For days now, rumors about the new “Merom”-based Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros and iMac as well as the mysterious video iPod/iPhone have been making rounds on the Internet, in anticipation of an announced and unverified Apple release event. Unverified, that is, until now. The company has sent invitations to “select members of the media and others” to attend a “special event” on September 12, 10:00 AM Pacific Time in San Francisco, California.

While nothing is known about the nature of the event or what products will be released (for surely, Steve Jobs must have some new gadgets up his sleeves), it is a good bet that Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros will be exhibited, especially now that Dell and other PC manufacturers are already shipping laptops with the chip. A Core 2 Duo iMac was also expected, however those were just announced earlier today. Of course, let’s not forget the possibility of full-length movie downloads available via the iTunes music store.

The event is to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater.