Weekly high-tech hot topics in the blogs: Apple tablet launch impending: ‘Start hyperventilating now’

Hot topics in the tech blogs for the week of January 22: Apple puts more fuel on the Apple tablet rumor fire by confirming the January 27 press conference, every single imagined detail of the tablet is examined on the blogs, Google shies away from releasing Android-based phones in China, Apple in talks with Microsoft about replacing Google with Bing as the default iPhone web browser, and Bill Gates Joins Twitter.

Apple confirms January 27 press conference
This week bloggers were officially invited to the January 27 Apple press event that they had been blogging about for weeks. With the news came a torrent pictures of the spray painted flyer and hundreds of blog posts, all speculating about the new products Apple will announce at its event. Text on Apple's press conference invitations reads, "Come and see our latest creation", fuelling the assumption that Apple will announce their coveted "tablet" at the press only event. Bloggers are also theorising that Apple will show off the iPhone 4.0 and announce a cloud-based iTunes store that will run natively in internet browsers.

Apple Tablet design details, possible names and rumors
You know bloggers are getting excited about a product when they start scanning trademark and patent applications in hope of finding out more about the rumored device. Apple's tablet seems to have driven bloggers to all kinds of feats as they feel increased pressure to nab the exclusive details. From AppleInsider's "Sources detail physical design of Apple's upcoming tablet device", to MacRumors' "Will Apple's Tablet actually be called the iPad? New trademarks filled this week," every little detail about the tablet is being hashed out on the blogs. Technology blogs are also trying to post as many rendered pictures of the device as they can. As TG Daily comments at the bottom of their article "Apple Tablet: best product launch ever," "I guess in one week we will all know the truth. Start hyperventilating now."

Google postpones Android mobile phone launches in China
After Google decided to review its business operations in China, the company also announced it would be delaying the release of Motorola and Samsung Android-powered smartphones in the country. The phones were set to be launched on January 20 with China Unicom. Bloggers, however, revealed that Motorola was "ready to adapt" and would introduce an online application store tailored to the Chinese market and give users the choice of internet browsers to facilitate the launch of their Android-powered phones.

Apple eyes Microsoft's Bing as possible replacement for Google on iPhone
Bloomberg ran an article this week stating that former Microsoft "frenemy", Apple, has been shopping around for a search-engine alternative to Google for its iPhone platform in an attempt to rid itself from the tight clutches of Google. Bloggers followed up on the story writing about how Microsoft's Bing is a prime candidate for the job as the deal would enable Bing to gain much-needed market share in the mobile-search sector. Apple would benefit too, bloggers insisted, as Microsoft would more than likely offer Apple a higher cut of the mobile advertising profits than the company currently receives from Google to seal the deal. According to Bloomberg, representatives from Apple and Microsoft have been discussing the possibility of a search engine deal over the past couple weeks.

Bill gates joins twitter
Bloggers couldn't help but write about it when Microsoft founder Bill Gates decided to try his hand at the latest social networking revolution, Twitter. Headlines such as "Bill Gates a Fast-Rising Star on Twitter", "What would Steve Jobs Tweet?," "Bill Gates joins Twitter, seen playing kissy face with Ashley Tisdal" and "Bill Gates Surpasses 100,000 Twitter Followers in 8 Hours" appearing in influential blogs and websites across the globe were retweeted by people on Twitter after Gates signed up for the service. Gate's first post, "Hello World. Hard at work on my foundation letter - publishing on 1/25," also made the internet rounds before Microsoft's chairman tweeted, "I've got a lot to learn about Twitter but look forward to sharing more."