How to Follow Apple’s Announcement This Afternoon

Rumors abound about what afternoon’s press announcement from Apple will bring: The long-rumored iPod Touch 4G; streaming iTunes; an Apple TV reboot; iOS4 for the iPad. The guitar pictured on Apple’s press invite teases musical news of some sort, and RWW notes that Apple fall events “have always focused on the iPod line.” So: We’ll just have to see, and soon.

At 1pm ET (10am PT) you’ll be able to watch streaming video of the event at Apple’s website: However, Apple says that only Mac users will be able to follow the event, thanks to the internally-developed protocol they’re using to broadcast it. This isn’t entirely true — if you’re a PC user and can watch this, you’ll be good, and MacRumors has a guide for PC users to work around the kludgy restrictions by using VLC.

We’re not liveblogging the event; however, Engadget, Wired, RWW, The New York Times, Ars, GDGT, MacLife, MacWorld, CNET, and ZDNet are. Gizmodo is also hosting a “meta-liveblog,” liveblogging the other liveblogs. Check ’em all out!