Mum's the Word at Apple's Macworld Opening

Ahead of Apple's CEO Steve Jobs keynote speech at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center at the 24th annual Macworld convention, speculation on about what the next Apple -gee-wiz product persists.

With nearly 50,000 attendees and 390 exhibitors, Macworld is a buzz prior to Steve Jobs' product announcements, from Apple including new gadgets and software for Apple devices. The only possible hint is a banner throughout the convention center with the cryptic line, There's something in the air.

Surrounding the event were rumors of Apple making movie rentals available through the iTunes store. Online rental service NetFlix is preparinged for increased competition by announcing on Monday that its subscribers will be able to stream as many movies and television shows as they want online for no additional charge.

Talk of a new, flash-based ultra thin notebook, dubbed the MacBook mini, seems to be among the most common rumors floating around. The notebook is said to be half the thickness of the MacBook line. and, because it's Aflash-based disk, would turn on the second you hit the on button. Apple has could also gone one step further to ensure its lightness by making its DVD drive an external device.

There's also talk of touch-based devices, using the technology developed for the iPhone and Touch iPod Touch.

Tech enthusiasts are also predicting an iPhone update, with a hardware upgrade, an improved software suite, and more connectivity.

Currently, 24 percent of the attendees at Macworld are first time visitors and 42 percent of attendees at Macworld are repeat visitors, according to Apple noted on its website.

See full coverage from Macworld 2008