What a ride. The Wall Street Journal has since issued a “Clarification” on their previous report that Apple is planning on attending CES 2010.

WSJ:

“Clarification: Apple has not made any plans to attend CES 2010.

Correction: It is not clear whether Apple will attend the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. This post previously stated that Apple would attend.”

Back on earth this mean that Apple probably isn’t going to show up at CES 2010. Engadget goes the extra mile:

Unfortunately, it’s also specious and flatly wrong. I was seated directly across from Gary, and present for the entire conversation, wherein a dozen or so other journos chatted with him and one another. […] At no point did Gary even remotely imply that Apple would be present at a future CES — let alone state flatly that Apple “will be there” in 2010. In fact, at one point, someone asked if, hypothetically, Apple did want to attend CES, whether the CEA could accommodate them. Gary said flatly that if pressed, they might be able to come up with a small 2,000 square foot booth, but they couldn’t do anything, say, Microsoft-sized on such short notice.

The Gary mentioned in the above quote is Gary Shapiro, the CEO of the CEA, the trade group that puts on CES.

With all of this said and done, the only nugget of truth in this whole story is that Steve Jobs was asked to speak at CES, but has yet to respond.

So someone jumped the gun at The Wall Street Journal and got everyone all excited. Did no one learn from the last time?