Apple to unleash "The Circle" concept tomorrow?

Wow, it's 6PM and we're only on our third semi-substantial iPod rumor for the day? Frankly, we're disappointed. The latest word to sweep the internets is that Apple is prepping to get all up in Zune's "The Social" grill with "The Circle." Unfortunately, that's the only word on the service / products so far, other than that it's going to be centered around video. So player-to-player video sharing? New branding for existing video products? Steve Jobs is starting a cult? Free Sesame Street song with every iPod? We really have no idea, but we'll be finding out soon enough.

[Via PMP Today]

[Christian @ Sep 4th 2007 7:18PM]

How about we just all wait until tomorrow? Rumor mill's grinding tonight...

[Derry Quinn @ Sep 4th 2007 7:52PM]

I love that song!

[Mark Schenkel @ Sep 4th 2007 7:20PM]

how about they tack on a camera, then

[Chris @ Sep 4th 2007 8:18PM]

No.

[Mark Schenkel @ Sep 4th 2007 8:36PM]

yea it would cannibalize their iphone sales too much, and i realize it wouldnt be that kind of video..i just want it!

[Matthew @ Sep 4th 2007 7:21PM]

It's never soon enough

[Jonathan B @ Sep 4th 2007 7:25PM]

You think we'll get The Lion King on this "The Circle" video service?

[DBrim @ Sep 4th 2007 7:25PM]

*Starting* a cult?

[cromag9 @ Sep 4th 2007 8:34PM]

You nailed it

[JD @ Sep 4th 2007 8:52PM]

Yeah, "taking the cult public" was what I was thinking.

[7of7 @ Sep 4th 2007 7:28PM]

Wouldn't be the first time Apple's stolen an idea outright.

[I.E @ Sep 4th 2007 8:20PM]

if apple does it first and MS does the same it's "stolen". When it's the other way round it's and added "feature". Go figure...

[Harry Wagstaff @ Sep 5th 2007 1:39AM]

It's not really 'stolen', it's just that Apple have finally come up with a way to make things crash that rivals 'the red ring of doom'.

[jared @ Sep 4th 2007 7:28PM]

Which sesame street song?

[Paul Miller @ Sep 4th 2007 7:34PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpMIFYC8ugA

[iaingh @ Sep 4th 2007 7:32PM]

The only guaranteed thing tomorrow is that KT Tunstall is launching her new album as part of the presentation.

[Alan Partridge @ Sep 4th 2007 8:31PM]

Really? She's always on her high horse going on about 'corparations' and 'globalisation' and how we should 'save the future' and now shes sold out to Apple?

[iaingh @ Sep 4th 2007 8:41PM]

Well she announced in interviews after her album launch in Glasgow on Monday that she was off the next day to san francisco at the bequest of steve jobs (or steve jobbies as she called him). I think its obvious she must be there for the apple thing tomorrow.

[Redundant @ Sep 4th 2007 7:32PM]

If they include wifi, streaming video to your friend's iPod would be cool.

[jrstasko @ Sep 4th 2007 7:35PM]

Hopefully there is something more useful coming along than just that. Maybe integrated fm atleast

[Stephen Lang @ Sep 4th 2007 7:35PM]

What a weak, half-hearted attempt at passing off a rumor...

And I agree, only 2 or 3 rumors today, Apple is doing a good job of locking things down. Maybe it's better anyway, you can actually follow the event with some anticipation...

[Jon @ Sep 4th 2007 7:37PM]

just need an announcement for the new zune or ipod and ill make a decision

[john @ Sep 4th 2007 7:44PM]

If it really is internet enabled then this is a no brainer. They could build something along the lines of last.fm, where you can see what your friends are listening to (and buy buy buy it!).

If it's multitouch and gets as hacked as the iPhone, it will have my attention.

[Lee @ Sep 4th 2007 7:46PM]

Sorry, but this is the first Engadget post utilizing the editorial "we" that actually made the King of All Cosmos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katamari_Damacy) pop into my head while I read it.

Thanks for the chuckle.

[Jon @ Sep 4th 2007 7:47PM]

Correction: Steve Jobs already is the grand Mucky-Muck of the Apple Cult. And All you FanBoys need to realize that he is the Devil in Blue Jeans and Glasses.

[TJF @ Sep 4th 2007 11:55PM]

E.S.L.?

[kornchild2002 @ Sep 4th 2007 7:51PM]

I am all for following the Devil in blue jeans but these rumors are starting to seem a little far fetched. Why can't everyone just wait another 17 hours. It is not like coming out with another rumor will do anything as the truth will be coming in less than 24 hours. These websites need to stop focusing on rumors and need to focus on releasing real news when it is available.

If this rumor is true then that will be good and that is one more step in the direction of wi-fi internet browsing (which I am hoping that it is coming).

[Peter James @ Sep 4th 2007 8:00PM]

if the sites didn't blog the rumors then they would get zero ad revenue....follow the $

[guyanonymous @ Sep 4th 2007 8:00PM]

There can be only one.

[andrew @ Sep 4th 2007 8:00PM]

its prob something like Microsoft's ZUNE's "social" just iPod's version.

[David Clark @ Sep 4th 2007 8:16PM]

I think it may be this "virtual scroll wheel" that has come up every now and then.

Apple has the software patent on it (I believe). I'm too lazy to look up the engadget post about it.

[AndrewP @ Sep 4th 2007 8:08PM]

What if it is EXACTLY like the iPhone (Sans Phone)...Camera and All. So there could be video capturing and sharing, built in.
Just wanted to make sure that I said it first.

[Liam Devlin @ Sep 4th 2007 8:09PM]

Maybe it's about recycling.

[August @ Sep 4th 2007 8:15PM]

Haha!

That's rich!

[h00ligan @ Sep 5th 2007 8:32AM]

recycling an idea from microsoft.

[Mike @ Sep 4th 2007 8:09PM]

I just can't wait to see how Steve presents everything tomorrow, looking back at other releases, this will be REVOLUTIONARY!

[Nomi @ Sep 4th 2007 8:18PM]

Boom.....and Boom....BoomBoom and BOOM!

[Nomi @ Sep 4th 2007 8:19PM]

and link boom! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8L39UwOS-Y

[Chicksta @ Sep 4th 2007 8:11PM]

It just seems to me that this is the flow of round-tripping from computer, AppleTV, and iPod/iPhone. I'd guess that Apple itself doesn't call it 'the Circle', but that it is depicted as such in Keynote slides. They used to say that the Mac was 'the Center of your digital hub'; so now the center radiates outwards and generates a circle at the end of the spokes with the devices integrating (such as a new Airport Express, AppleTV...).

[emjoi @ Sep 4th 2007 8:14PM]

Now, if it was "The Ring"....
"Anyone who hears this MP3, dies in 7 days."

And some creepy Japanese chick crawls out of the pods LCD screen.

[siriusfox @ Sep 4th 2007 8:15PM]

Dear god no Apple. Your winning this, don't regress to that level.

[August @ Sep 4th 2007 8:20PM]

"'Your' winning this"?

What exactly does that mean? Is jobsie gonna play switcheroo with Bill and his market share?

[Spy Kitten @ Sep 4th 2007 8:19PM]

I like the cult idea...lol

[Dragod @ Sep 4th 2007 8:19PM]

Zune has WiFi: "It's crap"
iPod gets WiFI: "OH MY GOD THAT'S AMAZING! I'M GLAD APPLE THOUGHT OF IT!"

[Lotzosushi @ Sep 4th 2007 8:27PM]

Although the Zune does have WiFi capabilities, it may not work or function as well as everyone thought it might. What I think people are hoping for is Apple making a more innovative and useful WiFi function. That plus the fact that there are far more iPod users than Zune users so there are more things Apple can do with WiFi.

[Dragod @ Sep 4th 2007 8:36PM]

More iPod users doesn't mean they're all going to buy a new iPod...
And personally, I think iTunes is slowly being dethroned. Universal has left, and now NBC? That's a lot of music, and 40% of iTunes' movies. I don't think they can keep it up much longer. Just my opinion.

[Macroy @ Sep 4th 2007 9:53PM]

"Universal has left, and now NBC?"

You say that as though they're not "NBC Universal" (hint: they are totally "NBC Universal")

[kcar @ Sep 4th 2007 11:05PM]

Apple almost always embraces a technological standard such as Wi-Fi far more effectively and elegantly than Microsoft.

Does Apple screw up? You betcha. But it doesn't make a habit of it like Microsoft. If the iPods tomorrow have Wi-Fi or some other wireless connectivity, I expect them to make better use of it than Zune does.

[artifex @ Sep 4th 2007 8:22PM]

The Salesman: Hey, bud.
Ernie: Who me?
The Salesman: SHHHHHH!
Ernie: (whispering) Who me?
The Salesman: Riiiiiiiight!
(sung)
How would you like to buy an "O"?
Round and neat
A nearly perfect circle
Tidy and complete
You can sing a pretty song
With it like so:
O! O! O!

(spoken)
Isn't that catchy?
Ernie: Ah!

(sung)
The Salesman: Would you like to buy an "O"?
Circular and sweet
"O" looks just like a donut
Really good enough to eat
It'll cost you just a nickel

(spoken)
Ernie: A nickel?
The Salesman: SHHHHHH!
Ernie: (whispering) A nickel?
The Salesman: Riiiiiiiight!
So buy the "O" and take it home tonight.
Now listen. When you buy this "O", you get two sounds for the price of one.
You get one sound that you can use for words like "olive," "ostrich," and "ox."
And for no extra money, you get another sound for like "ocean," "over," "old," and "opening."

(sung)
So would you like to buy an "O"?
I'm opening the door
It's not often that I offer
Well, could you ask for more?
It'll cost you just a nickel

(spoken)
Ernie: A nickel?
The Salesman: SHHHHHH!
Ernie: (whispering) A nickel?
The Salesman: Riiiiiiiight!
So buy the "O" and take it home tonight.
Don't ask any questions.
Just buy the "O" and take it home tonight.
You'll really love it.
So buy the "O" and take it home tonight.

[Nomi @ Sep 4th 2007 8:28PM]

the hell?