PC & Peripherals | 28 Dec 2009 :
Apple has reserved space in late January at a venue in San Francisco in advance of a planned product announcement, according to reports.
The company has rented a stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and is expected to make a "major product announcement" on 26 January, according to the Financial Times.
The report comes amid mounting excitement about Apple's rumored plans to release a tablet computer. Apple has never confirmed the existence of the device - which is said to resemble a larger iPhone or iPod touch - but speculation has been rampant for months.
The FT report didn't say whether Apple planned to unveil the tablet at the January event, but analysts have predicted the company will launch the device by the spring.
Apple used the Yerba Buena Center last September when it hosted an iPod event that featured the first public appearance by Chief Executive Steve Jobs, following his return from medical leave.
Apple declined to comment on the speculation.