Microsoft To Unveil New Surface Tablet September 23

In just 14 days,

will host an event to unveil the second-generation Surface tablet. The event was confirmed by a Surface-shaped paper

that's circling the net. While the event's exact location has been blurred by media outlets (likely at Microsoft's request), the date and time -- September 23, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. -- are still visible. Since the event is in New York, one could assume that the timeslot is set for Eastern Daylight Time. Microsoft's event will come 13 days after

long-awaited press conference on September 10. Apple's invite teaser is not as revealing as Microsoft's; instead of a device-shaped postcard, Apple used a

across a white background. Those circles are thought to represent the various colors that will accompany the release of the iPhone 5C, Apple's lower-cost smartphone. According to

, the second-generation Surface will include a new cover that features a built-in battery. The attachment is being referred to as a Power Cover and may be backwards compatible with the first-generation Surface Pro. If the report is accurate, it will

work with the first-generation Surface RT. Microsoft is

to use

chips to power at least one version of Surface this year, but not at the expense of existing suppliers

and

. Rather, Qualcomm is thought to be added to the supplier mix. This unconfirmed addition has bolstered rumors that Microsoft will release multiple tablets this fall, including the so-called Surface Mini.

Last year, Microsoft was rumored to be developing a

that would be marketed as an Xbox device. It is still possible that Microsoft could build an Xbox tablet. But the company is unlikely to do so while focusing on the global launch of its third-generation game console, Xbox One. Disclosure: