He wasn't the only one invited, as he pointed out. However, he's one of the go-to sources for Apple punditry, so Apple knew that as soon as the announcement was

He wasn't the only one invited, as he pointed out. However, he's one of the go-to sources for Apple punditry, so Apple knew that as soon as the announcement was made, tech people would be visiting his site to find out what he thought, and they'd be smart to give him a head start at digesting the news and asking them questions directly, instead of rhetorically.