It seems the Big Apple will be the choice venue for the next big news from Apple.

AllThingsD reports that the company is planning to hold an unveiling in New York some time around the end of January.

Those of you holding out hope for the unveiling of the next iPad model might be disappointed by the news, however. Early reports suggest that the main focus of the event will be digital publishing.

Among the items rumoured to be on the agenda will be an effort to improve the availability of digitised textbooks. Apple is said to be working on a platform which would allow students to purchase their textbooks for use on an iPad.

Such a campaign could help to remedy one of the biggest complaints amongst university students. Extravagently-priced textbooks can cost students hundreds of dollars apiece and publishers frequently release new editions of books to stymie the trade in used copies.

If any company can break up the textbook rackett, however, it's Apple. The company has long been a mainstay in the education market and the appeal of the iPod and iPhone brands amongst young people could mean that Apple already has a critical mass in place to make a textbook service work.

04 Jan 2012