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This 13-inch MacBook has been modded into tablet form.

With all the crystal-ball-watching over the seemingly imminent Apple tablet, one issue hotly debated around the CNET offices, but infrequently mentioned elsewhere, is the hypothetical device's status as a mobile computer.

There are two schools of thought on this: either the Apple tablet (or iSlate, or whatever it ends up being called) will be a 10-or-so-inch tablet PC with a full Mac OS X operating system; or it will merely be a larger-screen version of the current iPod Touch, which has a closed, limited phone-like OS.

The former would mean it could very likely run any software you'd run on a MacBook, from Firefox to Photoshop, and maybe even install Windows 7 via Boot Camp or Parallels. The later points to a hermetically sealed ecosystem, where apps would have to be approved and sold through an official app store (as in iTunes).

At the turn of the 20th century, Royal Society physicist Lord Kelvin made the remarkable statement that he believed the discovery of X-rays to be "a hoax." Coming from any Joe Schmo in the street this could be dismissed as drunken babble. But Lord Kelvin had a respectable track record of saying some pretty clever stuff.

(Credit: Crave UK)

To work at CNET UK, you have to take the managing director out on a date and make her laugh. The rule is simple: if she don't laugh, you ain't staff.

There. That was a rumor we just started. See how easy it is? The great thing about rumors is they only need the tiniest speck of something that sounds like truth to be credible, and if they're proven wrong--hey, there'll be another one along in a minute.

We've picked eight stinkers from tech history that teased and twisted the minutest grains of plausibility into epic tales of technological wonder and horror. We begin with a story that proves that there are limits to the pestering power of children.

Read more of "The eight most brainless tech rumors ever" at Crave UK. And if you think of any rumors that didn't make the cut, be sure to let us know in the comments section.

(Credit: USPTO.gov)

The sharp-eyed bloggers at AppleInsider have noted a newly revealed patent application related to multitouch surfaces--leading to further speculation about Apple's purported tablet PC project.

As per usual, the application came through law firm Morrison and Foerster, and was originally filed in June of this year. According to the paperwork on file at USPTO.gov, this is:

A method of performing operations on a computing system having a touch-sensitive surface, the method comprising; tracking the paths of multiple distinguishable contacts, the contacts corresponding to touch devices as they move on or near the surface at the same time, wherein tracking is based on at least shape and position data corresponding to the contacts; determining scaling motion information corresponding to two or more of the multiple contacts based on the tracked paths of the contacts; generating a scaling gesture control signal based on the scaling motion information.

This reminds us of an earlier Apple touch technology patent application we looked at more than two years ago, for a wide laptop touchpad that could distinguish between intentional and unintentional input. The new application also takes current tablet and touchscreen technology to task, saying:

Touch screens and touchpads often distinguish pointing motions from emulated button clicks or keypresses by assuming very little lateral fingertip motion will occur during taps on the touch surface which are intended as clicks. Inherent in these methods is the assumption that tapping will usually be straight down from the suspended finger position, minimizing those components of finger motion tangential to the surface.

(Credit: USPTO.gov)

There's little else to tie this documentation directly to an Apple tablet, a project long-rumored, and currently thought to be coming sometime early next year, and some commentators even think this patent refers to mouse technology, not a tablet screen.

Interestingly, this comes on the heels of the recent rumors about an imminent refresh of the MacBook laptop line, keeping Steve Jobs and company in the public eye as we head into the all-important holiday shopping season.

(Credit: CNET)

While we've been hearing about a possible fall update to the iMac line, including Blu-ray options, for a couple of weeks now, the online rumor mill has now consigned itself to expecting new MacBook laptops as well. And not just any laptops, but the mythical, long-awaited, low-cost MacBooks that true believers hope will usher in a new age of Apple-based computing for those who find laptops over $1,000 to be out of reach.

AppleInsider says: "The new models, which appear as if they could make their debut alongside a family of more versatile iMacs in the coming weeks, are expected to arrive as the most affordable notebook offerings in the Mac maker's history." The site adds, "One person familiar with preproduction units indicated to AppleInsider several weeks ago that models awaiting certification were seen in white polycarbonate shells, consistent with the sole $999 model currently available."

Other references around the Web make similar claims, saying a less-expensive version of the polycarbonate MacBook would pave the way for a low-cost touchscreen Apple tablet early next year--but each of these reports ultimately leads back to the original rumor posted by AppleInsider.

We've heard nothing from Apple about an upcoming press event to reveal new models, but that's not unusual for the consistently secretive company. We have, however, been under the impression for some time that Apple prefers to stay out of the low-margin sub-$1,000 part of the laptop market, leaving the high-volume, but less profitable, cheap Core 2 Duo laptops and Atom-powered Netbooks to others. CNET Network blogger Brooke Crothers however, takes a stab at speculating what could be in a lower-cost MacBook here.

Should Apple get into the lower end of the laptop market? What MacBook features could you do without for a lower entry price? Sound off in the comments section below.

With the hype around Apple's near-certain upcoming tablet PC seemingly cooling off, our attention now turns to Microsoft--as the company is rumored to be preemptively working on its own Apple-tablet killer.

ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley reports that Microsoft plans to create a tablet, which is based in part on the technology behind the company's Surface project and has been developed under code names including "Oahu" and "Alchemy Ventures." In charge of the project--Chief Experience Officer J Allard, who was the main guy behind the Xbox brand for several years.

But don't look for it any time soon. Mary-Jo says she "wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft is waiting for Apple to show its Tablet hand before trotting out its revamped Tablet."

A key difference between a Microsoft tablet and an Apple one would be that Microsoft would design the basic spec, and let hardware partners build the actual devices--allowing MS to sit back and enjoy revenue from Zune-like subscription services, rather than be in the hardware-manufacturing business (and judging from the Xbox 360's high failure rate, that might not be the worst idea).

LG Chocolate Touch? Maybe?

(Credit: Engadget Mobile)

Engadget Mobile has received this leaked photo of what looks like the LG Chocolate Touch for Verizon, and wouldn't you know it, it doesn't look at all like the LG BL40 that the Europeans are all getting this fall. No giant 4-inch display, no 21:9 aspect ratio, that's for sure. Which makes us wonder if this truly is the LG Chocolate Touch, or if it's some other LG phone.

But since we're used to not getting the pretty European models, we wouldn't be surprised if this really is the Chocolate Touch that we were waiting for. Seeing as the holiday season is coming up, we'll probably know soon enough what the LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 truly looks like.

A Borders customer survey asks about a mystery Apple iPad large-screen reading device.

(Credit: Borders/Screenshot by Michelle Meyers/CNET)

This story was updated Tuesday with some clarification about the origin of the iPad reference. See details below.

There are a gazillion rumors swirling out there about a forthcoming Apple tablet of some sort. And while we certainly don't feel the need to point you to each and every supposed leaked photo or tip from a super-secret inside source, this potential clue is too interesting to pass on.

MacLife appears to be the first to have noticed that a survey Borders e-mailed to customers, for which those willing to participate earn a coupon for 20 percent off, referenced a device called the Apple iPad.

More specifically, after getting a sense of my taste in books and buying habits, Borders asked about my familiarity with digital-reading devices and whether "I plan to buy an Apple iPad (large-screen reading device) this year." Hmmm, that was a toughie.

It's hard to know what to make of this reference. Perhaps Borders has some sort of inside knowledge, or perhaps the third-party producer of this survey reads Apple fan blogs. Or maybe Borders is just listening to CNET readers, who seemed to like the name iPad in our "Name that Netbook" poll.

Only time (and Apple's anticipated September event) will tell.

Updated at 3:15 p.m. PDT on Tuesday: A Borders representative said book audience research firm Codex Group conducted the poll on behalf of Borders and "included the term iPad in the survey." However, Codex Group founder and CEO Peter Hildick-Smith declined to explain the origin of the term, deferring to his client, Borders.

In other words, we still don't know if someone was trying to predict the future, has inside knowledge, or is simply having fun with Apple watchers.