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Hope everyone had a nice MLK day yesterday--we sure enjoyed the day off. One week and one day are left until Apple's big (official!) announcement at the Yerba Buena Center on the 27th of January, and we've got to tell you if it's just another iPhone OS we may well be crushed.

Getting Burned
Maybe it's just the fact that we're on the internet every day searching out these rumors...but our hearts get so set on them! Remember 09-09-09 and the swirl of Beatles rumors? That level of despondance will be absolutely laughable compared to our deep, lasting depression if we don't get a new toy soon.

The magic mouse totally didn't count.

Needless to say we'll be sitting with our fingers crossed one morning soon, waiting...just waiting...

Oops!
Someone at HarperCollins Publishers has spilled the beans. IDG News Service has reported Apple's been chatting them up about e-books with extras like social networking or video bonuses like author interviews and apparently HCP thinks it can sell these loaded e-books for --you guessed it--MORE MONEY!

We don't know about you, but we're trying to figure out just how useful a social media application would be bundled into a novel...even if you're totally loving "The Grapes of Wrath" are you really going to take the time out of the compelling narrative to tweet about it? We guess stranger things have happened with Steinbeck, but still.

Location, Location, Location
Just like that's the golden rule of real estate, "Content, content content" will be the motto of the Apple tablet (if indeed it is to be introduced to the world at large shortly). Take the HarperCollins news: if people don't need the extra features, that type of content--the loaded e-book--fails.

If people still don't want to buy full albums with music videos embedded therein, the iTunes LP concept fails.

Etcetera, etcetera...

Our worry isn't that people won't buy the tablet; diehard Apple fans will snap up virtually anything the company creates. Our worry is that the tablet, depending on the OS it runs and how it deals with e-books, gaming and little things like connecting to the internet, may not span the divide between Mac and PC users OR the divide between tablet users and the rest of the computing universe.

Only time will tell.

Good News
As of today, U.S. cell phone users have donated $22 million dollars to the Hatian relief effort via text. That makes us feel pretty good about the state of the country and humanity...we'll leave you with that.

Tweet us your tablet thoughts (and text "haiti" to 90999 to pledge $10)!

Till tomorrow, Newsies...