The tech world turns its attention to San Francisco to see what Steve Jobs has up his sleeve

Photo: Philip Elmer-DeWitt

The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts was buzzing Tuesday afternoon with black-shirted Apple staffers hauling in electronics, heavy-set security  guys guarding the perimeter, TV satellite trucks jockeying for position and workers on a crane plastering the entrance way with the event's signature paint-spattered logo.

The economy may be sputtering, Bin Laden may be threatening, Barack Obama may be speaking to Congress, but in the world of tech all anybody seems to care about is that Steve Jobs is coming to town and he's packing a new gadget.

What can we expect on Wednesday, when Apple's (AAPL) co-founder and CEO takes the stage?

Nobody outside of Cupertino knows for sure, but that hasn't stopped anybody from making educated guesses. Assuming Jobs plans to save the best for last, here's what we think may be coming:

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