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Apple TV

No new Apple TV this year, report says

Apple's plans to reinvent the way we enjoy entertainment in the living room are being pushed back another year, a new report claims.

Apple has decided to shelve plans to launch a new Apple TV set-top box this year after facing negotiation troubles with cable and media companies, Bloomberg is reporting today, citing sources. Chief among the disputes is how software would be implemented in the new device.

The companies also can't reach a deal on whether the box should be sold directly to consumers or offered through cable providers, Bloomberg's sources say.

The Apple TV set-top … Read more

Apple's AirPlay tech to work without Wi-Fi, report says

Apple's AirPlay streaming feature could soon work even if your devices are not on the same Wi-Fi network, according to a new report.

In a brief post, The Telegraph says that Apple is at work on a new version of the streaming technology, dubbed "AirPlay Direct," that eschews the need to be on the same local area network.

"The new version will require just speakers or a hi-fi and an iDevice; the iPhone, iPod or iPad would form its own network to allow a direct connection and music playback," The Telegraph says.

The feature is … Read more

Could the iPhone 5 be... ahem, a camera?

Less than a month before Apple gets ready to unveil the iPhone 5, we get word of a last-minute rethink that forced the boffins in Cupertino to go back to the drawing board and rework the entire project. Why? Because customers use their iPhones only to take photos of their food in order to create the delusion of a fulfilling life.

Oh, and did we mention that the iPhone 5 is a camera?

Or so says one "Greg Mansfield," the fictitious vice president of iPhone product design, in a deliciously biting parody that's made its way to … Read more

It's Tuesday, so naturally Apple shares are plunging

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's set-top box cure: A TiVo acquisition

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

iPhone 5 mania lifts Apple stock to all-time high

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

Apple envisions new cloud DVR, social space in set-top box

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

Showyou turns iPad app into an improved Apple TV remote

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 TV could double as cable box, report says

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 gets a patent for an Apple TV cable box

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