$100,000 for an hour with the Apple Tablet

Talk about checkbook journalism. You have to hand it to Valleywag, the gossipy Gawker family’s Silicon Valley tech site. They’re offering a cool hundred grand for an hour of hands-on use if the rumored new Apple Tablet that is expected to be revealed Jan 27 by Steve Jobs.

Can’t do that? They have a sliding scale, starting at $10,000 for a bona fide pictures of the tablet; $20,000 for video of one in action; $50,000 for pictures of Steve Jobs holding one and the grand prize of $100K “to let us play for one for one hour.”

Given the notorious and absolute control Apple has been able to maintain on this project, and, for that matter, all of its products, I’m thinkin Valleywag is going to need bigger draws to pry out the evidence it wants.

And you can bet they’ll get lots of fakes.They’ve thought that through. Here’s how they guarantee not to be taken:

“…given that PhotoShop exists and how it’s already been used to make fake Apple Tablet pictures and videos, we’re the final arbiters of whether your pics are legit. For that reason, we’d highly recommend that they be well-lit and hi-res. Second, we’re not paying out any prizes until after Apple’s announcement. If your pics are fake, no money. We encourage you to stay within the bounds of the law …”

If, by chance, they get the goods, they promise to protect the informant. “Anonymity of both the winners and losers is important to us: We’ll go to spycraft-level lengths to prevent anything being traced back to you.”

You just know, in Japan, in the supplier shops, in Cupertino, at the Apple ad agencies, wherever, limited as it may be, the Tablet is right now, there are mercenary-minded folks weighing the decision…. “hmmm, a hundred grand versus the wrath of Jobs?”

I’m thinking fear over the wrath of Jobs wins out and the first real look we get won’t be in Valleywag, but on Jan 27 from Steve Jobs.