Rumours fly about new Apple launch event

As usual Apple has succeeded in drumming up considerable interest ahead of its latest launch event; but what has Apple got up its sleeve this time? 

Invites went out via email last night to the lucky few who will have places at the event in San Francisco next week, but  in typical Apple style details were thin on the ground, which has only served to increase the hype as the tech blogs debate what the likely focus of the event will be. The only thing invitees have to go on is the imagery - a guitar with a sound hole in the shape of the Apple logo, suggesting a music-related theme.

Speculation has of course immediately started as to what Apple will be unveiling to a waiting world this time. Front-runner on the rumour mill is a refresh to the ever-popular iPod, which has traditionally happened at this time of year. It was September 9 last year that Apple wheeled out the new video-camera-toting iPod nano plus upgrades to the iPod range; so those in the know suspect that a big iPod refresh is what we'll be seeing next Wednesday.

There are competing rumours, however, that cloud-based technology could be in the spotlight with Jobs next week. There's a persistent suggestion that Apple is on the brink of adding wireless streaming capacity to iTunes, which would allow seamless wireless syncing of all your Apple devices - and that would certainly justify one of Apple's launch events. Alternatively, there's the streaming Apple TV option which has also seen some coverage in recent weeks - although the music theme is less suggestive of a TV-based launch.  Critics suggest that Apple isn't quite there yet with cloud-based technology, lacking as it does the hefty data-centres owned by the kinds of companies which are heavily involved in streaming media; but whether its iPods or streaming we'll just have to wait til next week to find out.