iLounge

By Charles Starrett

Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Thursday, January 21, 2010
News Category: Apple

The Wall Street Journal has posted a lengthy article discussing Apple’s upcoming tablet device, including the kinds of content that will be available for it and a few of its features. Citing numerous anonymous sources, the report states that Apple sees the device being shared by multiple family members, and has even experimented with the ability for the tablet to automatically recognize individual users via a built-in camera, although it’s unknown whether the feature will be included at launch. In addition to HarperCollins, Apple has also spoken to The New York Times, Conde Nast Publications, and others about working together on content for the tablet, and has also been working with Electronic Arts to show off the device’s gaming capabilities. The report also claims that the tablet will employ a virtual keyboard for text entry.

Curiously buried at the bottom of the report is news of a Web-based version of iTunes that could possibly launch as soon as June. Again citing people familiar with the matter, the report claims that the service, tentatively called iTunes.com, would allow customers to buy music without the need for opening the full iTunes application, and is a central part of a new Apple strategy to populate as many sites as possible with “buy” buttons, including integrating iTunes transactions into activities such as listening to Internet radio and surfing media review web sites.