Apple Juiced About Big Surprise

Apple this week invited tech geeks and reporters to a Wednesday event in San Francisco to unveil a secret something, and rumors are rampant about what it could be. The most popular theory is that Apple will revamp iTunes or launch a new version of its iPod—perhaps a video Nano, iPods based on Mac OS X, or an iPod with a touchscreen similar to the iPhone's.

The invitations appear to back up the iPod scuttlebutt. A silhouette holds an iPod above the caption "The beat goes on." The tagline has also triggered speculation that chief Executive Steve Jobs has finally negotiated iTunes access to the Beatles's catalog. If Jobs does reveal a new iPod, it could be bad news for Microsoft's Zune, which is still playing catch-up with Apple. (More Apple stories.)