Apple fans rejoice. CEO Steve Jobs is expected to inject fresh excitement into the iPod line today, at a time when defections by partners are revealing cracks in the iTunes digital music dominance.

Will the new iPods, expected to make their debut at around 1 pm EDT, feature a larger touch screen a la the iPhone? Will the new Nano be the squat, miniaturized version of the regular iPod making the rounds in the blogosphere? Shuffle Red?

Apple hasn’t said what Jobs will announce in San Francisco, but there is also speculation that he could pull a surprise out of his sleeve and show off iPods that can buy and download music wirelessly, or finally announce the addition of the Beatles’ music catalog to the iTunes online store.

Plan on catching the play by play on Gizmodo.
(Reuters)

Keep an eye on: 

• Big media is seen giving Apple a hard time as some contracts to offer shows on iTunes approach expiration. Could TV shows disappear from iTunes altogether? Forrester’s James McQuivey’s take: “If there isn’t any video you want to watch, the device itself is worth less money.” (Reuters)
• Facebook to open up to public search. The social network will begin notifying members they have a choice over whether to keep their listings private or to make their name and picture available when outsiders search the site. (Reuters) (GigaOM)
• Time Inc has decided to shutter its Business 2.0 magazine, which has suffered a decline in advertising revenue, rather than sell it. The New York Times said that Time turned down offers from Mansueto Ventures, owners of the rival magazine Fast Company, and other prospective buyers. The magazine will shut after its October issue. Last week the publication was rumored to be on the block, with Joe Mansueto, chairman of investment research company Morningstar Inc, seen as a top bidder.
  (NY Times) (NY Post)
• NBC Universal has reached a deal to sell television show downloads on Amazon.com, just days after NBC pulled the plug on a contract with Apple’s iTunes. Amazon will sell NBC shows such as “The Office,” “Heroes” and “30 Rock” through its Unbox digital video download service. Individual episodes will cost $1.99 on Amazon, the same as they had on iTunes. (Reuters)
• Microsoft does not rule out the Zune-phone as a competitor to the iPhone. (Reuters)