Apple tablet announcement expected Jan. 27

TECHNOLOGY

Apple tablet announcement expected Jan. 27

Apple has set Jan. 27 as the date for an eagerly awaited announcement, which many analysts are predicting will involve a new multimedia tablet from the Cupertino, Calif.-based company known for its iPhones, iPods and Macs.

Invitations for the San Francisco event were e-mailed to news organizations Monday morning. The invitation-only event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, which the company frequently uses as a venue for announcing new products to reporters, analysts and industry representatives.

The invitation does not specify whether chief executive Steve Jobs will attend.

Although the company has officially declined to comment, industry insiders and analysts have been speculating for weeks that Apple will be entering the market for a lightweight, portable tablet computer, designed for consumers to interact with digital games, books, movies and other types of content.

-- McClatchy-Tribune

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