Apple’s special media events – where do we start? The hype – tremendous. The anticipation – unrivalled. The gadgets unveiled – revolutionary? Or distinctly average? Or somewhere in between? Perhaps just, well, you know, good – without being particularly earth-moving.

The release of a new major version of Apple’s mobile operating system always brings with it a fair amount of uncertainty for those individuals who prefer their Apple mobile experience to have a jailbroken slant on it. Firmware point upgrades often represent minimal change and are often used by Apple as an attempt to close certain holes in the firmware that have been used by the jailbreak development teams to bypass their security in the previous iOS version. In most circumstances it generally doesn’t take that long to produce and release a jailbreak for a mid-range firmware upgrade.

So, the event has finally been and gone, and before I get started on comparing the two biggest smartphones on the market, it’s pretty funny how such a long-winded spell of rumor and speculation can be put to rest in less than two hours, isn’t it? If you’ve been anxious for Apple to come out and pay heed to all the leaks then I can most certainly empathize, and barely does the iPhone 5 get to rub its eyes for the first time than it is swiftly thrown in at the deep end with the Samsung Galaxy S III.

If you didn’t manage to catch the coverage of today’s Apple event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, you’ll be pleased to know it’s available to watch right now for your viewing pleasure.

Apple has announced the iPhone 5 today at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. It’s been one of the most boring smartphone announcement events this writer has ever followed live, as most of the things Apple has discussed so far were leaked into the blogosphere weeks and months before the company’s representatives went onstage.

The iPhone 5 packs plenty of new and interesting features, and among them is a significantly improved camera. To some less tech-savvy consumers, a transition from an 8-megapixel snapper to, well, another 8-megapixel camera will mean – in their eyes – the rear-facing shooter is unchanged, although as we know, there are plenty of different aspects of a decent camera, and the number of megapixels is certainly not he bottom line.

If you are a registered developer on the official iOS development program, the time has come to head on over to the developer center and see exactly what Apple has in store for us, with iOS 6 GM for iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, iPad 3, iPad 2, iPod touch and Apple TV just been seeded on the Dev Center.

Apple has put us all out of our smartphone related misery and finally announced the details of the sixth-generation iPhone, and is dubbed the iPhone 5. After months of intense speculation surrounding the multiple leaked parts and component images that have been flying around the net, Tim Cook and his team have finally lifted the lid on the smartphone that they hope will lead them into the new year in the top spot. Many of the new iPhone’s included features are in line with what we expected, although as always Apple have managed to slip in a few little additions.

Whenever new iDevices emerge, an update to Apple’s iTunes application is usually released around the same time, and today at the Yerba Buena in San Francisco, the Cupertino company has announced iTunes 10.7.

It’s been a somewhat exciting keynote so far, as Apple has announced a good bunch of new products: the bigger, faster, but slimmer iPhone 5 with its support for 4G LTE, the lighting fast new dock connector, slick new version of iTunes, and the new iPod touch and nano with their welcome refreshes. Another product which was announced are the new earphones. Check them out after the jump.

Although I presume most of you consider yourselves to be technology fans, it seems like the majority of us are particularly drawn in by hardware, as opposed to software. While it’s the devices that invariably make the headlines, the associated applications play a huge part in their success, and in terms of Apple-designed devices, the iTunes desktop app has played a pivotal role in its success.

When it comes to Apple’s iDevice range, the iPod touch sits a miserable third behind the champagne iPhone and iPad devices, both of which hog the lion’s share of the limelight. With Apple retailing older iPhones and iPad years after a release at much-cheaper prices, it’s little wonder few consumers wish to consider a device handicapped from the word Go! At today’s special event, though, Apple has really bolstered the specs of the iPod touch, and if you’re the mobile device user playing games, listening to music and using Instagram a little too much, then the newly-upgraded iPod touch might be the perfect product for you.