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Safe and happy holiday, everyone? We sure hope so. Here's hoping, too, that you're ready to tackle the new year head on: with tablet rumors starting to get really hot it's bound to be a doozy!

Patents and Platforms
Yes, we all know about the slew of patents Apple's taken out and that they've re-hired Michael Tchao of Apple Newton fame. But there's news floating about on NYTimes blogs like these two quotes from Apple employees:

“I can’t really say anything, but, let’s just say Steve is extremely happy with the new tablet.”

AND

“You will be very surprised how you interact with the new tablet.”

Hmmmm...Apple has shelved a number of tablet like devices, as we've told you before, but now that the iPhone is such a run away success we posit it's time for the big boy to be released. Content was a problem with the Newton the first time around, but with the movies, apps, e-books and the new digital magazine format available to consumers now we think the only real hurdle to creating the tablet is going to be battery life.

Changing the Publishing Industry
The tablet will, like every other Apple offering, completely change the way people think about the publishing industry. The Kindle, nook and Sony Reader get e-books out there and on the radar but they don't have the multi-tasking capability of what we'd expect from the Apple tablet. Also, Apple know--based on the App Store--that price of content is a big deal...brick and mortar publishing houses are constantly trying to find ways to up the price of e-books when consumers who paid out the nose for the e-readers are choosing classics over best sellers because they're free.

Revenue from the e-book sales are causing a stir right now too, because contenders like Amazon currently offer publishers a 50/50 split if the Kindle isn't given e-book exclusivity...and Apple's been heard offering a 30/70 split. That's a big 20%, and if we were publishers we know where our titles would be going...

Release Date?
Right before the holiday, reports surfaced that Apple had booked a stage at the Yerba Buena Center yet again, and in less than a month we'll know what's going on. January 26th is the date, folks, and while we've speculated before only to have our dreams dashed we are perenially hopeful: it would be a little sooner than we expected the tablet to be announced, but fingers crossed that we don't get all excited just to sit down to an Apple TV/cable subscription announcement!

Wanna take odds on this? Hop on Twitter!

Till tomorrow, Newsies...