It's Apple rumor time again (you can tell because today's a day of the week that ends in the letter "Y"), with signs of the company prepping for some new Cinema Displays and maybe even one of the long-rumored next-gen iPhones.

Before Apple formally announces a new product, it always seems to go through the same sort of behind-the-scenes steps to get its distribution lines in gear. The company's pulled the existing 20-inch Cinema Display from its online shop, and we've heard that retailers have been notified that the product is being discontinued. This sets the stage for new monitors to take its place, and we don't think it's too presumptuous to say that they'll use LED backlights and feature DisplayPort connectors, just like Apple used in its refresh of the 24-inch Cinema Display last year.

Industry reports are indicating that Apple's been making a run on available flash RAM chips, causing speculation that it's building up stocks for new, high-capacity iPods or iPhones. Analysts identify soaring prices on certain sizes of flash chips as the result of shortages in the market caused by Apple's purchases. As the largest purchaser of flash RAM to embed in its devices, Apple gets special treatment from the handful of companies that manufacture it. When Apple increases its demand for the chips, other purchasers have to fight over what's left after Apple picks and chooses what it wants, driving up costs. While there's no indication what all this flash RAM might be used for, the amount that would be needed to launch a new iPhone model certainly would explain it.

This story around the web: