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The tech news and rumours website cites sources at manufacturer Inventec Appliances who said that the new iPod video will have a wide-screen panel, use NAND flash rather than hard drive storage and have Wi-Fi connectivity, though no-one has yet satisfactorily explained why an iPod would need wireless connectivity. In all likelihood a touchscreen iPod will borrow the iPhone's music software, complete with Cover Flow, and like the (Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-enabled) iPhone continue to rely on USB for syncing.

The Inventic sources said that Apple will also unveils new iPod nano and shuffle

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models. They also claimed that Apple expects to sell around 22-23 million units in the last quarter of this year.

Some kind of iPod announcement is almost certain - Apple traditionally revamps the range at this time of year. What is not known is whether the company will make any other announcements. Speculation initially centred on the possibility of The Beatles on the iTunes Store. More recently a number of websites have suggested that the company will announce a ringtone service for iPhone users.

The New York Post, for example, says that users will be able to turn almost any song bought through the iTunes Store into a ringtone for an additional fee.

"One source suggested they will be marketed as enhanced downloads in much the same way Apple offers high-quality, unprotected music files from EMI," the report says. "Apple will also allow users to convert songs they have previously purchased through iTunes into a ringtone."