Apple TV

Steve Jobs at D8: Post-PC era is nigh

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif.--At the D8 conference here, Steve Jobs didn't whip out the newest iPhone or tell us which category will be next to get an "i" before it, but his words offered a glimpse of where the iconic CEO thinks the industry is headed.

Speaking for an hour and a half at the D: All Things Digital confab, Jobs said the day is coming when only one out of every few people will need a traditional computer.

"When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks because that's what you needed … Read more

Apple TV makeover looming?

Is Apple TV about to move beyond its experimental "hobby" phase?

According to what some anonymous sources have told Engadget, the answer is yes.

On Friday, the gadget blog posted a report of what sounds like a detailed makeover of Apple TV in its current incarnation. The new device will reportedly be based on iPhone OS 4 software, including the homegrown A4 chip; have 16GB of local flash storage; come in a much smaller casing (reportedly the size of an "iPhone without a screen"); have just a few ports; and cost $99.

It's also supposedly … Read more

Apple's push into subscription TV--a tough sell

Apple is in talks with CBS and Disney to offer television programming using a subscription model, The Wall Street Journal reported late Monday but suggested that the venture could face a pretty steep uphill battle.

There's an understatement.

Apple has been incredibly successful with iTunes. It's almost become bad business to not play ball with Apple. But at this point, things are also very different. Consider the following:

Hollywood has become more tech savvy.

iTunes largely still uses a pay-per-view model.

Limited subscriptions offer limited value.

It's the content, not the network.

Apple delivers Apple TV 3.0 software

It might just be for the for the hobbyists, but Apple announced on Thursday that version 3.0 of its Apple TV software is now available for download.

According to Apple, the free software features a redesigned menu that the company hopes will make it easier to find the content users are looking for.

Perhaps the biggest news from the update is the addition of Apple's recently announced iTunes Extras and iTunes LP. The former gives users the opportunity to access special features like deleted scenes and cast interviews in various movies in the iTunes Store. iTunes LP allows … Read more

Apple TV gets a price drop

We're not sure what it will take for Apple TV to really take off, but a $100 price cut certainly can't hurt. On Sunday night, the company dropped the price of the 160GB Apple TV to $229 and killed the 40GB model, which had previously been priced at $229.

Considering Apple had already dropped prices for its Time Capsule wireless networked drives, an Apple TV price drop doesn't come as much of a surprise. On top of that, Microsoft is on the verge of updating the Xbox 360 to stream "instant-on" 1080p movies using Zune … Read more

QuickTime to provide YouTube support

Apple Insider has unearthed proof that YouTube uploading will be built into the upcoming version of QuickTime that ships with OS X 10.6.

According to beta testers, several video-sharing options will be baked into the latest release of Apple's QuickTime media playback and editing software, including the capability to directly upload to YouTube. With the new QuickTime, you will be able to convert and upload any supported video file type to the online video service and all you will need is to be a registered YouTube user. You also will be able to seamlessly upload supported video to … Read more

Patent bares rumor: Apple TV gearing up for games?

It seems the success Apple has achieved with gaming on the iPhone might spill over from pockets to living rooms. The makers of the iPhone have filed a set patents for a Wii-style wireless controller that looks to be made for the Apple TV and could be used for a number of applications.

The patent filing, including the image above, clearly shows an icon for Safari, as well as images that appear to be an iPhoto-like app.

The filing, which describes a "remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system," specifically uses the Apple TV as … Read more

Apple survey prelude to Apple TV revamp?

Apple appears to be preparing to get serious about Apple TV.

The company's link between the computer and the big-screen television has long been considered a "hobby" in the eyes of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, at least when viewed against major projects like the Mac, the iPod, and the iPhone. But signs have been growing that Apple is thinking about making a more significant investment behind Apple TV.

The most recent tip was a survey that Apple conducted online on Tuesday, which has since disappeared from the company's Web site although was captured by AppleInsider. In that survey, Apple asked Apple TV owners a number of questions about the sources of video they are watching on the device, as well as asking owners to describe the one thing they would change about the device.

Apple TV's shortcomings are well documented: it can't play DVDs, it can't connect to your cable or satellite service, and it doesn't have a browser for accessing the millions of Internet videos that can't be found on YouTube. But sales have nonetheless picked up in the year since Apple decided to open up the device to movie rentals through the iTunes Store, instead of requiring owners to purchase movies.… Read more

Apple sued over Apple TV

A maker of wireless set-top boxes has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company hired away three employees with knowledge of technology that would be included in Apple TV.

In a six-page complaint filed Tuesday with the Illinois Northern Federal District Court, EZ4Media claims that Apple TV, AirPort Express, and Macintosh computers infringe on patents owned by the set-top box maker. The patents--specifically 7,130,616, 7,142,934, 7,142,935, and 7,167,765--were obtained in March by EZ4Media from Universal Electronics, according to InformationWeek, which first reported the suit.

In … Read more

Report: Apple TV could get update Tuesday

With September's retooling of the iPod Nano out of the way, the blogosphere's attention is turning to the possibility of an Apple TV announcement in the coming days.

Christina Warren of The Unofficial Apple Weblog wrote Saturday that TUAW.com had received an e-mail from an unnamed Apple reseller. The message: The reseller had been instructed by Apple

to remove all Apple TV displays and literature and to destroy them (which I assume means throw away the literature, send back the Apple TVs) by September 30, 2008 at 5 PM. Additionally, the e-mail says that there will be … Read more