Apple says goodbye to design firm that helped develop some Apple products

The New York Times reports that Apple and SurfaceInk have parted ways after the small Silicon Valley developer showed off a tablet design to some potential clients. Apple obviously didn't like one of its partners demonstrating a product that could become a competitive threat, so out the door they went.

The Times quotes founder and Chief Executive Eric Bauswell as saying that SurfaceInk and Apple had "gone separate directions."

SurfaceInk was founded in 1999, and has worked for Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Palm.