HDTV

Spotify baits premium hook with free Chromecast

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Get a free one of these when you buy three months of Spotify Premium.  Photo: Spotify
Get a free one of these when you buy three months of Spotify Premium. Photo: Spotify

If you haven’t already grabbed a free trial of Spotify, you’re in luck – this deal makes joining the streaming music service even more enticing.

Today through February 28, when you buy three months of Spotify Premium for $29.97, you’ll get a free Chromecast.

5 affordable ways to give back-to-school an upgrade for 2015 [Deals]

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The Jorg Messenger Bag adds a 11,000mAh charger to a sleek and stylish carryall.
The Jorg Messenger Bag adds a 11,000mAh charger to a sleek and stylish carryall.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

School’s changed a lot in recent years, as technology keeps creeping into every aspect of learning along with our lives. Time to get with the times — whether it’s keeping your cash and cell phone in one place, getting a bag that can charge your devices while you walk, or a cyber-secured lock for your locker, we’ve got some of the best deals for making 2015’s back-to-school actually feel like 2015.

Reputable Analyst Agrees With Munster: The Apple HDTV Will Enter Living Rooms In 2015

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Apple TV is still awaiting its apparently game-centric overhaul, but the Apple TV this rumor’s about is the long-awaited Apple television set we’ve heard reports of for years now. Of all the reports we’ve heard, the most oddly specific was one from analyst Peter Misek. He claimed Apple would make a television “display, gaming center, media hub, computer, home automator, etc.” that would retail for $1,250, bring in 30 percent gross margins, feature IGZO panels from Sharp, and be called the iPanel. Oh yes, and Apple was building 5 million of them in May 2012.Of course, absolutely none of this wound up happening. Maybe the shipments sunk on their way over to Cupertino?

Apple TV is still awaiting its apparently game-centric overhaul, but the Apple TV this rumor’s about is the long-awaited Apple television set we’ve heard reports of for years now. Of all the reports we’ve heard, the most oddly specific was one from analyst Peter Misek. He claimed Apple would make a television “display, gaming center, media hub, computer, home automator, etc.” that would retail for $1,250, bring in 30 percent gross margins, feature IGZO panels from Sharp, and be called the iPanel. Oh yes, and Apple was building 5 million of them in May 2012.

Of course, absolutely none of this wound up happening. Maybe the shipments sunk on their way over to Cupertino?


It’s hard to think of two analysts as different frome one another as Gene Munster and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. While Munster has foolishly prattled on, predicting an Apple HDTV set every single year for at least five years without it coming true, Ming-Chi Kuo draws upon proven supply-chain sources across the Far East to make predictions about upcoming Apple products with almost unerring accuracy. When Munster opens his mouth, everyone laughs; when Kuo opens his, everyone listens.

So it’s odd to be writing a story in which Ming-Chi Kuo and Gene Munster’s predictions are lining up for a change, but it’s an odd world. In a recent note, Kuo argues that not only will an A7-powered Apple TV will be coming next year, but Apple will enter the living room with a proper HDTV set in 2015.

Apple To Launch 4K Ultra HD TV With Voice & Motion Control In Early 2014 [Rumor]

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A 4K Ultra HD TV from Samsung.
A 4K Ultra HD TV from Samsung.

Apple is gearing up to send its much-anticipated “iTV” into mass production during the second half of this year, according to sources in the Cupertino company’s supply chain, who have been speaking to DigiTimes. The set will reportedly boast a 4K “Ultra HD” display with a 3840×2160 resolution, and it’ll be controlled by voice and motion.

The iTV: Black, Chamfered, Gorgeous… And Curiously Ill-Suited For Watching Television [Concept]

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Martin Hajek creates concepts of imaginary Apple products that I always think look pretty good, but have no thought given to usability. For example, his iWatch concept the other day, which basically shrinks an iPad mini to the size of an inch and doesn’t even try to imagine how such a design wouldn’t suck… but hey, it has a leather band!

His new iTV concept for Dutch site iCreate is a similar affair. The black, chamfered design of the device looks very beautiful, but nothing after that makes any sense. It’s like this guy has never even used a television before, right down to the fact that he envisions the iTV as having a Camera app (why?) but not one for either TV or Videos.

More pictures after the jump. I advise Apple to perhaps take the look, but not the UI.

How An Apple Rumor Can Swing A Failing TV Maker’s Stock Value

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No, this isn't Apple's iTV.
No, this isn't Apple's iTV.

You probably haven’t heard of a German company called Loewe. The high-end TV maker hasn’t done so well at selling ultra-expensive HDTVs as of late, and its peripheral business isn’t doing so hot either.

It’s amazing to see how Apple can affect the stock value of another company. After a debunked report from last year claimed that Apple was planning to buy Loewe, yet another acquisition rumor has sent Loewe’s stock soaring to new heights. And just like the first time, the situation is all smoke and no fire.

Apple TV Is In Testing For 2014 Launch [Rumor]

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Apple’s much-anticipated television set has entered its initial testing phase at Hon Hai Precision Industry, a company source has revealed. It’s expected to feature a display between 46 inches and 55 inches in size, and shipments are likely to be “huge.” Don’t expect to have one in your living room anytime soon, however; it doesn’t look like it’s going to get its grand unveiling during 2013.

Brightcove CEO & Flash Co-Creator: This Is Apple’s iTV

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It’s December, a traditionally slow news month, and it seems this December is even slower than most, because even organizations as solidly grounded in reality as All Things D are now posting elaborate wishful thinking exercises about what the much rumored Apple HDTV will actually be. This one, however, is more interesting and plausible than some… at least in a few key regards.

The Best iOS Gaming Accessories [Best-Of]

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Turn your iDevice into an arcade machine or PSP beater with these amazing accessories.
Turn your iDevice into an arcade machine or PSP beater with these amazing accessories.

iOS is the gaming platform of the future. Just ask Nintendo, who this year posted its first annual loss (nearly half a billion dollars). And while Game Boy-esque portable playing is good enough most of the time, you only need to add a few accessories to turn the iPhone into a full-on be-buttoned handheld, and the iPad into the center of a big-screen home gaming system. Read on to find out our picks for the best iOS gaming accessories.

Analyst: There’s Little Possibility That The Apple HDTV Will Launch Any Time Soon

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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.

While we’re almost certain Apple is working on its own television set, when it will launch is a complete mystery. Initially it seemed the set could make its debut before the end of 2012, and then reports pushed the release date back until 2013. Now according to a new analyst report, it’s unlikely won’t be adding an Apple HDTV to your credit card bill any time soon.

Why? Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services Eddy Cue has reportedly indicated to analysts that there’s still a lot of work to be done with content providers.

VMware Announces Fusion 5 With Support For OS X Mountain Lion & Windows 8

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Fusion now supports features introduced in OS X Mountain Lion.
Fusion now supports features introduced in OS X Mountain Lion.

VMware has announced the latest version of its popular virtualization tool, VMware Fusion. Version 5 is optimized for the latest technologies found in OS X Mountain Lion, Windows 8 and the latest Macs — including the Retina MacBook Pro — and includes more than 70 new features “for a Windows on Mac experience never seen before.”

Analyst Speculates Apple TV Success Will Depend on Software and iOS, Not Big Screen TVs

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A5X inside, but nothing else new.
Set top box with software, integrated HDTV, or both? One analyst thinks the former.

In an investor note today, Barclays investment analyst Ben Reitzes comes down squarely on the side of many others who believe a set top box is the way Apple has “cracked” the TV scene, rather than with an integrated television set created by Apple hardware designers. His opinion is that Apple is more likely to create a TV product that focuses on the software and not the hardware.

“We believe consumers would welcome such a product from Apple,” wrote Rietzes, “as well given that many younger customers seem to be watching content on demand on smaller screens (iPads, laptops) in private places – and only Apple seems to be the company that can redirect that content back to the big screen.”

Apple TV Can Send Audio To AirPlay-Enabled Speakers In iOS 6 Beta 3

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Apple TV will now send audio wirelessly to your speakers.
Apple TV will now send audio wirelessly to your speakers.

If you want to watch a movie on your Apple TV, but you want the sound to play through a stereo or home theater system, rather than through your TV, the only way to do that right now is to install a bunch of messy cables that connect one device to the other — and they need to be relatively close together.

In iOS 6 beta 3, however, you can send audio from the Apple TV to an AirPlay-enabled speaker system at the other end of the room wirelessly.

Expert: Apple’s HDTV Will Have A Retina Display

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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.

Having been spoiled by Retina displays since the iPhone 4 was launched back in 2010, it’s slightly disappointing when Apple releases a new product that doesn’t have one these days. But there won’t be any disappointment with the upcoming Apple HDTV, according to one expert.

DisplayMate CEO Dr. Ray Soneira firmly believes that the Cupertino company’s much-anticipated set will feature a Retina display, just like all “premium” Apple products in the future. Not just because it’s incredible technology, but also because Apple wants to be consistent.

Could Apple’s Mythical HDTV Be As Simple To Use & Control As Leaning Back And Using Your iPad? [Video]

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This video of Brightcove CEO Jeremy Allaire demonstrating his company’s new dual-screen AirPlay technology is doing the rounds this morning, and it’s certainly an impressive demo, in which Allaire is able to use his iPad to do one thing while playing video in the background on his Apple TV at the same time. Is this what using a true Apple HDTV will be like?

Study Shows Plenty Of Room For Apple To Disrupt The Smart TV Market

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Study shows that Apple has plenty of room to disrupt the smart TV market
Study finds users don't like clunky smart TV interfaces or TV apps

An Apple HDTV won’t be the first Internet-enabled television on the market. The market for so-called smart televisions has actually gotten pretty crowded over the past couple of years with products based around the Smart TV concepts of Samsung and LG as well as companies that offer televisions with GoogleTV.

Apple’s edge over the existing smart and connected television options is the company’s focus on creating a seamless and intuitive user experience. Based on a recent study, if Apple can deliver an interface half as good as expected, the company will make a killing in the HDTV market.

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

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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.

Correct The Colors On Your HDTV With Your Mac And The SpyderTV HD [Review]

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The somewhat bizarre-looking Spyder4TV Sensor
The somewhat bizarre-looking Spyder4TV Sensor

Like its monitor-calibrating cousin, the Spyder4Pro, the Spyder4TV HD ($125) from Datacolor is used to fine-tune the color profiles in your life. But as the name implies, the Spyder4TV isn’t for your Mac’s monitor; this Spyder wants to correct the color on your HDTV.

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Get The Very Best Prices On Everything Apple – We Tell You How On The CultCast

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We’ve figured out how to get the best prices on every piece of Apple gear you buy, and on the latest CultCast, we’ll tell you how, too.

Plus: our source within Apple has seen their secret new HDTV – we tell he told us.

And don’t miss our our reactions to what this insane Apple fan installed on his person.

Subscribe to the CultCast now on iTunes, and read on for our show notes!

Apple’s Partners Will Build ‘Specialized Plants’ For Manufacturing New iPhone, iPad Mini [Rumor]

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Foxconn iPhone assembly
iOS devices could get their own manufacturing plants as they continue to grow.
Photo: Foxconn

DigiTimes reports that Apple’s manufacturing partners in Taiwan are said to be bending over backwards to secure orders for the company’s latest devices by constructing specialized plants that will be dedicated to producing parts and components for the iPad mini and the next-generation iPhone.

Everything We Know About Apple’s Secret HDTV On This Week’s CultCast

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Our source within Apple has seen their secret new HDTV, and my friends, you are in for a treat. In this episode of The CultCast, we’re going to tell you every juicy bit of info our source told us.

Plus, AT&T will soon be offering you family data plans, we’ll tell you what we know.

And three apps enter, but only one can rule them all — don’t miss our favorite apps of the week!

Subscribe to the CultCast now on iTunes, and read on for our show notes!

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.

Stream Your New iPad or iPhone 4S Camera Live To AppleTV with AirPlay [iOS Tips]

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iPadLiveStream

What a world we live in. The things we can do with our iOS devices are world changing, and would make a person visiting from just a few decades ago squeal with delight or shiver with fear, depending on their philosophical bent.

Today’s tip is one of those “obvious if I’d thought about it” kind of tips that, well, is pretty obvious when you think about it. Here’s how to live stream the camera from your iPad 2, New iPad, or iPhone 4S to a big screen TV via AirPlay and an AppleTV.