Apple TV

Valve--the company behind the hit computer game Portal and the popular online game-downloading system Steam--has been working on hardware and software for a "Steam Box," a set-top console that would rival the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and even Apple TV, according to a report.

Citing unnamed sources, The Verge reports that Valve could choose next month's Game Developers Conference or June's E3 to unveil the Steam Box, which could shake up the industry.… Read more

Apple looks to be introducing a new iPad and perhaps something new to do with Apple TV at a press event on March 7. So far, the consensus seems to be that we should expect a faster iPad with a high-resolution "retina display," Siri integration, and perhaps some kind of haptic feedback.

That's what we're likely to see, but half the fun of Apple rumors is imagining what the "one more thing" will be--that new feature or device that changes how we do things on a daily basis, like iTunes, Siri, or the iPad itself. With that in mind, I'm going to take a moment to do something I normally try to avoid and turn the rumor mill way up. Today, the Apple rumor goes to 11.

Just in case I'm not making myself clear, most of these features probably won't be unveiled by Apple CEO Tim Cook in front of a live audience next month, but they are features Apple has applied or received patents for, so theoretically they could be in the works. And it would be pretty cool if they actually did become a commercial reality.… Read more

Google has filed for a patent on a technology that would let users search their program listings with only the sound of their voice.

According to Patently Apple, which obtained the patent request, Google's application describes a method of allowing users to say a voice command through a mobile device. That command is then relayed to a television or set-top box--likely equipped with the company's Google TV platform--that displays the desired information.

According to Patently Apple, the patent describes one implementation in which a user asks, "When is 'Seinfeld' on?" The software on the television then … Read more

If you're looking to buy an Apple TV, you're going to have an exceedingly difficult time doing so.

As of this writing, BestBuy.com and Walmart.com don't even list the Apple TV on their sites, and Amazon has stopped selling it. Apple's online store is the only major e-commerce Web site CNET has come across that lists the Apple TV, and actually has the set-top box in stock.

AppleInsider, which first reported on the news, says it's a similar story in many brick-and-mortar stores around the country, with one Best Buy sales representative telling … Read more

Should Apple use the "iTV" moniker for its widely expected smart TV, it may entangle the company in a legal mess. Or it may not.

British TV network ITV has reportedly warned Apple not to use the brand name iTV for its upcoming smart TV product. The U.K. broadcaster may have even received assurances from Apple in 2010 that the iPhone maker would not christen any upcoming TV products with the iTV name.

At least, that's the scoop according to the U.K. Telegraph.

But ITV is denying the report, claiming it's had no such … Read more

Apple could soon unveil a new version of Apple TV, since retailers appear to be running out of the current model.

Citing intel from one of its Best Buy sources, 9to5Mac said that Apple TV is not just out of stock at the source's local store, but that the product is no longer even shipping to retail outlets. When I searched the Best Buy Web site, the product was no longer shipping to online customers and its availability at physical stories was spotty.

I searched other popular stores online, including Target and Wal-Mart, and typically found the product out of stock or, in some cases, not even listed. Amazon is selling the 2010 version of Apple TV with a shipping date of two to five weeks, while Radio Shack is offering the product only at certain stores. Sears does show the item in stock.… Read more

It wouldn't be a normal week in Apple news land without a healthy dose of lawsuits, rumors, and spy shots of future products. This week did not disappoint in any of those categories.

First things first, the iPad 3. Rumor has it we'll see it the first week of March, or at least a device that will succeed the iPad 2. Word of that was joined with a photo of what might just be the back casing of the new device, which when stuck next to an iPad 2 suggested we could be looking at the real deal. … Read more

Best Buy said it authorized a survey that discussed the as-yet announced Apple TV, but insisted that fuss over the survey is much ado about nothing.

"The customer survey was a routine offer effectiveness survey conducted by one of Best Buy's research partners," Best Buy told Wired in a statement last night. "Any brand reference was hypothetical. The survey is no longer available."

Apple TV rumors have been swirling over the last several months after co-founder Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson that he had "cracked" the code for a revolutionary television. … Read more

An apparent Best Buy customer survey mentions a possible Apple 42-inch HDTV for $1,499. That's up three times as much as current 42-inch models; could it be worth the price?

Before we go any further, let's disclaim the idea that there's proof such a product actually exists or is even in the pipeline. In fact, it seems fairly likely Apple had nothing to do with the list of hypothetical specs cited by Best Buy, which includes outdated branding like "iSight" for the system's camera (Apple has long since taken to referring to cameras like those in the iPad as "Facetime cameras").

Further, the survey goes on to say the camera can be used for Skype, a statement Cupertino isn't likely to have signed off on given that the platform is owned by Microsoft and competes with its own FaceTime.

So, assuming the survey was drafted by some kind of middle-management cog at Best Buy who has an inkling of what Apple could be working on but clearly didn't coordinate with the mother orchard on this survey project, there are still some interesting discussion points, particularly the price.… Read more