Gadgets and Gizmos

Apple may unveil 3G iPhone, movie, TV expansion

Steve Jobs Apple Chief Executive is known for putting on a good show, even when it’s not his. The Macworld Expo and Conference isn’t run by Apple, but the weeklong event is eagerly received each year. But for Apple to make the most of its peerless products, experts say it will need to improve relations with the folks who create the content to run on them, especially after the series of spats that marked 2007.

A year later, Jobs’ position seems more secure than ever with the backdating business all but forgotten. The iPhone is a hit - and it’s shaking up the entire cell phone industry.

In comparison, the announcements Jobs is likely to make Tuesday in San Francisco at this year’s conference are likely to be much more incremental than revolutionary. After soaring to a record closing price of $199.83 on Dec. 28, Apple’s stock has dropped 13.6%, ending Friday at $172.69. Some wonder whether Apple has peaked.

“It’s one of those companies that keeps going up, and people say it shouldn’t, and it keeps going,” said Steve Hach, a senior analyst at ValuEngine Inc., a stock research company in Princeton, N.J. “There’s intangible things going on that are tough to get a handle on. It could be that people love their iPods.