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New iPod Next Week?
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MrSugar said:
Why, thank you. And anyone with such a developed sence of humor must have good links in their sig, so I checked out a few pages on fluidvision.net just quickly - and it looks great, so I will delve into the inards when I have time, possibly while drinking a can of Sprite!
And that is what I want to change my member name too (the white text in my original post, not Sprite) - does anyone know if there is a way to do that?
Cheers
BBC and such...
I'm musing over the bits we know, the curtain and the text and the BBC connection, if that is true.
The BBC currently uses the BBC media player for it's content, audio and video, streams and downloads, whereas it used to be a quicktime format supporter in the old days. I'm not absolutely sure how the media player works, but I'm fairly certain it's based on Real technology, not WM or Quicktime.
Also the year of the HD that Steve J announced earlier in the year never quite came to pass.
And there's that curtain....
The one more thing, could be simply one more thing on the ipod, as well as music and pictures we've now got moving pictures.
Just some thoughts into the pot. The BBC thing really could be very significant. The BBC has been right behind podcasts, they are a public service broadcaster, have a duty to distribute their content far and wide, and because there are no commercial(s) considerations, the only thing the BBC has to consider by distributing audio and video content is the impact on BBC Audio Tapes and Video/DVD sales of programmes.
So you not only get the cross over of radio/podcasts/itunes/ipods, you also getting the real beginning of the cross over of TV into the mix. Forgetting watching the odd premiership highlight on your mobile, simply download match of the day from itunes and watch it on the way to work!
Let's see.
I'm musing over the bits we know, the curtain and the text and the BBC connection, if that is true.
The BBC currently uses the BBC media player for it's content, audio and video, streams and downloads, whereas it used to be a quicktime format supporter in the old days. I'm not absolutely sure how the media player works, but I'm fairly certain it's based on Real technology, not WM or Quicktime.
Also the year of the HD that Steve J announced earlier in the year never quite came to pass.
And there's that curtain....
The one more thing, could be simply one more thing on the ipod, as well as music and pictures we've now got moving pictures.
Just some thoughts into the pot. The BBC thing really could be very significant. The BBC has been right behind podcasts, they are a public service broadcaster, have a duty to distribute their content far and wide, and because there are no commercial(s) considerations, the only thing the BBC has to consider by distributing audio and video content is the impact on BBC Audio Tapes and Video/DVD sales of programmes.
So you not only get the cross over of radio/podcasts/itunes/ipods, you also getting the real beginning of the cross over of TV into the mix. Forgetting watching the odd premiership highlight on your mobile, simply download match of the day from itunes and watch it on the way to work!
Let's see.
re: BBC and such...
That would tie in with the BBC plans for an online TV archive. Google "BBC Creative Archive" to find out more. They launched the first bunch of clips online last month!
That would tie in with the BBC plans for an online TV archive. Google "BBC Creative Archive" to find out more. They launched the first bunch of clips online last month!
iAlan said:Why, thank you. And anyone with such a developed sence of humor must have good links in their sig, so I checked out a few pages on fluidvision.net just quickly - and it looks great, so I will delve into the inards when I have time, possibly while drinking a can of Sprite!
And that is what I want to change my member name too (the white text in my original post, not Sprite) - does anyone know if there is a way to do that?
Cheers
I don't know how to do that with your name... I don't think it's possible actually. Anyway, thanks for the compliments on my site.
The Apple Event
In light of the upcoming Apple special event (Oct 12th), the speculation as to "what it's all about" has become rabid... to the point of insanity. Again we are hearing cries of video enabled iPod's, new Powermac's, Powerbooks... hell some people think that they're going to unveil the new Intel hardware 8 months early.
I don't think any of these things are going to happen, and I'm going to detail why.
Video iPods
I predict that few people, and I mean... very few people are going to want to watch movies on a 4 or 5 inch LCD screen. Whether it's on an iPod, PSP or PDA. This whole, "let's take video content mobile" fad is just that... a fad, and it just isn't going to float. It doesn't have the proper technology behind it, and I'm uncertain that it ever will. It's just not practical, and Steve Jobs knows this (and has in fact stated that there will be NO VIDEO IPODS... "it's about the music stupid" - his words, not mine).
Being able to pull a gadget out of your pocket and record video footage? Now that's great technology. But before you get started, let's face facts... we all know that Apple are not going to put a regular camera, never mind a video camera in an iPod... ever. In an Apple PDA, sure... but until the iPod converges with some form of pocket computing device (be it PDA or phone or both), the iPod is going to primarily remain a music-playing device.
So when it comes to the October 12th announcement, I predict no Video iPod.
Updated Powermac's/Powerbooks
Public announcements to Apple hardware usually fall into two categories... iPods in category one, everything else in category two. The only time Apple sends invitations out to press for a private showing of new technology (be it software or hardware) it's because it's something to do with their involvement in the music or entertainment industry. Like it or not, Apple are now known to the public at large as the iPod company. If you walk up to 10 random (non-geeky) people in the street and ask them what Apple are famous for, I'm willing to bet 9/10 would say the iPod.
In short, the general media doesn't really care that much about Powerbooks/Powermac's. Not enough to necessitate a special invite event. Powerbook and Powermac updates are reserved for Apple expo's and such, so when it comes to the October 12th announcement, I predict no Powerbook/Powermac updates.
Now onto what I think the special event is all about.
iTMS
The progression of the iTunes Music Store becoming a video distribution platform is natural and indeed inevitable. Sure, you can currently download music videos on ITMS as well as video podcasts. Mostly these are incentives to get you into iTunes and buying songs at 75p a pop (99cents for you yanks).
I think the special event is all about drawing the line where ITMS starts to distribute video content. Obvious, you may think... but out of all the speculation, people are thinking this natural progression from music to video is all about buying movies. I don't think it is. I think this time around, it's about renting content.
Steve Jobs has said, time and time again "No one wants to rent music... people watch their favourite movies 5-10 at most, while people listen to their favourite songs again and again. People want to own their music."
For me, I want to own my music... sure. I couldn't live without my music library, but I don't necessarily want to buy my movies. I want to rent them. The two media's shouldn't be treated the same, they are enjoyed in completely different ways.
Sure I have a large collection of DVDs, but over the last year or so, my video purchases have almost completely stopped. There are a few movies that I want to own sure, but purely because they mean a lot to me. I hindsight, I wish I hadn't bought 95% of my movies, I should have just rented them a couple of times. It would have been more sensible, more cost effective and would have saved me a hell of a lot of space.
Let's look at two big things that are happening on the internet right now, which are relevant to all this hoo-ha.
Big thing number one, the beta testing of the BBC P2P video download service, iMP.
This whole project is about getting great television content online, albeit to UK citizens only (for now). However there are a lot of media companies who aren't as web savvy as the BBC (don't get me started on how frickin good the BBC is), yet have thousands of hours worth of TV and film content sitting around. Content that is not being shown and primarily, not making any money. Sound familiar? It's this same Long Tail marketing, which made the ITMS so popular in the first place... having the ability to get songs which were no longer being held in your local HMV.
The ability to download those old episodes of Hitchhikers Guide, or Blackadder to watch over the weekend? Content which has already been written off monetarily and sitting around in some vault gathering cobwebs? Listen to me girls and boys, you are about to witness to creation of a salesman's wet dream. The market of money for old rope.
Big thing number two? Netflix, Blockbuster. etc etc. Basically, online movie rental.
These services are great. You pick a bunch of films you'd like to see, pay a monthly fee and get them posted through your door to watch at your leisure. Idiot proof. I signed up to FilmFourDVD just last week, and with over 30,000 titles to watch you'll never find me in my local video store ever again. I think these companies are doing a great service, but I think they are about to see some serious competition... from Apple. Why?
Apple are going to create a movie and TV content rental platform. Not only do the have the technology to accomplish this (Apple are shaolin masters at delivering video, they've been doing it for years... look at the Quicktime trailers website) but they also have the balls. With the momentum they have going from single handedly saving online music from frenzied piracy, they'll have no trouble convincing TV stations and movie studios in unlocking their old content for rental. It is inevitable.
Looking at the current software: iTunes is bundled with QuickTime, QuickTime is bundled with iTunes... and what does QuickTime have? H.264, the super lean video codec, ratified as part of the MPEG-4 standard and capable as scaling content from 3G to HD without breaking a sweat. So that's the delivery method right there, with DRM control built in. There is only one piece of the puzzle left. Getting video content from your Mac/PC onto your TV, and let me tell you... it isn't going to include the iPod in any way shape or form.
There is one other little titbit of speculation floating around... and it's about a piece of hardware not too dissimilar from this. The Airport Express with Airtunes.
I think we are about to see a new feature, either incorporated into this product or branched from it. I think we're going to see a device which can stream video content from your PC to any TV in your house... controlled through iTunes.
So, in short (and I agree... this rant is anything but short) you'll go onto the iTMS, create an account (registering your credit card... Apple loves this), and start selecting a big fat list of content you want to watch for the week. You go away for an hour or two whilst it downloads. Sit at your TV, and start streaming it wirelessly from your PC to your TV via your new Airport Video module.
It's the future man, and I can't wait.
Although, if this all turns into nothing other than my wet dream and it is in fact all about a video iPod... well, I'm going to puke blood at how pathetically out of touch I really am.
Happenchance.co.uk
In light of the upcoming Apple special event (Oct 12th), the speculation as to "what it's all about" has become rabid... to the point of insanity. Again we are hearing cries of video enabled iPod's, new Powermac's, Powerbooks... hell some people think that they're going to unveil the new Intel hardware 8 months early.
I don't think any of these things are going to happen, and I'm going to detail why.
Video iPods
I predict that few people, and I mean... very few people are going to want to watch movies on a 4 or 5 inch LCD screen. Whether it's on an iPod, PSP or PDA. This whole, "let's take video content mobile" fad is just that... a fad, and it just isn't going to float. It doesn't have the proper technology behind it, and I'm uncertain that it ever will. It's just not practical, and Steve Jobs knows this (and has in fact stated that there will be NO VIDEO IPODS... "it's about the music stupid" - his words, not mine).
Being able to pull a gadget out of your pocket and record video footage? Now that's great technology. But before you get started, let's face facts... we all know that Apple are not going to put a regular camera, never mind a video camera in an iPod... ever. In an Apple PDA, sure... but until the iPod converges with some form of pocket computing device (be it PDA or phone or both), the iPod is going to primarily remain a music-playing device.
So when it comes to the October 12th announcement, I predict no Video iPod.
Updated Powermac's/Powerbooks
Public announcements to Apple hardware usually fall into two categories... iPods in category one, everything else in category two. The only time Apple sends invitations out to press for a private showing of new technology (be it software or hardware) it's because it's something to do with their involvement in the music or entertainment industry. Like it or not, Apple are now known to the public at large as the iPod company. If you walk up to 10 random (non-geeky) people in the street and ask them what Apple are famous for, I'm willing to bet 9/10 would say the iPod.
In short, the general media doesn't really care that much about Powerbooks/Powermac's. Not enough to necessitate a special invite event. Powerbook and Powermac updates are reserved for Apple expo's and such, so when it comes to the October 12th announcement, I predict no Powerbook/Powermac updates.
Now onto what I think the special event is all about.
iTMS
The progression of the iTunes Music Store becoming a video distribution platform is natural and indeed inevitable. Sure, you can currently download music videos on ITMS as well as video podcasts. Mostly these are incentives to get you into iTunes and buying songs at 75p a pop (99cents for you yanks).
I think the special event is all about drawing the line where ITMS starts to distribute video content. Obvious, you may think... but out of all the speculation, people are thinking this natural progression from music to video is all about buying movies. I don't think it is. I think this time around, it's about renting content.
Steve Jobs has said, time and time again "No one wants to rent music... people watch their favourite movies 5-10 at most, while people listen to their favourite songs again and again. People want to own their music."
For me, I want to own my music... sure. I couldn't live without my music library, but I don't necessarily want to buy my movies. I want to rent them. The two media's shouldn't be treated the same, they are enjoyed in completely different ways.
Sure I have a large collection of DVDs, but over the last year or so, my video purchases have almost completely stopped. There are a few movies that I want to own sure, but purely because they mean a lot to me. I hindsight, I wish I hadn't bought 95% of my movies, I should have just rented them a couple of times. It would have been more sensible, more cost effective and would have saved me a hell of a lot of space.
Let's look at two big things that are happening on the internet right now, which are relevant to all this hoo-ha.
Big thing number one, the beta testing of the BBC P2P video download service, iMP.
iMP is an application in development offering UK viewers the chance to catch up on TV and radio programmes they may have missed for up to seven days after they have been broadcast, using the internet to legally download programmes to their home computers. iMP uses peer-to-peer distribution technology (P2P) to legally distribute these programmes.
Seven days after the programme transmission date the programme file expires (using Digital Rights Management - DRM - software) and users will no longer be able to watch it. DRM also prevents users emailing the files to other computer users or sharing it via disc. - BBC iMP Website
Seven days after the programme transmission date the programme file expires (using Digital Rights Management - DRM - software) and users will no longer be able to watch it. DRM also prevents users emailing the files to other computer users or sharing it via disc. - BBC iMP Website
This whole project is about getting great television content online, albeit to UK citizens only (for now). However there are a lot of media companies who aren't as web savvy as the BBC (don't get me started on how frickin good the BBC is), yet have thousands of hours worth of TV and film content sitting around. Content that is not being shown and primarily, not making any money. Sound familiar? It's this same Long Tail marketing, which made the ITMS so popular in the first place... having the ability to get songs which were no longer being held in your local HMV.
The ability to download those old episodes of Hitchhikers Guide, or Blackadder to watch over the weekend? Content which has already been written off monetarily and sitting around in some vault gathering cobwebs? Listen to me girls and boys, you are about to witness to creation of a salesman's wet dream. The market of money for old rope.
Big thing number two? Netflix, Blockbuster. etc etc. Basically, online movie rental.
These services are great. You pick a bunch of films you'd like to see, pay a monthly fee and get them posted through your door to watch at your leisure. Idiot proof. I signed up to FilmFourDVD just last week, and with over 30,000 titles to watch you'll never find me in my local video store ever again. I think these companies are doing a great service, but I think they are about to see some serious competition... from Apple. Why?
Apple are going to create a movie and TV content rental platform. Not only do the have the technology to accomplish this (Apple are shaolin masters at delivering video, they've been doing it for years... look at the Quicktime trailers website) but they also have the balls. With the momentum they have going from single handedly saving online music from frenzied piracy, they'll have no trouble convincing TV stations and movie studios in unlocking their old content for rental. It is inevitable.
Looking at the current software: iTunes is bundled with QuickTime, QuickTime is bundled with iTunes... and what does QuickTime have? H.264, the super lean video codec, ratified as part of the MPEG-4 standard and capable as scaling content from 3G to HD without breaking a sweat. So that's the delivery method right there, with DRM control built in. There is only one piece of the puzzle left. Getting video content from your Mac/PC onto your TV, and let me tell you... it isn't going to include the iPod in any way shape or form.
There is one other little titbit of speculation floating around... and it's about a piece of hardware not too dissimilar from this. The Airport Express with Airtunes.
AirPort Express with AirTunes redefines the way you listen to your music at home. It gives you the freedom to play your iTunes music through your stereo or powered speakers in virtually in any room of your house - wirelessly. - Apple Website
I think we are about to see a new feature, either incorporated into this product or branched from it. I think we're going to see a device which can stream video content from your PC to any TV in your house... controlled through iTunes.
Sources have also recently reported sightings of a new Apple wireless device, which is similar to Apple's AirPort Express wireless base station, but also includes a video out option - Appleinsider
Along with reports of an upcoming video-capable iPod, AppleInsider claims that Apple is set to release a new wireless device like the Airport Express.
The new box is rumoured to have video-out capability, offering wireless video feed to a television or other display. - Macrumors.com
The new box is rumoured to have video-out capability, offering wireless video feed to a television or other display. - Macrumors.com
So, in short (and I agree... this rant is anything but short) you'll go onto the iTMS, create an account (registering your credit card... Apple loves this), and start selecting a big fat list of content you want to watch for the week. You go away for an hour or two whilst it downloads. Sit at your TV, and start streaming it wirelessly from your PC to your TV via your new Airport Video module.
It's the future man, and I can't wait.
Although, if this all turns into nothing other than my wet dream and it is in fact all about a video iPod... well, I'm going to puke blood at how pathetically out of touch I really am.
Happenchance.co.uk
Like the reasoning...
... the only thing I can't work out from your thoughts, is the commercial side of it.
I don't think the BBC with their iMP project will be prepared to charge, except like they do at the moment for the Audio Books from the BBC radio collection (same with BBC video collection). Also Apple don't make money on the content, the content is the driver for mindshare and product sales.
So we have to have to product AND the service. Are you suggesting that the product is a souped up Airport, more or less? Problem with that is that it's not very proprietary and although the base station looks nice, people are quite happy with Netgear stuff, they're not designer items. Couldn't anyone design an airport with video out?
But I think we can agree that it's something visual/video/film/TV, I agree probably not a conventional iPod (nano too recent, you just wouldn't have another iPod event, so close, would you?). Certainly not computer hardware, power book/mac etc, unless it's mentioned in passing, upgrades etc, although they may happen on the tuesday with the fin. results (for reasons previously cited not even Jobs could hold a special event to announce an upgrade to an existing product line!).
And so we're looking at a new device altogether.
(Also it might be an apposite time to announce the Australian iTMS.)
... the only thing I can't work out from your thoughts, is the commercial side of it.
I don't think the BBC with their iMP project will be prepared to charge, except like they do at the moment for the Audio Books from the BBC radio collection (same with BBC video collection). Also Apple don't make money on the content, the content is the driver for mindshare and product sales.
So we have to have to product AND the service. Are you suggesting that the product is a souped up Airport, more or less? Problem with that is that it's not very proprietary and although the base station looks nice, people are quite happy with Netgear stuff, they're not designer items. Couldn't anyone design an airport with video out?
But I think we can agree that it's something visual/video/film/TV, I agree probably not a conventional iPod (nano too recent, you just wouldn't have another iPod event, so close, would you?). Certainly not computer hardware, power book/mac etc, unless it's mentioned in passing, upgrades etc, although they may happen on the tuesday with the fin. results (for reasons previously cited not even Jobs could hold a special event to announce an upgrade to an existing product line!).
And so we're looking at a new device altogether.
(Also it might be an apposite time to announce the Australian iTMS.)
Commerial
Yeah, I see your point. It all leads to some form of TV set-top-box I guess. Essentially a Mac mini but aimed at the PVR market?
I just hope its not a video iPod... I don't think that would be sucessful at all.
grouse said:
Yeah, I see your point. It all leads to some form of TV set-top-box I guess. Essentially a Mac mini but aimed at the PVR market?
I just hope its not a video iPod... I don't think that would be sucessful at all.
MrSugar said:I don't know how to do that with your name... I don't think it's possible actually. Anyway, thanks for the compliments on my site.
You need to PM a Mod and discuss changing your member name with them.
As for the "One More Thing..." this is why the Keynote was cancelled. Something was supposed to be ready for that event, but wasn't, so now that it is, Jobs can release it as the "one more thing".
happenchance said:
Outstanding! You nailed it. I use Netflix and have often thought that the next logical step would be to eliminate the 2 to 3 day lag wait time. If I could download the movie and stream it to my TV -- I'm in. Like the cable companies delema of the last mile, Apple may very well have figured out the last mile for Video content.
One more point I would add to Happenchance's comments, is that copying to own movies is impratical and won't happen in a large way. The sheere volume of data a movie addict would have to manage would prohibit this. An HD movie would be a huge file and you would need some kind of hard drive array to back it up. This would be very costly. And why bother with it at all if you basically have video on demand?
The only real problem with the rental model is that cable and satellite companies will eventually off the same service. So what can Apple, as a computer company, offer that cable companies can't?
The other thing I am trying to imagine is how will you navigate and select your downloaded content while sitting at the TV? If it streams from your computer then how would you interact with it?
~Shard~ said:You need to PM a Mod and discuss changing your member name with them.
As for the "One More Thing..." this is why the Keynote was cancelled. Something was supposed to be ready for that event, but wasn't, so now that it is, Jobs can release it as the "one more thing".
(Bear with me, ~Shard~, because I'm thinking as I write. It sounds like I disagree with you but, in the end, I think I agree.)
I don't think that's it, actually. Well, I don't think there was a delay in a hardware announcement. I just think the marketing people at Apple are rolling around in laughter contemplating their own genius. What do you figure it costs to rent out that theater and send invites to people? Peanuts compared to a few ads in mainstream publications, I'm sure. And announcing another product a month after the nano...well, pre-announcing things has never been a problem with Apple before. So what would have stopped them from announcing it along with the nano and ROKR? (Which, if you ask me, was a mediocre lineup for a whole event anyway.)
But what if something wasn't finished that was beyond Apple's control? Something that they had to keep under wraps until it was ready to go (lest the competition try to get in on the game as well)? A service, perhaps: the movie/video store.
So...
Next week's announcement was really the "one more thing" from the nano unveiling: the iTMS providing video content along with a piece of hardware to go with it: a tablet-like device modeled after the iPod.
Squire
I had posted in a different thread that I think Disney/ABC content will be availaible for download on the itms and that ultimately this partnership will also signal a Disney/Pixar deal.
Well, Eisner and Jobs never really got along, but today I read this on Yahoo.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051007/ap_on_bi_ge/disney_eisner
Maybe my crazy idea will come true.
Well, Eisner and Jobs never really got along, but today I read this on Yahoo.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051007/ap_on_bi_ge/disney_eisner
Maybe my crazy idea will come true.
One more thing
Happenchance makes a good argument about a movie download rental service. That makes perfect sense. But it also makes the case for a video iPod. So, your now enjoying the bliss and simplicity of your rented video content. What if you want to take it with you for some reason, say a business trip or over to a friends house for a party or something. You could sync your rented content to your iPod and go. You can watch it on the video pod if you like or jack in somewhere else and watch it there.
So, not everyone will want one and it wouldn't be a mega seller, but enough people would want it to create a demand and the simplicity of having downloaded video content and syncing it with the iPod would drive that demand.
Jobs said the market wasn't right for it because of the lack of content, but with a download rental service there would be an ample supply of content and there would be occasions for people to take it with them.
Happenchance makes a good argument about a movie download rental service. That makes perfect sense. But it also makes the case for a video iPod. So, your now enjoying the bliss and simplicity of your rented video content. What if you want to take it with you for some reason, say a business trip or over to a friends house for a party or something. You could sync your rented content to your iPod and go. You can watch it on the video pod if you like or jack in somewhere else and watch it there.
So, not everyone will want one and it wouldn't be a mega seller, but enough people would want it to create a demand and the simplicity of having downloaded video content and syncing it with the iPod would drive that demand.
Jobs said the market wasn't right for it because of the lack of content, but with a download rental service there would be an ample supply of content and there would be occasions for people to take it with them.
Might be interesting if Jobs is there reprenting both Apple and Pixar at the same time. That would make for one interesting press event.
Ultimately with Eisner gone, I think the Pixar deal will happen fairly quickly. Whether or not Apple gets to distribute the content is another matter, but its fun speculation.
Ultimately with Eisner gone, I think the Pixar deal will happen fairly quickly. Whether or not Apple gets to distribute the content is another matter, but its fun speculation.
Squire said:I was just going to type the same thing. I just read it on Forbes.com. Coincidence? (The Eisner thing, not our postings.
Squire
manu chao said:
I cannot, but the rumors have previously been somewhat restricted to MR and other 'rumor' sites. The mainstream press has not really gotten on the band wagon, but with Apple having the profile it does right now (read that as iPod Halo Effect) it is a hot news item. I think the 'nano really got the medoa juices boiling, and the stock price over $50
Apple has asked some sites to remove pictures/renders in the past and these have in some instances been reltively accurate, but Apple hasnt denied the rumor - no need to at the time.
But now, and correct me if I am wrong, the commercial networks are on the bandwagon as well.
I really do believe that no video related announcement wil be met negatively in the press at this point....
~Shard~ said:As for the "One More Thing..." this is why the Keynote was cancelled. Something was supposed to be ready for that event, but wasn't, so now that it is, Jobs can release it as the "one more thing".
Agreed. The keynote would have been nothing without the 'one more thing...' as a .Mac update sure wouldn't have brought the house down. And because the announcement was delayed, I think whatever is announced next week will be available immediately...
So....
Anyone in Tokyo willing to help me break into either Ginza or Shibuya Apple Stores Tuesday night and rummage through the stock room?
P.S. I will tak a camera and post the first spy picts here on MR
Woo Hoo
iAlan said:
I agree, probably never before have the rumors gone so far in spreading into the mainstream media (the iPod nano announcement came close).
But I think as long as Apple is presenting something which they think is 'big' , they would not mind if speculation on something they consider 'not as big' got out of hand.
iAlan said:
Not to say that the main announcement will be Powerbooks but could this be the reason why they have been delayed:
http://forum.macbidouille.com/index.php?showtopic=141158&view=findpost&p=1355748
If there's "something else" and no video iPod--or even no video device at all--I don't think Apple need be too worried about the backlash. I don't think THAT many people are following the rumors of next week that closely, and I don't think some misdirection by the press will translate into any harm to Apple's sales of... whatever it is.