Apple TV

When it comes to long, strange trips, trust the signature line from the pen of the late, great Jerry Garcia to explain the volatility in Apple's stock price these last few months.

Shares of Apple touched $674.88 earlier this morning (the company became the most valuable ever yesterday, when it reached more than $622 billion in market capitalization). But they reversed course and by early afternoon the stock was way down. How to explain the about-face? Take your pick: Profit taking most likely, though with the jury about to deliberate the Apple-Samsung patent litigation lawsuit some investors might … Read more

Apple is reportedly in talks with cable manufacturers to make set-top boxes that would sort of reinvent TV, but there's an easier and more obvious route for Apple to take: buy TiVo.

The Wall Street Journal has chimed in on Apple's set-top box plans for two consecutive days. The first story highlighted how Apple is in talks with cable operators to be set-top box partners. Today, the set-top box market is dominated by Motorola Mobility, now owned by Google, and Cisco via its Scientific Atlanta acquisition years ago. 

If these reports are true … Read more

Less than one month ago, shares of Apple plunged after the company's third-quarter earnings "disappointed" the bean counters on Wall Street. Less than a month later, shares of Apple are up more than 12 percent and are again trading at an all-time high. In fact, earlier today, Jefferies & Co. raised its price target from $800 to $900, as Apple's valuation now tops $600 billion.

If you want to understand why, cue up the 1960s' hit by The Happenings, "See You in September."

That's when the iPhone 5, the biggest, worst-kept secret in … Read more

Following yesterday's revelation that Apple was in talks to develop a new TV set-top box, more details are emerging about features the device will have.

One of the key features Apple plans to introduce with the device is a cloud-based DVR function that will let users view any TV show at any time, sources tell The Wall Street Journal. The feature would let viewers start a program minutes after it began, similar to a Time-Warner Cable feature called Start Over.

Apple is also reportedly interested in providing access to all episodes from the current season of a show, instead … Read more

Video app Showyou rolled out an update today aimed at turning iPads into better remote controls for Apple TV.

The social network dedicated to video watching now allows users to multitask on their iPads even when they're streaming a movie to Apple TV.

This means users can hit play on a movie using their iPad as a remote, then leave the app to check social media or email as the iPad streams the movie to Apple TV. Apple's devices already have this functionality -- the company incorporated multitasking into its streaming service last year with iOS 5 … Read more

Apple's set-top box could be destined to stream live TV channels, according to a new report.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) says that Apple has been in talks with cable operators in the U.S. to pitch its $99 streamer as an alternative to the set top boxes cable subscribers rent.

The report suggests no deals have yet been made toward that goal, but that Apple has at least talked with cable provider Time Warner.

The Apple TV has remained what Apple considers a "hobby" device when compared … Read more

Apple TV will upgrade to live TV, complete with regular and cable channels, and recording abilities, if Apple acts on a patent it was granted today.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple a patent that allows for a video device display that would have an onscreen menu that pops up over the display while video is playing, and lets the user to essentially change the channel.

The patent application, originally filed Oct. 12, 2006, has mock ups of screenshots with various TV programing, including CBS, ABC, FOX, and HBO. There are several screenshots depicting a Letterman segment … Read more

Interest in an Apple television set among U.S. consumers appears to be hot, but price may be a stumbling block for the much-rumored but still-unannounced device.

Some 49 percent of the consumers queried said they would be interested in purchasing an Apple-marketed TV set, according to survey results released this evening by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Twenty-nine percent said they weren't in the market to buy a new TV but that an Apple entry would turn them into buyers.

"We believe this suggests that customers would be willing to interrupt an estimated seven-year TV product cycle … Read more

The future of TV, movies, and home entertainment feels like it's changing by the day, thanks to the impact of the digital revolution. Netflix is the top dog thanks to its $8 subscription streaming service, but your viewing choices are severely limited. For a la carte, pay-as-you-go services, Apple's iTunes has been the default choice for many when it comes to buying, renting, and viewing videos. Splitting the difference was Amazon's Instant Video: it offers a diverse library of pay-per-view TV shows and movies, plus a subset of "free" content for subscribers to the company'… Read more