iBuzz: Apple Works its `Bombshell' Magic

One day and counting until the next big Apple announcement. Will it be a Rokr-like dud or a nanoesque surprise? The San Jose Mercury News reports on the buzz leading up to tomorrow's announcement. Specualtion is, as usual, rampant, from a video iPod to a Madonna-themed nano.

Michael Gartenberg at JupiterResearch said, "When Steve Jobs says, `One More Thing,' a catchphrase almost as familiar as the turtleneck and jeans, that's usually when the other shoe drops, when the bombshell hits." People are parsing the invitation the same way they're searching `Lost' for new meanings and nuance."

Gartenberg thought a video iPod was a possibility but warned that "movies are not as fast and easy to download as songs, and they have an even more complicated digital rights management process."

Rick Doherty at Envisioneering Group thought that Steve Jobs was well-suited to deal with Hollywoodregarding video content. He siad, "We do know that Apple has been in contact with video rights management organizations," although there are probably only "five people besides Jobs who know," what the company will launch Wednesday.

Tim Bajarin at Creative Strategies argued that Hollywood was "not ready to release digital movies to an iTunes-like store." He remarked, "But I wouldn't be surprised if Apple actually introduced a next generation iPod that was optimized for something like music videos."