Given the feverish condition of the iOSsphere, "our attention turns to guessing where Apple is going to unveil its next-generation smartphone," .

When it's put like that, it seems so obvious.

Poeter isn't just speculating. There's hard reporting behind this slideshow. He discovered that San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, often used by Apple for announcements, is unavailable. "We were told ... that Oracle has booked the auditorium on Oct. 4 as part of its Oracle OpenWorld conference next month," Poeter explains. Ditto for the nearby Moscone Center.

"Given the booking complications, we've put together a list of other Bay Area venues that Apple might use to give the world its first official glimpse of the long-awaited iPhone 5," Poeter writes reassuringly.

The sites include Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, which Poeter rather oddly rates a "high" probability despite being already booked by Oracle. The storied rock-and-roll palace Fillmore Auditoriom ranks "low" because, Poeter says, the "layout of the space feels off." The Mint's chances are "slim": "Not exactly Apple's style," he sniffs.