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In what appears to be further evidence that Apple is considering the launch of a TV, the company has reportedly contacted at least one component maker about the capabilities of its displays.

"We recently spoke to a major TV component supplier who has been contacted by Apple regarding various capabilities of their television display components," Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note to investors today. "We see this as continued evidence that Apple is exploring production of a television."

Munster said previous evidence included meetings in Asia earlier this month that led the analyst … Read more

While dodging a question about Apple's plans to get into the TV business, the company's chief executive pointed out that its more than year-old set-top box is doing just fine.

Answering a question about Apple's strategy for the living room from Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, Apple CEO Tim Cook replied by pointing to the fact that in this past quarter, the company sold half as many Apple TV set-top boxes as it did during all of last year.

"The Apple TV product is doing actually very well," Cook argued. "In last fiscal year … Read more

Apple's much-expected TV set effort could truly be a big-screen affair, with a new report that says the company is gunning for a set beyond 40 inches in size.

In a story tracking the landscape of connected TV sets, ahead of next week's Consumer Electronics Show, USA Today notes that all eyes are on Apple to jump in the race, despite the fact that the company doesn't plan to be at the annual event.

The interesting tidbit comes from an unnamed source who worked at Apple, and told USA Today that "Apple is said to be … Read more

Apple can set its much-expected television set apart from those of competitors--and shake up the TV industry to boot--if it can figure a way to introduce a la carte pricing for shows and channels on Apple TV, a new analyst report suggests.

In a note today to investors, Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu asserts that Apple's strength lies less in the hardware innovation it might bring to the TV market than in letting customers subscribe to particular channels or shows of their choosing.

Such a model would run counter to traditional TV packages offered by cable providers that sell … Read more

Rumors of Apple TV sets have been swirling for months. And the Taiwanese publication DigiTimes added to the mix today, with word that its supplier sources say Apple is ordering components to build 32-inch and 37-inch TVs that should go on sale in the second half of 2012.

There have been rumors floating around for years that Apple is building its own TV. The speculation got amped up this fall after Walter Isaacson revealed in his biography of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs that Apple had finally figured out how to build a user-friendly integrated TV.

"I'd like … Read more

Audio gifts are always a great idea for anyone who likes music or home theater. Here's a quick round up of affordable goodies, priced from $100 or less!

Logitech Mini Boombox First thing, the "Boombox" name might be a little misleading; this tiny thing can't boom, but the Logitech Mini Boombox does sound better than I could have imagined for its size, and price, $100. I'm not of fan micro speakers, but this one ain't bad.

The Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder The Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder ($100) is exactly what … Read more

The Apple TV might still be a hobby, but it's the king of the set-top box market, researcher Strategy Analytics says.

By the end of the year, worldwide set-top box sales are expected to hit nearly 12 million units, the research firm said yesterday. Apple is expected to sell about 4 million Apple TV units this year, giving it 32 percent market share and the lead against countless other products vying for control in that space, including Roku's line of devices.

Apple launched its latest Apple TV last year. The device allows users to stream movies, television shows, … Read more

The Google TV-equipped Logitech Revue is finally getting its Honeycomb update.

Earlier today, both Google and Logitech announced that the set-top box's owners would be able to download an over-the-air update bringing Android 3.1 to the device. Honeycomb delivers a host of improvements, including a redesigned interface, access to Google Music, and support for the Android Market. In addition, the software's Chrome browser supports Adobe Flash Player 10.2.

The update comes over a month after owners of Sony's Google TV-based devices were offered the software. The only issue is, early reviews of Honeycomb for Google … Read more

Receiving a barrage of push alerts from the Facebook iOS app can get to be annoying.… Read more