Sun-TimesWith Apple’s annual ‘invitation-only’ media event barely a few hours away, and rumor-mills abuzz with all kinds of speculations, Apple will finally be unveiling the offerings it has in store this time round!

The pulsating ‘Rock and roll’ event, as Apple has called it, will be held Wednesday, September 9, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, San Francisco, from 10 a.m. PDT onwards; and will almost certainly focus on Apple’s music-centric devices.

Going by the convention thus far, Apple generally chooses to refreshes its iPod lineup in September each year, in time to gain from the holiday shopping season; and expectedly it has similar plans up its sleeve this year too!

While 2006 saw Apple upgrading iPods with brighter displays and improved battery, and making them more affordable; 2007 event had the company launching the iPod touch and the rebranding full-sized iPod as the iPod classic. At the last year press session in September, Apple unveiled a new iPod nano; introduced changes to the iPod touch; and trimmed the iPod classic to a single offering.

As per the rumors, the event will likely have Apple announce the addition of cameras to its iPod classic and iPod touch models; introduction of ‘The Beatles’ in the iTunes Store; and the iTunes 9 update, including interactive elements, photos, and lyrics -- and possibly even Blu-ray support or DVD-ripping.