We still don’t know what the fabled Apple Tablet actually looks like, or if it even exists, really, but this concept magazine reader from Condé Nast gives us a glimpse at what to expect from tablet apps.

Turn down your volume before hitting play, loud techno music awaits. Down? OK, good. Now let’s look at what we’ve got here. It’s about what you would expect from a tablet magazine reader. The big screen lets you soak in the magazine layout without zooming, and the graphics are big and interactive. In a nutshell, it looks like a hi-res iPhone app.

According to the source, Condé Nast doesn’t want to take any chances, and the app is a precautionary measure to make sure they’re ready if/when the device comes out. So don’t take this to mean that launch is imminent. Take it as a sign that even if the tablet doesn’t exist, it should, because a lot of huge publishing companies are more than willing to throw their weight behind it. [Wired]

The system runs Android 1.5 through its 7-inch (18cm) 800×480 glass touchscreen display, plus you get Wi-Fi (b/g), GPS, microSD reader, 2-megapixel camera, 0.3-megapixel webcam and a USB port that can always add 3G (though, the whole idea becomes sort of silly at that point).

Plus, a built-in stand on the back means it can double as a picture frame. Yes!!

My only concern is the bit of lag you notice in this video. If the final production models have that issue ironed out, this could be an attractive little tablet. [Camangi WebStation via Gearlog]

DigiTimes says that the 9.7-inch OLED panels are priced at about $US500 today, and the screen would account for about 30 per cent of the device’s $US1500 to $US1700 cost when it arrives in the second quarter of next year. OLED prices are expected to fall over the next couple of years, though. As for the 10.6-incher, that’s still said to be in the $US800 to $US1000 ballpark.

No word yet from them on the rumoured matter synthesiser and teleporter module, but give it a couple more months, and they will spill it all out. [DigiTimes]

The idea of multiple models seems to sync up with Dell’s previous comments about considering MIDs with screen sizes ranging from four inches to 12 inches. Last month’s apparent leak suggested the 5-inch Streak has an 800 by 480 touch screen, 3G, Wi-Fi, a 5-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, microSD card storage and a 1300mAh battery. Commercial Times says it’ll be built by Qisda. [DigiTimes via SlashGear]

That’s more than we could say in early November, when we reported that the Crunchpad’s development arc was more akin to Duke Nukem Forever than a real, live product. Pricing was all over the place, moving slowly up the chain from $US200 to $US300 and finally to $US400. That was back in July, then August and finally this fine month, at which point the price tag had ballooned to $US400.

Well it’s all hogwash says Arrington, thank you very much, and he has no idea where the high price rumours came from, since manufacturing costs have continued to come down. Maybe he’s holding out until we all have replicators in our homes, and can just buy the schematics and software from him on the cheap?

In a video, Friday (above, 39:00 mark) from the Gillmore Gang, Arrington said sponsorships akin to Firefox’s Google search box could spiral costs down even further. In a Steve Jobsian twist he added that his team will continue to work on the tablet until it’s “perfect”. Great. I’ll go warm up the replicator. [YouTube via Engadget]

I hadn’t heard of ICD before: They’re actually based in the UK and Seattle. They say the Vega range is intended to be low cost, so it looks like some carrier subsidies may be in store, too. It’s scheduled for distribution in America, Europe and the Middle East.

The largest Vega has a 15.6-inch resistive screen (grr) that supports a resolution of 1366×768. It’ll have a Tegra processor, 512MB DDR DRAM, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi (no N) and Bluetooth 2.1. The built-in 512MB NAND Flash storage can be expanded via MicroSD cards. It’s expected this mode will weigh about 1.3kg and have a battery life of about four hours.

The 15-inch Vega also looks pretty similar to the sleek reference Tegra tablet that we spotted Nvidia’s chief with earlier in the week. The good news is we’ll be able to get a closer look at it come CES time in January. [Innovative Converged Devices]

“A system comprising: a pen-based input tablet configured to collect and organise received ink information into ink strokes.”

Tablets are mentioned all over the application… one step closer to Jesus’ wet dream? [USPTO via Unwired View]

The T5010, which has a starting RRP of $2,599, comes with an Intel Core2Duo processor, a 13.3-inch 1280 x 800 TFT LCD display, a 320GB HDD, Bluetooth and a six cell battery, plus the option of either 2GB or 4GB of RAM. The T4410 and T4310 both only have a 12.1-inch touchscreens, but different Core2Duo processors. The T4410 is also only available “for project only”. The T4310 has a starting price of $1,899.

All three obviously come with Windows 7 too, so you can take advantage of that multitouch software.

[Fujitsu]

Engadget says a credible tipster suggests it currently runs Windows CE and has a resistive touchscreen, but Android and capacitive upgrades (and different screen sizes) are likely. A March 2010 arrival is rumoured, as is T-Mobile’s involvement. Interesting, but definitely still an undercooked rumour at this point. We’ll let you know when we hear more. [Engadget]

[In my home we are] all Apple. Apple uses the best technology for their [computers]. Apple says to their customers: if you buy a computer from us you can be sure we have selected the best technology inside for you. That is their promise to consumers. Their promise to consumers isn’t we’ve selected the best technology for you with the exception of what Intel allows us to use. That’s not their promise. And that’s why Apple uses the best technology where they want whenever they want. And that’s why I’m all Apple! At home it’s just Macs everywhere. It’s NVIDIA’s technology in all of them but I use Macs. My son has two Macs, my daughter has a Mac, there’s an extra Mac just in case and my wife has a Mac. It’s just Mac, Mac, Mac! Because I know it’s got the best stuff inside.

That’s quite an enthusiastic endorsement. So enthusiastic that he crosses the ultra-fanboy territory and gets into the “I’ve got my hockey knee pads here and I’m ready to perform iphonelingus on you if you pick me as your tablet provider, Apple” danger zone. [Shufflegazine — Thanks Ron]