Toys "R" Us has debuted its own tablet for kids: the 7-inch Tabeo, which runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

Toys “R” Us announced this weekend that it will begin selling its own branded tablet for kids. The 7-inch Tabeo tablet will cost $150, and goes on sale on October 1. Pre-orders for the device are available through ToysRUs.com now.

The Tabeo will run on a stripped-down version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and come pre-loaded with 50 apps, including games, books, and educational apps. Other Tabeo technical specs include a 1.0 GHz processor (of unknown make), HDMI output, 4GB of internal storage, a front-facing camera, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The devices also comes with a “drop-safe” cover to keep it protected from children’s inevitable disregard for fragility.

While Toys “R” Us says that the Tabeo will give its young users the “full Internet experience” (including Flash support!), the Tabeo will be limited to Toys “R” Us’s Tabeo Store, which the company says currently has around 7,000 apps. Parental controls will also come pre-loaded to keep that “full Internet experience” kid-friendly.

The Tabeo is far from the only tablet available from Toys “R” Us. Other child-centric options include the LexiBook Junior Tablet, MEEP! Kids Tablet, and the Kurio Kids Tablet. Toys “R” Us also sells more grown-up devices, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1), and the Kindle Fire.

So, why is Toys “R” Us getting into the tablet game? According to the Wall Street Journal, it’s because the toy seller is struggling to make ends meet. As with other big box retailers, Toys “R” Us has seen a drop in in-store sales over the past year, due in part to its inability to compete with online retailers who offer lowers prices. Unlike general electronics retailers, like Best Buy and Radio Shack, Toys “R” Us continues to benefit from the fact that its customers (parents) still like to buy its products in person.

Apple may reveal a range of new iPods at its event on September 12, and given the amount if iPhone leaks, they could be the only surprise.

Apple’s talk about “doubling down” on secrecy appears to have been bluster, as a steady stream of leaks over the past few months have built an almost complete picture of what many believe to be the next iPhone.

There’s so much information out there, that its big reveal on September 12 could be less exciting than Apple events of old. Provided that is, the leaks really do relate to the new iPhone, and aren’t part of an elaborate smokescreen to obfuscate the true new device.

If that’s the case, then Tim Cook and his team will have done an impressive job of fooling us all, but if it’s not, then will the event hold any surprises at all?

Leaving aside the prospect of an iPad Mini, what about the iPod range? 9to5mac.com suggests a new Nano and Shuffle could join the new iPhone at the Yerba Buena Center this week, along with the possibility of a third — potentially new — iPod model too.

The report says the new Nano and Shuffle will come in various colors, and that one — presumably the Nano — will come with a choice of memory capacities, while the other will only have one option. Nothing is known about the mystery third device.

Apple’s last Nano refresh was in October 2011, but the current seventh-generation Nano is almost identical to the sixth-generation device, with the differences between them almost solely software-based and applicable to the older 2010 model too. Apple doesn’t even list the seventh-gen Nano as a device on its own site, preferring to stick with the sixth-generation Nano introduced in 2010.

The Nano is perfectly placed for an update then, and as Apple combined the iPhone and iPod launch for its October event last year, it’s not a stretch to see them doing the same this year.

The good thing is, we’ve not seen or heard very much about any new iPods — bar a version of the Nano sporting a camera at the beginning of the year –  so even if the iPhone looks familiar when it makes its debut, at least they’ll be a surprise.