According to the Times (the LA one), the Times (the NY one) has been working on a tablet app in recent weeks. Also: Condé Nast basically admitted to the same in a press release. Familiar? Sure. But intriguing!

In September, we reported through two sources at the paper that the NYT had been approached by Apple to develop content of some sort for the tablet. As the paper of record, they're the obvious choice for an inaugural app demo—remember the the wave of iPhone commercials, where the floating hands navigate to the NYT homepage?—and they already have tablet-appropriate software available for download. In that sense, the LAT report is just more corroboration; of the NYT's involvement with Apple; of the tablet's penchant for the written word; and obviously, of the tablet's mere existence.

More interesting, though, is a quote highlighted in the report from a Conde Nast press release last week, which was supposed to tout the (moderate) success of the GQ iPhone app, but which may have also revealed it to be a not-so-subtle prelude to a tablet app. Quoted directly:

In addition to developing more content for the iPhone and the anticipated tablet from Apple, Conde Nast has formed a strategic partnership with Adobe to collaborate on creating technologies that will allow the company to design and produce a new generation of digital magazines.

Normally it'd be prudent to just ignore this kind of thing, since the Apple Tablet, even as a rumor, has ingratiated itself so far into the media's consciousness that print ombudsman and PR people can't seem to squeeze out a public statement or press release without mentioning it, but at this late stage in the game, and from the company most likely in the world to be involved with such a venture if it does exist, these words are worth hanging on.

On another note, I tend to think people are overstating the role that print media text content will play in this device, and vice versa! Discuss.

UPDATE: Peter Kafka at AllThingsD isn't convinced that Conde Nast will be in the tablet demo lineup. [LAT]