Apple Talks Tablet Down Under: Tech Rumor

(Updates with Apple's closing share price)

SYDNEY, Australia (TheStreet) -- Apple(AAPL Quote) has been in talks with Australian media companies about putting their content on its eagerly anticipated Tablet device, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.

The consumer tech giant has sent Apple Tablet specifications to Australian media firms to find out whether they are interested in delivering Tablet-based content, says the report. The newspaper, however, was unable to get any media firms to discuss their Tablet plans on the record.

Apple has been in talks to launch a new Tablet application that would allow firms to charge for their digital content on the device, according to the Herald.

The consumer tech giant, which enjoyed a sales surge in its recent fourth-quarter results, is playing its Tablet cards close to its chest, further fueling the buzz surrounding the technology.

Expected to debut sometime in the first half of 2010, the Tablet has been the subject of rumors for months.

Expectations are high for Apple's offering, variously described as an iPhone-style device with a 7- to 10-inch touchscreen, although Tablets have traditionally been seen as something of a niche technology.

With the iPhone generation now expecting a wealth of rich digital content at its fingertips, however, there has been speculation that Tablets could find a home in the publishing industry. The New York Times(NYT Quote), for example, recently told TheStreet that it is eyeing tablet technology as a way to boost readership but said that it is not working with Apple.

It has also been suggested that Apple could tout the Tablet as an alternative to e-book readers such as Amazon's(AMZN Quote) Kindle or Barnes & Noble's(BKS Quote) Nook.