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Handicapping Apple’s September 1 event; a rumor recap

By | August 26, 2010, 2:02pm PDT

Summary: Apple will be holding a “special event” for the media on September 1, 2010 in San Francisco at 10AM PT, 1PM ET (invitation above courtesy of Engadget) — ZDNet will be covering it live. Traditionally the event focuses on iPods, but what Apple will specifically announce is anyone’s guess. The only hint is the graphic on [...]

Apple will be holding a “special event” for the media on September 1, 2010 in San Francisco at 10AM PT, 1PM ET (invitation above courtesy of Engadget) — ZDNet will be covering it live.

Traditionally the event focuses on iPods, but what Apple will specifically announce is anyone’s guess. The only hint is the graphic on the invitation which shows an acoustic guitar with an Apple logo cutout instead of the traditional round hole.

Here’s what’s been rumored to arrive in my order of probability:

Likely

  • iPod touch (fourth-generation) - The “iTouch” will receive a new industrial design inherited from the iPhone 4, front and rear cameras, FaceTime, Retina Display and Apple A4 processor.
  • iOS 4.1 - After being in beta for a while, the long-awaited update to iOS will ship with proximity bug fixes and better performance on the iPhone 3G.
  • Game Center - John Gruber thinks that Game Center will make its triumphant return in the 4.1 and “will help reinforce the image of the iPod Touch as a mobile gaming device (and the App Store as a gaming platform) going into the holidays.” GameCenter also is expected to require an iPhone 3GS and third-generation iPod touch dropping support for older models.

Possible

  • Apple TV/iTV - The Apple TV is expected to lose its hard drive and run on iOS 4.1. This means that the App Store and GameCenter will be coming to a TV near you soon. Think about the possibilities with that for a minute. Apple TV could make a great networked game platform to challenge the more traditional gaming consoles and PCs.
  • FaceTime could be Apple TVs killer app. I David Gewirtz’s theory on this. Think about the Apple TV with networked gaming, FaceTime video calls and the breadth and depth of the App Store. The Apple TV could be the a huge trojan horse rolling into your living room.

Unlikely

  • iOS 4.1 for iPad - I’m putting this into unlikely because, as Gruber deftly notes, Apple hasn’t release released a single beta to developers. He thinks that Apple is going to wait until iOS 4.2 (which is “coming late in the calendar year”) to unify its devices.
  • Cloud-based, streaming iTunes Music - Probably not, but I agree with WSJ that Apple could add social features to iTunes, which are frankly, long overdue.

What do you think?

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Topics

Apple Inc., TVs, Tv & Home Theater, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Home Entertainment, Consumer Electronics, Jason D. O'Grady

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve

    • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

Talkback Most Recent of 21 Talkback(s)

  • I've found over the years that to guess what Apple is up to
    is hardly a smart thing.

    i will guess what others will say however.

    There will be those who swear up and down that Apple is of little to no interest and that Apple's products are unimpressive but for some strange reason these very same people keep coming to Apple related posts to say the same thing over and over and over again:P

    Pagan jim
    ZDNet Gravatar
    James Quinn
    26th Aug 2010
  • Well yeah I have Apple stock and based on it's performance
    @nomorebs
    I would highly recommend it. Also I've been in computer repair/support for 27 years now and most of that has been with Apple products starting at the Apple II and so forth till today. I'm also a user of Apple products specifically for now an iPhone 3GS and iMac 24" that i also use as my TV with the EyeTV. Have to admit with my many years of supporting computer systems including MSDos and Windows PC's one of the reasons I choose Apple for myself is because I don't want to take my work home with me.

    Now compare my response to you vs yours to mine. No insults or bitterness on my part... You? I don't look cool.. I am cool as my responses and replies clearly demonstrate. Cool, calm and collected... On the other hand we have well you know:P

    Pagan jim
    ZDNet Gravatar
    James Quinn
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Handicapping Apple's September 1 event; a rumor recap
    @James Quinn I have done the same with iPhone 4S. Try it. You will love it.
    Rulouri Exterioare
    ZDNet Gravatar
    termopane
    18th Oct
  • Why do you have to insult people?
    @nomorebs
    Why don't you try the civilized discussion route?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Eleutherios
    27th Aug 2010
  • RE: Handicapping Apple's September 1 event; a rumor recap
    @nomorebs
    Fail.
    If you're going to write a response to a post, it's customary to actually address at least one of the points in the post. Well...I mean that's what reasonable people do.

    Whether Mr. Quinn's investment choices are relevant to the substance of his post does not derogate from the point he made, which you did not address. In any case, your ad hominem attack on him is completely irrelevant.

    By the way, I think the word you were groping for is "shill", not "sheer". It's generally a good idea to master the language before you use it to attack others.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    slingzenarrowzuvowtrayjissforchin
    27th Aug 2010
  • RE: Handicapping Apple's September 1 event; a rumor recap
    @James Quinn: how come you are so much time ("27 years") in "computer repair/support ... and most of that has been with Apple products"? Mac don't need anything of that, do they? Or you meant that Apple products also need repair, tech support, etc. like any other computer product? Well, if the latter is the case, then Apple = The rest, and your only interest is in your stock. I didn't say anything in a bitter way, just that the way it is.

    @slingzenarrowzuvowtrayjissforchin: the verb is "cheer", but I paid little attention, to be honest, since I wrote everything quickly (didn't want to spend too much time on the shill Quinn)
    ZDNet Gravatar
    nomorebs
    28th Aug 2010
  • A new iLife suite maybe?
    The picture would hint at Garageband. I'd love that - Garageband is an amazing value piece of software and stupidly powerful considering it is part of a ?69 suite.

    I would like them to put a few more Artist Lessons on though - I taught myself to play piano using the built-in lessons and now I'm trying to learn "Ordinary People" by John Legend.

    If it's not a new iLife, then maybe a new iTunes iteration?

    The imagery they have used just suggests content creation more than content consumption.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Ben_E
    26th Aug 2010
  • With a repaired iMovie --- please
    And I don't care what Jobs says about DVDs... an updated iDVD as well. Toast will make either HD-DVD or BluRay content for a regular DVD (with reduced playback time). Sure would be nice to see that in iDVD.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    MC_z
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Handicapping Apple's September 1 event; a rumor recap
    Maybe they will release a more bloated version of iTunes as well.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Loverock Davidson
    27th Aug 2010
  • Try Fixing It First.... that would be a better announcement!
    @Loverock Davidson iTunes is in severe trouble and to think that you MUST have it installed to use an iPod or iPhone is despicable! ...not including the fact that right now the corruption and theft of users money by the system is outrageous!!! ....and Apple refuses to remove Developers and Apps burning people for $1000's w/ repeated bogus downloads from same Developers!!!

    Release a more bloated junkware program than iTunes? Impossible!!!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    i2fun@...
    30th Aug 2010
  • Announcement that iPhone 4 antenna problem is fixed?
    I know, I'm dreaming in technicolor... But what will happen on October 1st when the free case offer expires?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Zahra B.
    27th Aug 2010
  • RE: Handicapping Apple's September 1 event; a rumor recap
    Actually last year's "Special Event" was less than earth shattering. Based upon the rumor mills it looks as though the iPod line is getting a make over. That's been Apple's business plan from day one on the iPods. While there have been exciting technical improvements it's been more about fashion and the next 'new' model. Good business model, Detroit used it for years, still does.
    Garage Band might be in the wings, but while it's an impressive program I'm not sure how much it drives hardware sales. Apple TV, according to Mr. Jobs, remains a hobby and until there are some major changes in FCC rules I don't see Apple settling into that extremely mature marketplace. There's just not much to innovate or even marginally improve upon, but hey, I'm not sitting on billions in the bank for making decisions.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    dheady@...
    27th Aug 2010
  • September revolution
    I can't believe the apple elite have this all wrong - its obvious - Apple has just created the iguitar! Stop the press! They will sell a billion of these over night and crash the web with advanced orders. This will revolutionize the computing AND music industries by allowing a direct connection between the guitar and the ipod!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    tbird264
    27th Aug 2010
  • RE: Well yeah I have Apple stock and based on it's performance
    Very well put pagan jim.
    I got a good laugh at the, "I don't want to take my work home with me" comment. I don't understand the Apple haters. I have PC and Mac. I only use the PC when I have to. I have no resentment towards Microsoft, ok maybe a little after Vista.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    jeremyjared74
    27th Aug 2010
  • I have a longer memory than you, Jeremy
    I haven't forgiven Microsoft for the Word 6 fiasco. Vista might have taken Word 6's place as the worst software ever to be released on an unsuspecting and undeserving public, but I wouldn't know because I've never used it. I have trialled a few of the later versions of Word but I didn't like them--too bloated and trying to do too many things that other software does better, e.g., page layout or, as it used to be called, desktop publishing.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Laraine Anne Barker
    27th Aug 2010
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