Some confusion has developed between three news outlets over a possible announcement on April 1st, 2006 from Apple, confusion that needs to be clarified.

In the rumor-fueled world of speculation about Apple and its upcoming products, many people need nothing more than the whisper of a possible hope from CEO Steve Jobs to concoct their theories. Case in point: Mr. Jobs' keynote that kicked off last month's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, at the end of which he noted that Apple was founded on April 1, 1976. It was a date that "we thought was funny at the time," he said.

He then went on to say: "Apple will be 30 years old this April Fool's Day. I don't know what we're going to do for it, but I just wanted to point that out."

From this comment, Think Secret reported April 1st as a possible date for an Apple announcement of an upcoming 6G iPod, and that's where the situation got confused.

From TS's report: "Additional details concerning the new iPod have yet to be confirmed, including capacity and a release date, although all indications point to the Spring, possibly as early as late March or early April. During the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs alluded to a major announcement on or around April 1, Apple's 30th anniversary as a company."

Unfortunately, Chicago Sun-Times business reporter Howard Wolinsky seems to have misunderstood that paragraph, stating this in a column published on Sunday: "In any case, users are eagerly awaiting April 1, the 30th anniversary of Apple, when Think Secret predicts Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will announce the 6G at Macworld Expo in San Francisco." There is no Macworld Expo scheduled anywhere in the world on April 1.

The confusion didn't end there, however, as that piece of misinformation found its way into a UPI article published on the MacNewsWorld Web site, which said: "The Chicago Sun-Times reports the new 6G iPod will be introduced at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco April 1, marking the 30th anniversary of Apple."

That article could likely find its way to more Web sites that repurpose material, or even into more reporters' articles that rely on it for information.

iPod Observer has informed Mr. Wolinsky about his mistake, to which he responded: "A mistake made in the rush of things." While there may or may not be a product announcement on or around April 1, there definitely will not be a Macworld San Francisco trade show.

We should also note, however, that Apple announced a media event for February 28th, which may or may not be the site of such an announcement. Apple has not yet announced any events for April 1st.

[Update: This article has been updated to further clarify the story. - Editor]