Hot date

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Hot date

Apple on Tuesday invited journalists to an event at company headquarters on Oct. 4 that’s assumed to be the unveiling of the latest version of the iPhone.

The cryptic invitation said only, “Let’s Talk iPhone,” but Apple could tell the media, “Let’s Watch You Guzzle Hydrochloric Acid,” and the media would respond, “What time, and what should I wear?”

Clash of the titans: Meanwhile, Amazon is expected to unveil a tablet computer Wednesday. Analysts say the Amazon tablet should make buying stuff at Amazon.com easier than ever — and that, in turn, could make it a formidable competitor to Apple’s iPad.

And thus Amazon goes head-to-head with the world’s most valuable company — apparently emboldened by successfully driving many of the nation’s independent bookstores out of business.

Toyland: Mindful of the bad economy, the nation’s toy companies plans a wide range of prices for its 2011 Christmas offerings.

For example, parents can shell out $120 for the premium version of Lego’s Ninjago construction system, or pay just $3.50 for the box it came in.

— Mark Carlson, Herald staff