device had found its way into the mainstream.  Then came October and November, and those months brought more leaked video and images.  Then as recent as last month hard details surfaced; this “digital journal” running an advanced varient of Windows Phone 7 with enhanced UI features like dragging, flicking, copy & pasting, and “pocket”-ing all of a sudden started to come alive.  And then the words of Frank Shaw shut it all off.  The Microsoft Courier, the future proto-tablet that could, ceased to become a reality.

According to sources close to the matter Microsoft did hire an internal team to work on the Courier and there were actual plans to tranform it into a marketable device.  However, Microsoft just recently ordered Team Courier to close up shop.  Reasons, unknown.  Although the Courier prototype we’ve come to know and love thanks to a slew of leaked renders is dead and gone, all is not for naught.  We may very well see the innovative user interface deisgn come to fruition in some other Microsoft project(s) in the works.  But it’s a shame, really.  Microsoft–you had something BEYOND AWESOME with this thing!  Oh well, Windows Phone 7 will have to fill the void.

[Via Gizmodo; Endadget]

Over the weekend a tablet called iPad was released into the wild.  Taking a backseat to all the ruckus was HP, a company who knows a thing or two about the tablet game.  The HP Slate makes a brand new appearence in this video, boasting features that are noticably absent from the coveted iPad including dual cameras for Skype video chat, an SD card slot for expandable storage, and a USB port.  The Slate will run Windows 7 with a layer of HP’s TouchSmart UI laid on top.  Rumors are swirling that it’ll cost $529 and drop into customer’s hands this June, but I’ll make sure to report back when official word comes from HP.

[Via Engadget]

[Via ComicGoneBad; Gizmodo]

Shortly after the fine folks at PC World got their mits on an iPad, they quickly pumped out this video stress test.  They really put the device through its paces; the iPad gets dropped, scratched, and even drenched in water.  And who knew donuts could work the multitouch display?

[Via PC World]

On Saturday, April 3 Apple sold over 300,000 iPads.  According to the official PR, these sales include ”deliveries of pre-ordered iPads to customers, deliveries to channel partners [Best Buy/Apple Authorized Resellers], and sales at Apple Retail Stores.  In addition, iPad users downloaded over 1 millon apps from the App Store and over 250,000 eBooks from the iBookstore that day.  Impressive!  Steve Jobs had this today about launch day: “It feels great to have the iPad launched into the world—it’s going to be a game changer.  iPad users, on average, downloaded more than three apps and close to one book within hours of unpacking their new iPad.”  Keep in mind that the WiFi+3G iPad does not release until “late-April.”  This second launch will certainly rack up high sales figures, too.  Can’t you feel the magic in the air?

[Via Apple]

So the iPad is coming out today.  THE iPAD IS COMING OUT TODAY!  OK, calm down.  If you want one that badly, here’s what you need to know.

Where/when to buy it: (1) The iPad is available to purchase at all Apple Stores around the nation.  On launch day, Apple employees will cater to customers who preordered it first at 9AM, then start selling it to everyone else at 10AM.  Lines started forming a whole 24 hours before store opening.  But don’t worry; it’s been reported that most lines are not as deep as those found on iPhone launch day.  (2) The iPad will also be available to purchase at Besy Buy.  Word has it that the device will only be sold at Best Buys that contain the mini-Apple kiosks within them; fortunately that includes around 675 stores around the nation.  Stores will likely hand out tickets (redeemable until 3PM) at 9AM.  Your best bet is to go to an Apple Store first and save Best Buy as a backup plan.  The Apple Store will definitely receive more iPad units, and it’s been reported that Best Buy is only receiving 15 units of each model.  If queues begin, your chances of getting one are slim.  So, Apple Store first, then Best Buy.  (Apple Specialist Stores will also be getting in some iPads.  If you know if your local mall has one of these, call them up and inquire; it’s worth a shot.)

Don’t feel like going out tomorrow?: Well, that’s fine.  There is one other way to snag an iPad early in the game.  Head over to the Apple store online and order one.  The initial shipments have sold out, so if you order one today the expected ship date is April 12.  (Note that Best Buy does not offer the iPad online.)

And that’s about it.  If you’re going out to get one, good luck and have a magical day!  While you’re waiting, check out the full catelog of iPad apps, now available to view in iTunes!  I’ll be posting some of my favorites next week.

[Via Gizmodo]

Mixr will be one of the first professional DJ applications for the iPad.  The iPad’s large multitouch 9-inch screen will be able to accomodate two fully featured turntables with options for “cross-fading, equalizing, cue, drag & drop tracks, and full effects such as delays and auto filter.”  You can create your own libraries, digital DJ crates, and even record your own mixes using tracks from your iTunes music library.  As fun and exciting this all sounds, there’s an overarching theme here to be considered: apps like Mixr are just the beginning for the iPad.  Thanks to the large screen and intuitive touch controls, the App Store will start to flood with brand new apps made specifically to take advantage of the tablet’s features, inside and out.  If you thought the App Store launch on the iPhone was buzz-worthy, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

[Via Mixr; Gizmodo]

We first got wind of the JooJoo tablet back when Michael Arrington of TechCrunch was calling it the Crunchpad.  Flashforward to present day, and through a heated legal battle, one Chandra Rathakrishnan of Fusion Garage has taken over leadership of the forthcoming device.  When a product delay was announced in February due to capacitive touchscreen issues, Fusion Garage wasted little time to revamp the JooJoo’s user interface.  The most significant change can be found in the home screen (see above).  Instead of being limited to a solid color background, you can now customize it with a high-resolution image of your choice.  Navigation gestures have been updated, too.  The pinch-to-go-back gesture has been replaced with ”a vertical swipe that brings down a status bar containing the home button, status indicators, browser navigation controls, and a combination address bar/search field.”  Also, there’s two new ways to scroll: “a two-finger scroll that works like a scroll wheel, and a single finger “pan” that works like a mouse arrow.”  You can choose from two on-screen keyboards–a standard, large keyboard and a smaller one designed for one hand that is less obstrusive.  In previous video demos, Flash video playback was questionable and Fusion Garage was quick to fix that.  Now Flash video plays fine, supporting a standard player, a “custom H.264 HD breakout player” and a wide range of codecs.  One more change, and it has to do with the hardware shell.  Fusion Garage has gone ahead and changed the backplate casing color from black to “champagne” (silver-ish).  Check out the gallery below for a few more images of the new UI and casing from Engadget.

The JooJoo device was our dream tablet coming to life back in December.  With the introduction of the coveted iPad, however, the spotlight has shifted to Camp Apple.  Although the iPad has captured the mindshare of most tablet buyers, the JooJoo still looks like a solid device with an impressive UI and I am looking forward to its release into the wild.  With HP cowering behind the secretive Slate, the iPad and JooJoo will be the first to market with sleek and shiny new tablets, vying for consumer’s hearts.  The JooJoo is available for preorder today at $500, and Fushion Garage expects them to ship within 8-10 weeks.

[Via Engadget; Gizmodo]

We caught a first glipse of the HP Slate revealed at CES 2010 by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.  Then we were told about the origins of the Slate in a short HP “special update” video.  Now we’ve got two new videos that shed a bit more light on HP’s iPad contender.  Since the Slate runs Windows 7, it’s not surprise that it will support Flash video.  HP is really going out of their way to show off Flash video and games, boasting a popular feature the popular iPad will likely never support (HTML 5, where are you?).  In the video above we also learn about the Adobe AIR apps the Slate will run, and we also get to see the on-screen keyboard it will display.  HP, these product teases are nice and all, but enough is enough–we want product details, price, a launch window at least!  Look after the break for a 30 second spot featuring the Slate.

[Via Engadget]

(Click here for more…)

With the release of the iPad soon upon us, companies are scrambling to show off their latest content made specifically for the iPad and other tablet devices.  Here we have VIV Magazine giving us a sneak peek into how their zine spreads of the future will look like.  In the video above VIV examples how an article about ‘five common sex fears’ would look like on a tablet.  It’s full of stunning visuals and begs for user interactivity. [Looks like they took that video down.  It's been replaced with the second video.] In the second video above, Alexx Henry Photography explains that VIV is a completely digital magazine, so they’re able to “put motion into print where we weren’t able to before.”  And don’t mix this up with what you see in the movies: “In the end we aren’t making moving pictures.  We’re creating pictures that move.”  Bring on the print media revolution!

[Via AlexxHenry; Gizmodo]

Remember when Gizmodo first picked up this story back in September about a Microsoft hardware-and-software-designed booklet of sorts?  Since then I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground, picking up on anything concerning the secret device.  Today new details emerged about what’s being called the Microsoft Courier.  According to the latest sources (as relayed by Engadget) the device will be smaller than expected, not much bigger than a 5×7 photo when closed and will be under one inch thick and weigh a slightly over a pound.  The operating system will be powered by NVIDIA Tegra 2 hardware and based on the same OS as Windows Phone 7 Series and Zune HD.  The device will also include a built-in camera, headphone jack for media playback, and a stylus for writing and drawing.  The source pegs a release date of “Q3 / Q4″ of this year.

The Courier is being dubbed a “digital journal” whose sleek user interface will revolve around pen-based interaction with the help of handwriting recognition software.  If you take a look at the latest videos (look after the break for another) and images (see below) you can tell the developers behind this device have really come a long way in the design process.  The overall UI experience looks tighter, more defined, and user friendly.  The demos feature many touch-based actions like dragging, flicking, copy & pasting, and “pocket”-ing.  At its core, Courier is an “infinite,” highly customizable journal; it’s a place to discover and collect things of interest locally and over the Internet and use them to create.  Or as Microsoft says, it’s about “bringing ideas to life.”   I smell a worthy iPad contender.  Tickle me highly intrigued.

[Via Engadget]

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(Click here for more…)

The Apple iPad took one step closer to the brink of reality today when Apple announced a ship date.  iPads will be available for purchase Saturday, April 3 at Apple Retail stores, online at Apple.com, and “select Apple Authorized Resellers.”  (Could that mean we’ll see iPads sold at Best Buys?  Time will tell.)   On March 12 (one week from today) you can pre-order the iPad (Wi-Fi + 3G models) at Apple.com or you can reserve the iPad (Wi-Fi model only) at an Apple Retail store and pick it up on that date.  The 3G model will be released in “late April.”  Speaking of late April, peoples of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK will get their paws on the device at this time.  Need to be reminded the prices of the models and how much poorer you will be come next month?

Fun fact: Apple’s stock hit a record high Friday afternoon, jumping to $219.70 before it slightly fell to $218.95 at closing time, up around 4%.

[Via Apple; Yahoo!]

John Makinson, CEO of book publisher Penguin, unveiled to a crowd this week his vision for the iPad and how be plans on pushing “books” and other content to it.  I say “books” because these demos look more like applications to me.  In fact, Makinson says, “for the time being at least we’ll be creating a lot of our digital content as applications for sales in app stores in HTML, rather than as ebooks.  The definition of a book itself, as you can see, is up for grabs.”  As demonstrated in the video above, Penguin plans on bringing children’s books with support for embeddable sound, touch interactivity, and accelerometer (shaking/tilting) implementation; interactive textbooks (human anatomy, shown here); an “online community for vampire lovers” (OK?); a travel companion with an itinerary and maps; and lastly a far-out “intergalactic GPS system” that uses the GPS chip and augmented reality to reveal star constellations when you point the device to the sky.  That last one will likely remain a concept for a while.  It’s good to see a company really looking ahead into the future of print/digital media.  The iPad has the power to do these things; it’s up to the developers (here, book publishers) to make it happen.  ‘Nother video of Makinson speaking to the crowd about his ideas after the break.

Watching these demos makes me wish I had a kid so I could buy him an iPad and watch him interact and learn in ways I never imagined were possible when I was a toddler.

[Via PaidContent; Gizmodo]

(Click here for more…)

Watch out, iPad.  Google Chrome OS-inspired tablets are on the way and they are (conceptually) looking real good.  On Monday Glenn Murphy, Google Chrome’s designer, posted this UI concept video and a handful of stills on Google’s Chromium site.  Though it’s only a mockup of sorts, it proves the Google is working hard to make Google Chrome OS (and devices they will eventually run on) a fully functional, multi-tasking beast of an experience.  Since Chrome OS is at least one year away from deployment, this is essentially Google showing us how they are experimenting with several different UI manipulation techniques and appearences.

[Via TheChromeSource; Gizmodo]

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When Steve Jobs hosts an Apple keynote event it’s a given that someone will splice together all of the superfluous adjectives used to describe the new product or service at hand.  Last week’s announcement of the iPad is no exception, and this time that someone is Neil Curtis.  Curtis says all adjectives used in this video were taken from the iPad keynote alone, and no scene is ever repeated.  Magical!

[Via Gizmodo]

Remember that mysterious tablet from HP that was breifly handled at the Microsoft keynote at this year’s CES?  Well HP CTO Phil McKinney is here to go into a bit more detail about the origins of the HP Slate.  At its core it’s a multitouch tablet that runs Window 7; it’s the “rich media experience” that promises to set it apart from the rest of the pack.  It’s set to release sometime this year.

[Via Engadget]

The Lenovo Skylight is being billed as a “smartbook,” positioning itself in the yet to be exploited niche between a netbook and a laptop.  The internals are the most intriguing, so let’s start there.  It’s the first ARM-based smartbook based on Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor and it packs a 10.1 inch (1,280 x 720) display, 20GB of Flash storage, 2GB of cloud storage, an 8GB miniSD card, a 3.1 megapixel webcam, WiFi, and two USB ports.  It also features an AT&T WWAN module, allowing you to connect to AT&T’s 3G service for internet access on the go.  Keep in mind you must purchase an AT&T DataConnect plan in order to enable this feature.  The impressive internal battery lasts up to ten hours on one charge.  The Skylight has a very sleek, minimal design; it weighs under two pounds and it’s about the same thickness as a standard smartphone.  When you open the no-frills clamshell lid you find the HD display, a full-sized keyboard, and an integrated USB stick.  There’s a designated slot where the included USB stick can be stored when it’s not in use.  On the software end, the Skylight runs a customized version of Linux that is based around “live web gadgets.”  These gadgets include customizable windows for Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and YouTube that are constantly updating in front of you.  You maybe changing your Facebook status as your live Twitter feed and Gmail account updates themselveswith a YouTube video running in the background.  There’s no need to continually log in or refresh.  And don’t fret–there’s a standard web browser to surf the Internet the way you’re used to doing it.  The OS comes with over 18 pre-installed web gadgets including Amazon MP3 and Roxio CinemaNow, to purchase and download music and movies, respectively.  The Skylight will be available for purchase this April for $499 at Lenovo, AT&T, and AT&T stores.  There’s no word as to whether or not AT&T will sell it at a subsidized price if you were to purchase their two-year Data Connect plan at time of purchase.  Look after the break for a Lenovo product tour video.

Next up is the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid.  Lenovo is marketing it as the industry’s “first hybrid notebook” giving users the ability to switch from a normal laptop setup to a slate tablet.  Allow me to explain.  The Hybrid contains two PC form factors in a single device.  What’s interesting here is that each form factor has its own processor, operating system, and storage.  At first glance, the Hybrid is a 3.8 pound traditional clamshell laptop an 11.6 inch LED (1366 x 768) screen, a full-sized keyboard, runs Windows 7, and is powered by a CULV Intel Core 2 Duo processor.  You guessed it–the second form factor is the detachabledisplay.  The display doubles as a 1.6 pound multitouch slate tablet with its own Snapdragon processor and customized “Skylight operating system” as found in the Skylight smartbook.  Other specs include up to 4GB of RAM (512MB in tablet mode), two USB ports, eSATA, VGA, HDMI,  4-in-1 memory card reader, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam.  The laptop can be equipped with a 128GB solid-state drive, with 16GB allotted to the tablet.  Like the Skylight it also includes WiFi + 3G Internet connectivity.  The battery can support up to five hours of 3G web browsing and six hours when 3G is switched off and in tablet mode.  Also neat is that the two form factors are always synchronized; for example, if you are browsing the Internet in laptop mode and detach the display your content seamlessly transfers to the Skylight OS without interuption.  The two also share “battery power, 3G wireless, data and documents.”  The Skylight software features a “Me Centric” user interface with a four or six section screen display option allowing you to easily access websites, calenders, and other apps while in landscape or portrait mode.  Lenovo plans to release the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid on June 1 for $999.  Again, no word on a 3G carrier subsidy price.

Normally I do not report on every PC/laptop/netbook release that comes my way.  I deemed it poignant to share Lenovo’s smartbook and laptop/tablet hybrid machines because they radiate innovation.  The Skylight has a distinctly small, light, and no-frills design and packs impressive internal specs and battery life.  It’s customized operating system is unique in that it’s optimized for the web experience from top to bottom.  The IdeaPad U1 Hybrid is a fresh concept that I’m frankly surprised to see actually coming to the market.  Though it poses as a sleek and lightweight notebook, its detachable multitouch screen that runs the Skylight OS is very intriguing.  Such a wild idea may result in the long sought solution to helping the slate tablet find its niche in PC market.  No matter how these new entrants in the young smartbook and new hybrid categories sell once they’re released I have a strong feeling their unique form factors and intentions will reverberate throughout the industry as effective product designs.

[Via Engadget, here & here; LaptopMag]

(Click here for more…)

This is a mock up of what shopping at an Ikea store with an Apple tablet could potentially be like.  And man is it slick.  The experience is smooth, quick, and intuitive, just like we have come to learn on the iPhone.  In fact, this device looks like a super-sized iPhone, and that is exactly what I expect the oft-rumored tablet to be.  Jobs, we are waiting…

[Via Gizmodo]

Meet the XO-3 from the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project.  You know, the non-profit organization that created the $100 XO-1 laptop and whose mission is “to create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.”  On a side note, the XO-1 “has been distributed to more than 1.4 million children in 35 countries and in 25 languages,” according to Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of One Laptop Per Child.  The latest concept iteration, the XO-3, is skipping a whole “second generation.”  In fact, the XO-2 concept was unveiled in pictures (much like this go-around) and never came to fruition.  The dual-screen concept was scrapped and Negroponte began to focus on what we see here.  The XO-3 “will feature a new design using a single sheet of flexible plastic and will be unbreakable and without holes in it.”  The device itself is one big 8.5 x 11 touchscreen with a folding ring in the corner as a grip and a camera can be found on the backside.  It will take advantage of inductive charging (think the Palm Pre “puck”) and will use less than a watt of power.  Negroponte on the potential success of the XO-3: “Sure, if I were a commercial entity coming to you for investment, and I’d made the projections I had in the past, you wouldn’t invest again, but we’re not a commercial operation. If we only achieve half of what we’re setting out to do, it could have very big consequences.”  The XO-3 is designed by Yves Behar and is projected to cost $75 when it goes on sale in 2012.

In a press release Negroponte spilled the beans on two more iterations of the OLPC that are planned to emerge before the introduction of the XO-3.

The XO 1.5 is the same industrial design as the XO 1.0. Based on a VIA processor (replacing AMD), it will provide 2x the speed, 4x DRAM memory and 4x FLASH memory. It will run both the Linux and Windows operating systems. XO 1.5 will be available in January 2010 at about $200 per unit. The actual price floats in accordance with spot markets, particularly for those of DRAM and FLASH.

The XO 1.75, to be available in early 2011, will be essentially the same industrial design but rubber-bumpered on the outside and in the inside will be an 8.9”, touch-sensitive display. The XO 1.75 will be based on an ARM processor from Marvell that will enable 2x the speed at 1/4 the power and is targeted at $150 or less. This ARM-based system will complement the x86-based XO 1.5, which will remain in production, giving deployments a choice of processor platform.

The “One Laptop Per Child” initiative is great.  I’m all for putting computers in the hands of less fortunate people, giving them access to a wide array of educational opportunities.  The point of the XO-x laptops is their ability to be mass produced and shipped to countries around the world for the purpose of spreading the importance of education and development.  The XO-1 did its job, and according to Negroponte, the XO-3 and other form factors that come before it will do the same.  The only thing I worry about is whether or not the technology will be around to support Negroponte’s dream computers.  In pictures, the XO-3 looks like a device from 2050, not 2012.  Even if such technologies arearound to build this device in three years, will it be possible to price it at a mere $75?  These are pressing issues Negroponte and his designers and engineers I’m sure are dealing with today.  I have my fingers crossed that a day will come in the near future when little boys and girls in less-developed countries will sitting at desks with their thin, stylish XO-3s, developing their minds and expanding their opportunities.

“To fulfill our mission of reaching 500 million children in all remote corners of the planet, OLPC will continue to innovate in design and performance. Because we are a non-profit, we hope that industry will copy us.”  With a mission like this in mind, OLPC is on track to becoming a global force in the push for widespread education and innovation.

[Via Engadget; BusinessWire; Wiki]

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Let’s get right to it, shall we?  The Wall Street Journal reports that CBS and Walt Disney Company (among other major TV networks) are “consideringparticipating in Apple’s plan to offer television subscriptions over the Internet.”  CBS will offer shows from CBS and CW and Disney will offer selections from its ABC, Disney Channel, and ABC Family networks.  Though details are being kept under wraps, word has it that Apple will offer its iTunes customers a $30/month subscription to choose from the TV networks’ selection of shows.  This is all starting to make sense now that Apple has ate up streaming company Lala; they might just have a Hulu-esque TV streamingservice in the works.  Whatever it may be, “sources” claim that Apple could finalize licensing deals and switch on the service sometime in 2010.

The Financial Times delves further into this matter and regurgitates the followinginformation:  ”Apple has contacted other broadcast and cable networks, including Time Warner’s Turner Broadcasting System and Viacom, which have so far been unconvinced by Apple’s proposal. The computer maker has also courted the book publishing industry, sector executives say.”  This is all very interesting, to say the least.  Major publishers like the WSJ and the FT reporting on a potential iTunes subscription-based service can only mean that something is brewingat Apple HQ.  Talks with CBS (Viacom), Time Warner, and ABC are vital if Apple plans on making such a TV show subscription plan work.  And let’s not forget about their “court[ing] [of the] book publishing industry”…cue the Apple tablet/iPhone rumors.

Addional news comes from the Financial Times, and this time it’s about the impendingannouncement of the Apple tablet: “Apple is preparing an announcement next month that many anticipate will be the official unveiling of its tablet, but the company has so far declined to confirm the existence of the device. Wall Street analysts expect mass production of an Apple tablet to begin as early as February.”

To spread to the gaining hype around the tablet and the next-gen iPhone comes news today from a Silicon Alley Insider report: “Apple is preparing to show off a new, larger mobile device with a higher resolution display in January — probably a version of the Apple tablet we’ve been hearing about for months — according to a plugged-in source in the mobile industry.”  This source says that Apple has asked a select group of app developers to prepare their apps to support a full-screen resolution (rather than the fixed 320×480 rez the iPhone currently uses) and to demo on a “new, larger mobile device.”  In addition, the report says that the tablet will be demoed in January but not released into the market until a later date.  This matches up with the FT news posted above; Apple will unveil it in January, ramp up production in February, and have it ready for the public by March 2010.  And there’s more!  DigiTimes reports that the next-gen iPhone will be packed with a 5 megapixel camera sensor.

And that’s it for now.  Exhausting, huh?  I think Apple just needs to come out with it already and unveil this coveted (albeit non-existent) tablet to calm our nerves and get us excited for something that we at least know is real.  With Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster claiming that there’s a 75% chance that an Apple January event is coming and word that the tablet will be the main focus of the event I am waiting in much anticipation.  An overhaul of iTunes, the next-gen iPhone, the tablet…so many potential topics to discuss!  Here’s hoping that Apple hits at least one of them next month.

[Via Engadget, here & here; Gizmodo, here & here; Apple Insider]