Apple has announced that it is to hold a "special event" on 1 September, with an invite being sent to select journalists, ending speculation of when the company would hold its annual music device-focused press conference. The event kicks off at 6pm next Wednesday, but has no special tagline - as is usual with Apple. However, the company has dropped one massive hint, by accompanying the invite with a picture of a guitar with its logo as the sound hole and possibly hiding something in the invite.

The event also comes on the eve of Europe's largest technology show, IFA 2010 in Berlin, Germany, and will happen within hours of Sony's and Panasonic's keynote speeches at the trade show. But such timing is unusual for Apple, who normally chooses to launch major products after the show, not before. Maybe it's a sign that rival brands, such as Samsung, will have massive announcements of its own.

As for the one clue given to us, it indicates that, as a music-based launch event, Apple is likely to launch a new Apple iPod touch and possibly a touchscreen iPod shuffle.

Although there is always the possibility that a whole range of other products could also make an appearance. Certainly, there have been rumours for the imminent launches of iTV (Apple's next generation of Apple TV), a new iPad, a new iPhone, and cheaper movie rentals through iTunes.

No matter what it is, though, Apple is likely to have something that it wants the rest of the industry talking about ahead of everything, and everyone, else. It's a trick that the company pulled at CES with the launch of the iPhone.

Pocket-lint will be at the event live covering all the news as it happens.

What do you think Apple will launch on Wednesday 1 September? Let us know in the comments below.