In the absence of any thing resembling promotion from Apple, the IT press has had to look in rubbish bins to find news of coming hardware. In this case the rubbish bin, an update to iOS4.1 beta, has revealed a new iPod touch is in the works.

iOS 4.1b3 includes three new “Configuration Descriptors” within its USB configuration files that list Apple as its maker. Within the code there is a fourth-generation iPod touch which is called the “iPod 4.1. If Apple was going to simply revise the iPod touch’s existing design it would be called the iPod 3.2.

To earn a 4.1 handle, the iPod would need to have some major hardware changes. Word on the street suggests that it would be like the slim but broken iPhone 4 with dual cameras, FaceTime support, Apple’s A4 processor and Retina display.

There is also reference to “iProd 2.1? which is a second-generation iPad. The original iPad had a configuration descriptor of iProd 1.1 prior to its announcement. The other strange reference is to “unknownHardware” with a unique Apple product ID of 20547. We guess this will be the new iOS-powered iTV.