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Is Apple about to redefine computing with the much anticipated iSlate in the same way it already has for the mobile phone with the iPhone, or the humble music player with the iPod?

If the rumours, speculation, and evidence are anything to go by, the iSlate will be announced in January.

The rumour that Apple engineers are working on a new handheld touchscreen computer have been circulating for some time. Known in the industry as simply ‘the tablet’, it is hoped the device will enable video streaming, downloading and reading books (bye bye Kindle), listening to music, running Apps…the list goes on.

The rumours the iSlate will be announced in January have hit a high not seen since the release of the iPhone in 2007. Shares in Apple have soared in the last few days in anticipation of a ‘major product announcement’.

Apple has so far remained tight lipped about what the major product announcement will be, but an Apple insider let slip to The new York Times that “Steve is extremely happy about the new tablet.”

The blog MacRumours.com revealed that Apple had bought the rights to the iSlate.com domain name.

The cost of the iSlate is as much of a mystery as every other detail about the newest device from Apple. That won’t be a concern for regular readers of this blog who will all be awaiting the release date with baited breath so they can order their free iSlate and be among the very first iSlate owners.

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Apple have come up with a novel solution for those from colder climes, or just those that like to wear gloves when using their iPhones. The problem is that when wearing gloves you can’t use the touchscreen,  which kind of renders the iPhone pretty useless.

The Apple iGlove addresses this problem with some nifty technology. Here’s what Apple have to say about it:

“When users, in cold weather, wear thick or bulky gloves … the loss of tactile feedback to the user may prevent the user from properly operating the electronic device, and may lead to frustration. Alternatively, if the user has to remove his gloves … the user’s hand may become cold and uncomfortable, which may also lead to user frustration.”

Apple’s proposed solution is a “high tactility glove system” – a glove made of two layers, with a thick, probably woollen outer layer, and a thin internal conductive layer, replicating the human finger which can conduct electricity.

In the fingertips of the outer layer there are “apertures” through which the user can thrust his finger to press any bit of the screen while still protected by the inner layer.

It’s not very likely this will ever make it to production though. Apple have a history of patenting crazy new inventions, like the solar-powered iPod, another patented idea that has never come to fruitition.