There's nothing that warms the cockles of a Apple fanboy's heart more than a freshly discovered listing for "unknownHardware" nestled away in a bit of software. If you listen closely, you'll hear the screams of joy sounding out across the globe, for "unknownHardware" has indeed been listed for the rumor mongers to wax speculative over.
AppleInsider has uncovered that the mountain of code that makes up the latest iOS 4.1 beta, lurks the holiest of holy Apple phrases. What could it be? The next Apple TV that's been whispered of lately? Perhaps a smaller iPad? That notion's been bounced around in the past wee while as well. Let's be clear about this: No one actually knows.
For the time being anything you hear is nothing more than idle speculation. At times like this, it's always best to remember that with a company that generates as much excitement as Apple does, the possibility of a new product can send the interwebz into overdrive, bending the line between reality and malarky until only well documented leak or official product release can sort out what the truth actually is.
With all of that out of the way, it's also worth mentioning that the iOS beta also includes some pretty juicy information about products we already know to be more than vaporware brewed from the dreams of children and unicorn tears. Some of the code in the beta leads to an updated iPod touch (the fourth such update in as many years), with details that suggest front and rear facing cameras and even a swanky high resolution retina display. Also present in the code are references to USB configuration files for "iProd 2,1". As the iPad was listed in similar packages as "iProd 1,1", it may be safe to assume that the much loved tablet is going to be recieving a material update in the near future, making both Wi-Fi and 3G owners instant early adopters.
When will it all be revealed? The answer to that one is, once again, that no one actually knows. Chances are however, that with Christmas right around the corner, we're sure to be seeing that iPod touch refresh sooner than later. As for the rest of it, only time, and a Steve Jobs presented Keynote, will tell.
