iTV - page 2

Could Tim Cook’s New Made-In-USA Mac Actually Be An Apple TV? [Rumor]

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Apple's biggest manufacturing partner making preparations to turn this thing into a reality.
Apple's biggest manufacturing partner making preparations to turn this thing into a reality.

On Tuesday I went to a party at San Francisco’s Cafe Du Nord to celebrate the launch of Fuze For Mac, a nifty cloud-based videoconferencing tool from FuzeBox.

I heard several interesting things about Steve Jobs and some intriguing Apple TV rumors. One of the rumors made me think that Tim Cook’s new Mac — the one that is going to be made in the U.S.A. — might actually be a big-screen Apple TV.

Here’s what I heard:

  • The software was developed at the behest of Steve Jobs himself, who persuaded FuzeBox to make the software not just for the Mac, but for an upcoming Apple TV.
  • Steve Jobs gave the company a special dev lab on Apple’s campus.
  • According to FuzeBox’s CEO, the upcoming Apple TV has a 60-inch screen. It has no inputs whatsoever, except an AC power cord. No wires. You can’t plug in a cable box or a game console. Nothing.
  • It does have Gigabit wireless Wi-Fi and gesture controls, equivalent to Microsoft’s Kinect accessory for the Xbox.
  • And finally, the story of how FuzeBox got an ultra rare meeting with Steve Jobs is worth telling — details below.

Now, I’m the first to admit that not all of this adds up. I got it from Jeff Cavins, FuzeBox’s CEO, who told a good tale, especially after I’d had a couple of pints. While I was fascinated and entertained, it didn’t get to pin him down on details. The party was loud and crowded, and we were constantly interrupted. So mostly for entertainment purposes, this is what he said:

Munster: Apple Hasn’t Released A HDTV Yet Because Of Screen Problems [Analyst]

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Gene Munster, the guy who's been saying that Apple is making a TV for years.
Gene Munster, the guy who's been saying that Apple is making a TV for years.

Gene Munster, everyone’s favorite Apple analyst, spoke at Business Insider’s IGNITION Conference today in New York City. One of the topics Munster hit on was the Apple TV. For years, Munster has been one of the biggest proponents of Apple releasing a literal TV. His most recent prediction pushed the product’s announcement to the end of next year, while last year he predicted that Apple would start shipping in early 2013.

Apple’s real plans for the living room remain to be seen, but today Munster explained his reasoning for why Apple didn’t announce a HDTV this year.

This Is The Dream Apple TV Concept [Gallery]

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source

The current Apple TV set-top box just doesn’t cut it. We all want more from Apple, and hopefully we’ll get the perfect TV experience one day. Until then, there’s only the imagination.

Content distribution and management is a convoluted mess right now, especially in the living room. That’s why I’m floored by the beautiful simplicity of this Apple TV concept:

Apple’s Live TV Service Is “Imminent” [Analyst]

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Until Apple can get the cable companies to play ball, its TV set will remain a rumor.
Until Apple can get the cable companies to play ball, its TV set will remain a rumor.

Apple has been trying to get some sort of new TV product off the ground for quite some time. We’ve seen prototypes of an actual Apple iTV, and there’s also been speculation that Apple will introduce a TV set-top box that streams live broadcasts over the internet.

While licensing agreements still need to be reached with Hollywood studios and cable companies, Apple’s mythical TV device is gearing up for an “imminent” launch, according to a new report.

Apple Manufacturer Foxconn Might Build Plants In U.S. [Rumor]

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According to a new rumor, iPhone assembler Foxconn Electronics is discussing plans to build manufacturing plants in the U.S. Possible locations for the new plants include Detroit and Los Angeles, but Foxconn may be conducting evaluations in other cities as well.

Foxconn and Apple have come under fire over the last few years for terrible working conditions in assembly plants. The assembly of the iPhone and iPad being conducted in China rather than the U.S. was even a debate point in the recent presidential election. Bringing manufacturing jobs into the U.S. may help heal Foxconn’s reputation.

Media Tycoon Mark Cuban Thinks Apple TV Deal With Cable Companies Would Be “Game Over” Move

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Content + A good experience = Winning
Content + A good experience = Winning

Legendary entrepreneur and businessman Mark Cuban knows a thing or two about the TV industry. Besides owning the Dallas Mavericks, Cuban founded HDNet Movies and is subsequently the chairman of AXS TV on the HDTV network. He also appears in Shark Tank, a reality TV show starring prominent entrepreneurs and business executives.

It’s no secret that Apple has been trying to reach agreements with Hollywood to create a totally new kind of TV experience. Negotiations have reportedly been ongoing for quite some time. In a recent interview, Cuban explained how Apple’s software integration with the cable companies would be a “game over” move. The TV industry would never be the same.

An iTV iPad App Would Be The Ultimate Living Room Experience [Gallery]

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iTV iPad app

Last week I argued that Apple’s ingredients for an ‘iTV’ experience could be simpler than you think. Quoting Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes, I suggested that the iPad could be the remote control hub for Apple’s desired TV interface. Imagine swiping through your favorite channel icons on the iPad and having them play live on your living room flatscreen. A TV guide menu designed by Jony Ive would be a dream come true. There’s so much untapped potential.

Cult of Mac reader and user interface designer Adrian Maciburko sent me some great concept designs of how iTV could work with the iPad. Check them out and let everyone know what you think!

Apple’s Ingredients For An ‘iTV’ Experience Could Be Simpler Than You Think

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Screen Shot 2012-10-11 at 5.05.47 PM

What is Apple’s perfect recipe for the living room TV experience? The tech industry has been asking itself that question since rumors of an Apple-branded TV set started circulating months and months ago. While ‘iTV’ rumors have died down recently due to the iPhone 5 and iPad mini hype, Apple has quietly been trying to work out licensing deals with Hollywood for a mysterious iCloud, TV-ish service. Will it be baked into iTunes, the current Apple TV, or come packaged in a totally new device? These are the questions.

While Apple’s real plans are obviously shrouded in mystery, there’s a very strong case to be made for using existing ingredients to make the TV experience Apple ultimately desires. The recipe is actually a lot simpler than you may think. An Apple TV set-top box and iOS device may be all it takes.

5 Incredible Apple Products Designed By Steve Jobs We Still Haven’t Seen [Feature]

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Steve Jobs reclines in a chair on stage to show off the iPad.
Steve Jobs reclines in a chair on stage to show off the iPad.

The visionary co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, may have been dead for a year today, but the fruits of his incredible imagination, indefatigable quest for perfection and keen design eye are still ripening and shaking from the tree of the company that he created. The recently released iPhone 5 and new Lightning Connectors were  approved by him before he died,  the upcoming iPad mini was greenlit personally by Steve, and Apple’s upcoming roadmap for the next couple of years will probably be filled with projects that he personally oversaw.

Some of Steve Jobs’s last unrealized products loom larger than others, though. Here are the five incredible products from Steve Jobs that we still haven’t seen.

Apple Is The 8th Fastest-Growing Company In The World

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Apple Store in Hong Kong show support for World AIDS Day.
Apple Store in Hong Kong show support for World AIDS Day.
Photo: Catherine Loh/

Apple’s stock price has continued to rise the last couple of weeks making it the most valuable company in the world, and debatably the most valuable company ever. Some might think that Apple can’t sustain those numbers over the long-term, but right now their prospects are looking great.

The scary thing – if you’re an Apple competitor – is that even though Apple is huge right now, it’s still growing. Fortune released their list of the 100 fastest-growing companies in the world today, and Apple came in at #8 while competitors like Google and Samsung didn’t even make the list.

Do You Think Apple Really Needs To Make A HDTV? [Let’s Talk]

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But it won't have any more pixels than your existing set.
But it won't have any more pixels than your existing set.

Information about the fabled iTV has been bouncing around the rumor-mill for a few years now. Supposedly, Apple is going to build an HDTV that has a ton of cool features, such as Siri, FaceTime, iTunes Streaming, iCloud and the works. It’s a dream device. Like a big ass iPad you can mount on your wall to watch the series finale of Breaking Bad on.

The iTV was supposed to launch at some point this year, but we haven’t seen any hardware leaks for it, and now the rumor is that Apple won’t launch it until 2013. But does Apple really need to make an HDTV? Would a really awesome Apple TV style set-top box for cable companies be a better, cheaper, option than trying to get an iTV into every home? We can see the benefits on both side of the coin, but we’re really curious to hear what you guys think. Should Apple just come out with an improved Apple TV instead of an iTV? Or do something else entirely?

Click here to go to the Cult of Mac forums and share your thoughts on the rumored Apple HDTV

Ex-Apple CEO Sculley Says Apple Has Best Shot To Win TV Market

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1984 --- Steve Jobs and John Sculley --- Image by Ed Kashi/CORBIS
1984 --- Steve Jobs and John Sculley --- Image by Ed Kashi/CORBIS

When Steve Jobs brought John Sculley over to Apple as the new CEO in 1983, he wasn’t really known as a product visionary, but he was one of the best marketing guys on the planet.  He knows how companies can capture a bigger marketshare for themselves, and he thinks that Apple is ready to pounce all over the TV market.

In a recent interview, the ex-CEO explained that Apple has the best chance of any company to take control of consumers’ living rooms, stating it’s “Apple’s game to lose.”

How The Jobs Family Mac Helped Catch The Burglar Who Stole It On Our Newest CultCast

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cultcast-site-promo-pic.jpg

When the burglar who robbed Steve Jobs’ house walked out with jewelry, computers, and Steve’s old wallet, I doubt he could have imagined one of his heisted Macs would call in the coppers. But he learned that you don’t mess with a Mountain Lion. We’ll tell you the tale on our all-new CultCast—and don’t worry—all mock turtlenecks have been returned to their proper place.

We talk rumor control, iPhone 5 design, the Olympics, and more. Then, by popular request, it’s a battle of the browsers! We’ll tell you which web-ware we love the most, and why Apple’s own app still has a big issue to fix.

Subscribe to The CultCast now on iTunes, or easily stream new episodes right on your iPhone or iPad with Apple’s newly updated and freshly debugged Podcasts App.

Show notes ahead!

Apple Working With Cable Providers To Stream Live TV To The Living Room [Report]

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Will the current Apple TV simple evolve, or is Apple working on something much bigger?
Will the current Apple TV simple evolve, or is Apple working on something much bigger?

The iPhone 5 and iPad mini sections of the rumor mill have been churning nonstop as of late, but there hasn’t been any rumors surrounding the future of the Apple TV for quite some time.

Today a report sheds more light on the future of the Apple TV by noting that Apple is in talks with major cable providers to stream live television to a set-top box.

Apple’s HDTV Will Be U.S. Only At Launch, Might Not Ship Until 2014 [Analyst]

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apple-itv-us-only-launch

Whenever the Apple HDTV comes out, it’s going to need an array of slick media content partnerships to get off the ground. That’s one reason why Tim Cook might have been hobnobbing with Hollywood executives at a recent media conference, but these deals are tricky to strike, and take time.

According to analysts, that’s why the Apple HDTV might not launch until 2014… and when it does, it will be a U.S.-only launch.

Apple TV Might Not Only Get A Software Makeover At WWDC, The Remote Might Get Supercharged

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Apple-TV-BGR

Apple isn’t going to debut their new rumored HDTV set at WWDC 2012, but according to a new report, they will unveil the version of iOS that it will run on, and which will be coming to the Apple TV set-top box later this year. Even more interesting? Your Apple TV might soon become the hub through which the rest of your living room connects.

FCC Change Means Apple Might Not Have To Deal With Cable Companies At All To Release The iTV

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The FCC could make Apple's TV dreams more of a reality.
The FCC could make Apple's TV dreams more of a reality.

It could soon be a whole lot easier for Apple to compete with pay TV providers as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) considers a change to the definition of “multichannel video programming distributor.” To date, the term has been applied only to cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, or DirecTV. But as similar services continue to grow online, the FCC is questioning whether it should also apply to the likes of Hulu, Netflix, and in the future, Apple.

A change would mean that Apple would be free to offer up a number of TV channels just like any cable provider, without having to negotiate with those cable providers over expensive programming deals.

Why I Believe In The Apple HDTV (And Why You Should Too)

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The next version of Apple TV may allow you to take your viewing with you wherever you go. Photo: Apple
This is going to happen. Bet on it.

The iTV. The Apple HDTV. SiriTV.

Whatever you want to call it, there’s a lot of talk out there about how Apple is going to revolutionize the living room experience by releasing their own proper television set.

There’s reason enough to be skeptical of these reports. From the industry’s notoriously low margins — Sony’s losing billions on their television business — to the fact that consumers simply don’t upgrade their TVs like they do their smartphones, does it even make sense that Apple would want to release their own television set?

Sure, Steve Jobs said he had “cracked” the TV problem before he died, but who’s to say that he wasn’t talking about Cupertino’s existing set-top box, the Apple TV, a $99 puck that anyone can afford and that slurps up streaming content from the web or the iPhones, iPads and (with Mountain Lion) Macs already in the home?

I’ll say it. The Apple TV is not enough, and Apple absolutely must release a revolutionary television set in the next two years.

Why? Because no matter how popular the Apple TV becomes, it will never be essential.

Foxconn: Our CEO Absolutely Did Not Confirm An Apple HDTV [Report]

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Foxconn's CEO didn't let the cat out of the bag after all.
Foxconn's CEO didn't let the cat out of the bag after all.

Last week a Chinese news site called ChinaDaily published a report saying that Foxconn CEO Terry Gou said his company was “making preparations for iTV, Apple Inc’s rumored upcoming high-definition television.” The statement was then turned into a whirlwind of Apple iTV/HDTV “confirmed by Foxconn CEO” stories that made the rounds.

Foxconn is now saying that its CEO did not confirm Apple’s rumored television set in any way.

Foxconn Chief Reveals Preparations Are Now Underway For Apple’s HDTV

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Apple's biggest manufacturing partner making preparations to turn this thing into a reality.
Apple's biggest manufacturing partner is making preparations to turn this into a reality.

During a press conference in Shanghai this week, Foxconn president Terry Gou finally confirmed that the company is making preparations to begin production of the upcoming Apple HDTV. Production is yet to begin, so you may not see the set before Christmas. But Apple certainly plans to bring Steve Jobs’s set to market.

Our Source Has Seen The Apple HDTV, Here’s What It Looks Like

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Apple's biggest manufacturing partner making preparations to turn this thing into a reality.
Apple's biggest manufacturing partner making preparations to turn this thing into a reality.

We have a source who claims to have seen a prototype Apple high-definition television set in action, indicating that Apple is readying the long-awaited device for market.

According to our source, who has asked to remain strictly anonymous, the Apple HDTV looks like Apple’s current lineup of LED-backlit Cinema Displays but is “much bigger.” It has a built-in iSight camera for making free FaceTime video conference calls. And it has Siri, the iPhone 4S’s voice-activated virtual assistant.

Analyst: Don’t Expect To See An Apple Television Set Before 2014

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The Apple television set won't arrive until 2014, according to one analyst, but you can look forward to an awesome set-top box before then.
The Apple television set won't arrive until 2014, according to one analyst, but you can look forward to an awesome set-top box before then.

Saving up for that widely-rumored Apple television set? Well, according to one analyst, you have plenty of time. J.P. Morgan’s Mark Moskowitz issued a note to investors this week in which he states there is no indication Apple’s TV will make its debut during 2012, and that the current economic climate just isn’t suitable.

Moskowitz believes we’ll be waiting until 2014 instead, but suggests we could see an exciting new Apple TV set-top box before then.

Apple Wants To Create Streaming Movie Service For Upcoming TV Set [Rumor]

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The FCC could make Apple's TV dreams more of a reality.
Apple is reportedly in talks to bring streaming movies to its rumored TV set.

Apple’s mythical, standalone TV set has been the subject of much speculation over the past several months. Rumors have been saying that we’ll see an Apple-branded TV set (dubbed ‘iTV’ in most cases) by the end of this year at the earliest. The TV is expected to feature Siri integration, IP-based streaming and even a gaming element.

On the streaming side of things, a new report claims that Apple has been in talks to secure the rights to stream Hollywood movies for its upcoming TV set.

Arguments Against And For An Apple TV Set

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Apple_TV_2012_4
Will Apple declare war on the rest of the TV manufacturing industry?

Rumors have been saying for many, many months that Apple is working on a standalone TV set (dubbed ‘iTV’) that will revolutionize the way we consume media from traditional content providers and the internet. Steve Jobs himself added more fuel to the fire when he told biographer Walter Isaacson that he had “finally cracked it,” referring to an integrated TV set. He wasn’t talking about the black set-top box Apple currently sells for $99.

Questions have been raised regarding the plausibility of Apple releasing its own TV set. Is this an example of the rumor mill spiraling out of control, or is Apple actually planning a full-on assault to take over the living room?