The rumors and speculations on a possible video iPod have been circulating since the beginning of the year and have intensified ever since it was found out that Apple bought Broadom's audio-video chip from a British company.

The apogee was reached when Wall Street Journal announced that Apple allegedly had talks with Warner Music Group, EMI Group PLC, Vivendi Universal SA's Universal Music Group and Sony BMG.

Although Apple preferred not to comment these speculations, the majority of analysts consider that the launching of the video iPod is imminent, and now they have yet another reason to believe that things are going the right way.

Apple has updated the iPod patent. So far, its definition was "portable and handheld digital electronic devices for recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, and audio files". Now, the definition sounds like this: "portable and handheld digital electronic devices for recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, audio, image, and video files."

Given these circumstances, HP might soon regret the decision of leaving the iPod ship, because the video iPod mania could be at hand.