Fans of darker shows that follow vampires also flock to this network to watch The Vampire Diaries. In the realm of secondary TV networks, The CW is quite popular. CW has announced that it has started a new deal to bring its content to Apple TV. The content will come to Apple TV via the CW TV now application.

That application has previously been available only on the Xbox 360 and Windows 8 devices. CW says that it’s trying to reach more viewers on more platforms and the deal with Apple TV is one of the methods it’s using. The interesting thing about this app is that while The CW network is only available on cable, you don’t have to have a cable subscription to watch streaming content via its app.

That makes this app one of the first true attempts at unbundling by a television network. What’s even more impressive about this application is that it’s not only past season episodes that you can check out. The company puts new episodes of every one of its series on the app the day after they air on the TV network.

The CW network promises that the application on the Apple TV will work and function similarly to how the app works on the Xbox 360. The TV shows available on the streaming application on all platforms are supported by ads. That means you will have to sit through commercials, but if you don’t have cable, or your cable company doesn’t offer The CW, I think watching a few commercials is probably a good trade-off. The one caveat to this announcement is that there is no specific timeframe offered for the application to hit the Apple TV.

SOURCE: MacRumors

Apple says that it or Apple Authorized Service Providers will replace the affected products for up to two years from the original date of purchase at no cost to the buyer. An Apple certified technician does have to determine that one of the three issues covered is causing the Wi-Fi problems.

Once the technician determines that the Apple TV is suffering from one of the problems, the unit will be replaced as part of a replacement program Apple has launched. Only specific serial number ranges for the third-generation Apple TV set-top boxes are covered in the replacement program. The serial numbers must have two specific alphanumerical ranges to be covered.

The last four letters of the serial number must be DRHN. The serial number must also have specific third and fourth alphanumeric characters including one of several pairs. The second image above shows eligible third and fourth alphanumeric character pairs.

[via 9to5mac]

The first thing you’ll most likely notice in the redesigned app is the new content categories that are spread out along the top of the app, making it easier to jump to a specific section. Inside each category, you’ll be greeted with various other subcategories of sorts, one of which is a section detailing new shows, as well as new episodes for the shows that you already watch.

The “Shows You Watch” tray allows you to jump right in to any show that you want to watch, and Hulu says that this is to make sure users never miss a new episode or lose their place in a television series. Another new feature is the ability to quickly turn on subtitles by holding down the “Select” button while watching a show.

One caveat is that you must be running the latest Apple TV firmware, so if you’re not up-to-date and are wanting to take advantage of the new Hulu Plus layout, now would be a great time to head into Software Updates in Settings and get on the latest software version of Apple TV. From there, you can just boot up the Hulu Plus app to experience the redesign.

If you’re one of the people wondering if the new Apple TV has tasty new hardware on the inside, one has been cracked open to reveal the juicy insides. If you’re hoping for a Apple TV box using the A5X processor, the teardown may be disappointing. The A1469 Apple TV set-top box reportedly has an A5 processor just like its predecessors.

However, one important update to the A5 used inside new Apple TV model is that it has been die-shrunk and is considerably smaller than the A5 used in previous versions. A smaller processor should mean less power consumption and less heat output, which might be a big deal to some users. MacRumors reports that the original A5 chip introduced in 2011 used the 45 nm process and measured 10.09 mm x 12.15 mm.

The second generation of that A5 processor that turned up last year measured 8.19 mm x 8.68 mm. The new shrunk version in the current Apple TV is only 6 mm x 6 mm. It’s unclear, but the small stature of the new A5 could be a result of Apple using a 28-nanometer process from TSMC. TSMC has been rumored to become an Apple partner for the production of A6X processors for the iPad and future products. Apple has offered no official comment on these rumors.

[via MacRumors]

Staples has a bevy of products available, including the Magic Mouse, iPad Smart Covers, EarPods, Bluetooth keyboards, and Lightning cables. Apple products are only available on Staple’s website for now, and it’s not known when the chain will begin offering Apple products in-store. The company will eventually begin selling Macs and iPads, but they will only roll out to a select number of high-volume stores at the beginning.

This marks the first time that Staples stores in the US have been able to sell Apple products. The chain’s Canadian stores have been selling Apple products for years, so it’s finally nice to see the company’s US locations getting the same treatment this time around. With the addition of Staples in the US, it makes it easier to buy an Apple product in person if you don’t have an Apple Store or Best Buy nearby.

Prices for Apple products available at Staples don’t seem to be any cheaper than what you’d normally find them for at an Apple Store, which isn’t too surprising really. However, it’s possible that — like Best Buy — Staples will discount some of its Apple products during special sales throughout the year, something that Apple doesn’t do very often.

While the listing doesn’t offer any specific information about Apple’s plans for the Apple TV, it looks like the Cupertino-based company is bumping up the number of people working on the Apple TV. This wouldn’t be too surprising, considering that the Apple TV is an area of “intense interest” for Apple.

There’s also a rumored event planned for March where Apple is said to be unveiling some new details on the Apple TV, specifically a new SDK that would allow app developers to make apps for the platform, something that Apple may be doing to prepare for an actual television set launch sometime later this year possibly.

As far as what these “next generation features” will consist of, it’s hard to tell at this point, but it’s even possible that Apple may aim for the gaming consoles, and could possibly introduce some new advanced features for the Apple TV that would see it take on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 head on in a battle in the living room.

[via 9to5Mac]

Today, FireCore announced on its blog that it has released updates to aTV Flash (black) and Seas0nPass, both of which support the new 5.2 update for Apple TV. Since Apple added Bluetooth keyboard support, the latest aTV Flash also includes the same, allowing users to navigate around using either the keyboard or the standard remote.

Other than that, there are several minor improvements to backups, as well as DVD playback, but aside from that, it’s your usual bugfixes and general performance improvements. To get started with the updated jailbreak, you’ll want to back up first, and then run the latest version of Seas0nPass to update your Apple TV to version 5.2.

After that, it’s just a matter of installing version 2.2 of aTV Flash, and then restore any previously-saved settings. Then you’ll be back up and running, but with a newer version than before. Of course, do this at your own risk, since hacking into your devices, no matter how easy it is, always comes with risks of some sort, so this is something that’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

Thanks for the tip, Erin!

In a blog post, Brown says that there are numerous problems with the Xbox platform that leaves the door wide open for Apple. Plus, Microsoft has been making it extremely difficult to develop games for the Xbox, and it doesn’t really cater to indie developers. The Apple TV, on the other hand, runs iOS, which allows for anyone to develop apps and games fairly easily, which has spawned a wealth of games for users to play.

Of course, the Apple TV isn’t catered as a gaming platform, although it’s only a matter of time before that could happen. You can actually beam iOS games to your living room TV using the set-top box, but the Apple TV itself isn’t a gaming console by any means. However, that could change with just a few more advanced features added on.

In the end, Brown notes that the past five years have been painful to watch, in regards to the Xbox, because Microsoft has essentially failed to innovate and capitalize on the potential of innovations, like the Kinect sensor. Brown also wishes that Microsoft adopted a similar model for game and app distribution that iOS and Android have been using in order to create huge and successful gaming ecosystems.

[via Business Insider]

According to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, Apple will be releasing the SDK next month, with an event to show off the new kit. While Misek doesn’t think that Apple’s rumored television set will be making an appearance at the event, he does think that they will announce it sometime in September or October, and suggests that Apple might be preparing for the television’s release by introducing this developer program.

Apple has been open to the idea of opening up the Apple TV to developers for a while. The late Steve Jobs even said back in 2010 that an app store for the Apple TV could launch when the time is right, and since the Apple TV runs iOS, the process shouldn’t be all that difficult, and might be able to fit right into the iTunes App Store.

As far as the Apple television set goes, Misek expects that various size options will be between 42- and 55-inches, with prices starting around $1,500, which is right around what we’ve been hearing in the past. The SDK that we could see next month may definitely be a precursor to bigger things, and it’s also possible we could see a refreshed Apple TV STB come to fruition as well.

[via Business Insider]

However, the HBO Go app still requires an HBO cable subscription, so you’re out of luck if you thought otherwise. Kessler didn’t mention whether or not HBO plans to offer a paid version of HBO Go to users who don’t subscribe to HBO, but as of right now, he says that an HBO Go-only subscription just isn’t economically viable at this point.

The AirPlay feature will be added as an update to the HBO Go iOS app and for Cinemax’s MAX Go App, both of which should be set to go in the iTunes App Store. Kessler says that the company’s long-term goal is for the HBO Go app to be on all platforms, including the Apple TV, so hopefully it’ll only be a matter of time before everyone will have access to the app.

Of course, we’ve heard rumors earlier this month that we might be seeing an HBO Go app arrive on the Apple TV, and now it’s finally happening, although the timeline is still a bit blurry at this point. Apple sold over 2 million Apple TV units during this last quarter alone, so HBO will no doubt get a lot of exposure by releasing its app on Apple’s STB.

[via AllThingsD]

According to the sources, the timeframe for HBO Go to come to Apple TV is mid-2013. The Apple TV set-top box already has other streaming video applications such as Netflix and Hulu Plus available for video streaming. The Apple device can use more streaming video services to help it compete better with the PS3, Xbox 360, and cheaper set-top boxes from Roku.

If HBO Go does come to the Apple TV box by the middle of the year, you will need a subscription to HBO in order to use the app. The HBO Go app not only requires that you have a subscription to the HBO network on your cable or satellite company, but you must also be subscribing via participating cable company or satellite provider.

Apple continues to have a moderate success with the Apple TV set-top box selling more than 2 million units in the first quarter of its fiscal 2013 year. Apple’s fiscal Q1 2013 ended in December 2012. Two million units sold in the first quarter of the fiscal year is a definite improvement since it took to full fiscal years for Apple to reach 7.8 million units sold.

[via Bloomberg]

The update comes by way of statements made to The Next Web by an Apple spokesperson. According to the spokesperson, this is a refresh of some of the internals of the product, not a full model refresh and it doesn’t bring any physical changes. The spokesperson said that sometimes Apple makes component changes that require an updated model number for FCC approval.

The spokesperson also said these component changes wouldn’t affect any product features. The updated device will also be the same dimensions even though previous FCC documents suggested a smaller device. Apple says that the updated Apple TV with the new model number will operate in the same manner as the previous device.

The component change that required the recertification by the FCC is reportedly the use of the Apple A5x processor and the Broadcom BCM4334 wireless chip. Both of those products are used in other Apple gadgets. Other than having new hardware inside, performance and features are exactly the same as previous models.

[via The Next Web]

According to the diagram, the A1469 model measures in at 93.7mm, while the current model is 98mm, making it just a tad smaller. MacRumors noted Apple TV’s software update shows an AppleTV3,2 model, rumored to be for international shelves. Whether it is and this model is that one or a different one altogether is unknown.

This follows the Apple TV update we reported on yesterday, which added Bluetooth keyboard support, iTunes Match improvements, and a feature called Up Next. Owners of 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TVs can nab the update over-the-air if they haven’t already installed it. After downloading, the device can be synced with a Bluetooth keyboard, freeing things up.

The Up Next feature added via the update is the same that was rolled out on iTunes 11, queuing and automatically playing content for the user without the need to create a specific playlist. As for the A1469 model, little else is known aside from its existence and dimensions. We’ll keep an eye out for any new details that surface, so stay tuned.

[via Engadget]

Both second- and third-generation Apple TV units are receiving the update over-the-air, and for those who have been yearning for Bluetooth keyboard support are finally getting it. Users will now be able to type and search with ease without having to use the remote. Of course iPhone and iPod Touch users can use their devices, but those without an iOS device were left in the cold until now.

The update also brings a new feature called “Up Next,” which was introduced not too long ago in iTunes 11. The new features queues up content for you, similar to a playlist, and plays each piece of content automatically one after the other. This is surely a big feature for not only iTunes users, but Apple TV users as well.

In today’s iOS 6.1 update, the company introduced some improvements to Siri, including the ability to purchase movie tickets through Siri. Apple also introduced redesigned music control buttons, as well as new MapKit framework enhancements. And don’t forget about added LTE support for more carriers on the iPhone 5.

[via 9to5Mac]

And yet, the rumor persists that Apple – either later this year or sometime in 2014 – will launch the long-speculated set. That device, its supporters say, will be the product that television buyers have been waiting for, complete with access to apps and high-quality specs. Apple will find a way, the company’s supporters insist, to revolutionize the television industry.

But perhaps those supporters are wrong.

If Apple is indeed working on a television, the company finds itself in No Man’s Land. In the television market right now, plasmas, while still delivering great picture quality, are seeing their sales dwindle. LCDs and LED-backlit screens are performing relatively well, but also seem to be waning. If CES 2013 taught us anything, it’s that vendors believe the future of television relies in OLED and 4K (Ultra HD).

The problem with OLED and 4K is that televisions featuring those technologies are wildly expensive. Currently, some Ultra HD sets are on sale for tens of thousands of dollars. And although OLED delivers an incredible visual experience, models using that technology are similarly cost-prohibitive to the average consumers.

However, most of the folks in the television industry believe that there’s a good chance that by the end of 2014, those prices will be down to levels that some consumers would find acceptable. Interestingly, it’s possible that the Ultra HD sets will be cheaper than OLEDs at first, simply because of the issues vendors are having producing OLED panels.

Still, it identifies a potential issue for Apple: if the company launches a standard 1080p, LED-backlit screen this year or next, it might get some traction in the marketplace for a time, but it’ll quickly become obsolete. If Apple waits until 2015 to launch an OLED or 4K television to capitalize on that new trend, all of the hype the company has been taking advantage of over the last few years will be lost.

Realizing that, I can’t help but wonder if Apple’s television efforts are in trouble. Granted, the company will deliver a software experience in the television that will likely top anything in the marketplace, and Apple has the ability to succeed in spots where others might not, but the television industry is highly competitive and notorious for its low margins. If Apple can’t find a way to deliver the right product at the right price for the right value to consumers, it’ll lose.

Tim Cook and his executive team must know that. They must also realize that the ideal time to launch an Apple television was not 2013 or 2014, but 2012, when the new technologies were still years off.

Like it or not, Apple might have missed its best opportunity to succeed in the television market.

As he mentioned in the TV interview with Brian Williams a while back, television is “an area of intense interest” for Apple, and what was once a small niche for Apple, is now an area that the company wants to capitalize on. Cook says that “there is a lot we can contribute to the space,” but he resisted sharing any more information on the subject.

We’ve already heard plenty of rumors about an Apple television set, including hearsay that Sharp is working on some display panels for the rumored television, while Foxconn is said to be testing various models of the Apple television, including sizes that range from 46 inches to 55 inches. Obviously, we’re keeping the salt by our sides until we hear something from Apple, but it leaves us with many questions.

So, while we didn’t really get anymore information out of the Apple execs as far as their plans for a possible Apple television set, we were told that the television sector is something that Apple is at least interested in, so we wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up diving deep into the industry to supplement its Apple TV STB.

The most talk surrounding the television cropped up last year when Walter Isaacson published his Steve Jobs biography. In that, Jobs noted that he believed that he had finally “cracked” the code for a television that would best all others in the marketplace. Analysts, ready to predict Apple’s plans, performed a host of supply chain checks to find out if Apple was in fact working on a television. Nearly universally, they said that it indeed was.

Over the last several months, however, we’ve heard precious little about an Apple television. Either the set never existed in the first place, or Apple has closed ranks and is keeping its plans extremely secretive. It’s as if the television, which was once so much a part of our lives in the technology world, is now a ghostly product that might or might not exist.

That is, of course, unless you read through the lines on what Tim Cook recently said in an interview with Brian Williams of NBC. He stopped short of actually saying that Apple was working on a television, but his admission that the industry is one that’s awfully intriguing to the company makes me believe that there is in fact a set on the way. Exactly when it will launch, however, remains to be seen.

That launch date could be extremely important to Apple’s television’s success rate.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, a host of television vendors are expected to show off Ultra HD televisions – sets that are running the technology formerly known as 4K. Although those televisions won’t be ready for the average consumer in 2013, it’s a sign that they’re going to be hitting more consumer-friendly price points sooner than later.

Realizing that, Apple, a company that prides itself on being ahead of the curve, will need to decide if it wants to stick with 1080p HD or go with Ultra HD. The smart move, of course, is to go with 1080p until Ultra HD pricing comes down. However, the clock is ticking. Ultra HD might be several years away from hitting consumer-friendly prices, but the later Apple launches its television, the sooner it might become obsolete.

Meanwhile, we can’t forget the growing importance of apps in the mobile space. At CES, companies like Samsung and LG are likely going to deliver televisions with boatloads of bundled applications. If one of them includes access to a broader application store than what’s already available, it could once again make Apple look late to the game.

I guess what I’m trying to say is time is of the essence if Apple finally launches its own television. It’s nice to be Apple and have everyone interested in your products, but if you wait too long to launch a supposed “groundbreaking” device, you might actually be stepped over.

And Apple cannot forget that.

First, a recap: according to this week’s chatter, there’s a fresh batch of TV hardware headed from Foxconn to Apple’s labs, with the company having gone from internal development to asking its manufacturing partners to whip up a prototype or two. Specifications of said-prototypes are unclear, but Sharp – wavering, despite a rumored $2bn life-raft from Apple already – is said to have supplied the panels, possibly using IZGO technology.

Rumors of Apple’s ambitions in the living room aren’t new. Behind perhaps iPhone speculation and whispers of an iPad mini, the idea of an Apple television has persisted like no other. It’s also, if the insiders are to be believed, been an ongoing project within Apple for some time now.

Work, in fact, has been occupying some of Apple’s team for “a number of years” the WSJ report admits, and it’s not the first we’ve heard of Sharp involvement. Analysts were claiming a love-in between the Japanese company’s screens and Cupertino back in 2011, after all.

Is anything different this time around? Hon Hai’s chairman investing in a chunk of Sharp’s large-scale LCD production facility adds an interesting mini-twist to proceedings, with the cash injection giving Foxconn first call on up to half of the plant’s panel output. So far that droit de seigneur has benefited Vizio, but there’s no reason Apple couldn’t poach the panels for its own purposes.

Frankly, though, it would be more of a surprise if Apple wasn’t working on some sort of TV development. The existing Apple TV may look like a sales-afterthought in comparison to iPhone and iPad shipments of late, but that doesn’t mean Apple can afford to ignore the living room. What it will need to convince itself, however, is that biting off an extra degree of complexity and cost – providing the screen and the tuners and everything else, rather than just a simple box that plugs in via HDMI – is warranted by the potential returns.

Are the minimal Apple TV sales because it’s not part of an integrated television set, or are they because the company is still yet to differentiate itself in the smart TV segment? The STB may well fit in neatly with the rest of the iTunes ecosystem, but without App Store access there’s really no great advantage to Apple TV versus, say, a Roku box. The basics of Netflix and other streaming services are accommodated and the interface, though slick enough, isn’t considerably better than what rivals offer.

Jumping into segments for the sake of it isn’t Apple’s style. Is the company cooking up prototypes? Undoubtedly, and it probably has been for a while. Is there a fair chance those prototypes will end up on storeroom shelves next to Apple’s netbook prototypes? Definitely, yes. In the end, the TV industry doesn’t have a problem with hardware – sets from Sony, Samsung, LG, and others are capable of great image quality, after all – but with software and usability, and Apple needn’t recreate the wheel to tackle that.

According to the whispers, Apple has been focusing on “a few designs for a large-screen, high-resolution TV” and the rumors have regained steam after CEO Tim Cook’s comments that TV is “an area of intense interest” earlier this month. The secretive chief exec refused to comment any further, however; “I can’t say more than that” he told NBC News.

Rumors earlier this week, meanwhile, suggested that Apple was experimenting with 3D technologies for big-screen TVs, while research indicates there’s an appetite among consumers for an Apple-branded model. In fact, a fair number would apparently be willing to pay a 20-percent premium for the privilege.

However, just as has presumably been the case with earlier prototypes, Apple could well decide not to continue development of the TV sets. The tipping factor this time around might be how much – or how little – it has to pay for LCD displays themselves, following a significant investment by Foxconn into Sharp. According to that deal, Foxconn gets first-grab at half of the panels the $10bn Sakai facility produces.

Currently, Foxconn is taking advantage of that position to piece together 60-inch Vizio sets, but the company’s long-standing relationship with Apple makes it the obvious choice should production of an Apple television get the green-light.

Hardware is only part of the story, however. Apple’s relationships with content owners and cable companies are terse, insiders say, with traditional providers wary of allowing the Cupertino firm into the segment for fear that it will quickly dominate as it did in digital music. Apple TV, the $99 set-top box already in its third generation, remains a bit-player in the company’s range; however, there are whispers that a new version with live TV functionality is also being considered.

What’s believed to be holding that up – and, presumably, doing the same for an actual Apple television – is that reluctance of content owners to actually open up their catalogs to Apple’s hardware. The company has attempted to tackle that with deals in the past, but has been rejected.

Exactly what form the Apple television would take is uncertain, though it’s expected to use Siri for navigating through channels and program guides, rather than the traditional button-encrusted remote. A Sharp IGZO display is also likely, using the company’s brighter, more energy-efficient panel technology.

The set of patents analysts Katy Huberty and Jerry Liu suggested that a $13 billion dollar market in the USA and a $39 billion dollar market abroad are two of the most important elements in Apple creating a television. Add that to the sweet basket of patents Apple has surrounding a possible TV set release and you’ve got a rather interesting picture.

These patents include, first of all, ownership over “enhancing media system metadata” – part of a patent from October of 2006. This patent includes a “search engine interface to search content across various libraries such as iTunes, imdb.com, amazon.com, netflix.com, and social networking sites, as well as advertising content.” Next is a set of personal items network and associated methods in a patent filed in 2006 and granted in 2009, this having the ability to track and display heart rate, speed, body temperature, and more from athletes on the field that the user is watching on television – scary next-generation stuff, that is.

There’s a patent for context-aware unit selection filed in November of 2007 for Apple, this allowing the integration of Siri across the iTV board. Next is a set of GUI applications for use with a 3D remote control, filed back in May of 2008 and made to show a cursor displayed on the screen “by the position and orientation at which it is held.” There’s a patent for a TFT-LCD display for Apple filed back in December of 2008 and granted in March of 2012 which has a higher refresh rate FFS TFT LCD technology made to reduce viewer fatigue and bring on a clearer picture than any solution that’s come before it.

Finally there’s a patent this team has found filed by Apple that allows three-dimensional imaging and display. The application for this patent was filed in 2005 and granted in September of 2011, here speaking on the following, according to Morgan Stanley: “The invention involves a groundbreaking 3D imaging and display system that optically detects human positions and motions, projects virtual objects onto a display area, and provides audio and visual feedback.”

If that doesn’t all paint a picture of an Apple television that’s ready to take on the future, nothing does! Have a peek at the timeline below for additional insight on what Apple may (or may not) have in store for us in 2013.

[via StreetInsider]

Furthermore, out of those households that were polled, just 18% of those surveyed have a smart TV, while 13% of the respondents said they didn’t know whether their TV is considered “smart.” The poll also shows that those who own smart TVs actually spend less time accessing internet content through their TV than those who don’t own a smart TV, suggesting that browsing the internet on a TV isn’t as intuitive as it needs to be.

While only 47% doesn’t seem like good odds for Apple, if all 47% of those surveyed bought an Apple television, that would translate to about 56 million units sold, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. Plus, respondents also mentioned that they’re willing to pay a premium for an Apple television. 4% said they’re willing to pay over $1,000, while 10% are willing to pay over $2,000.

On average, respondents said they would pay $1,060 for an Apple television, which is a 20% higher than the average $884 for a current television set. Even though the survey may be premature, and respondents don’t know what an Apple television would consist of exactly, many of them noted that they look forward to great display quality and ease-of-use in the software — two things that Apple is notorious for.

[via AppleInsider]

That’s because the new Bluetooth menu allows you to completely control Apple TV with a wireless keyboard, no longer requiring that you use the remote or an iOS device for keyboard input. 9to5Mac claims that tracking down the content you want to watch “becomes a thousand times easier” when you’re using a physical keyboard, so there’s plenty of reason to be excited. Unfortunately, at this point in time it looks like Bluetooth pairing is rather limited.

For instance, it appears that only keyboards are supported here, as Bluetooth speakers and mice wouldn’t play nice with Apple TV. The same is true for connecting a Mac computer through Bluetooth – it’s a no go. Never fear though, because this functionality could be the first step in a larger Bluetooth roll out for Apple. Even better, it could potentially allow third parties to develop their own Bluetooth-based remotes for Apple TV, so this is definitely one feature to watch.

This functionality is available with second and third generation Apple TV boxes, so if you’re still rocking a first generation box, you’re unfortunately being left out in the cold. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Bluetooth keyboard support for Apple TV, remember, which means that the time may finally be here. Check out our story timeline below for more on Apple TV!

Still, even a reference to television is enough to get the rumor mill enthused once again. The prospect of an Apple television has been a source of long-standing speculation, with much discussion over what the company could bring to the segment, and whether its notoriously low margins would be of sufficient interest to warrant a Cupertino model.

According to the most recent batch of chatter, Apple plans to use Siri - its digital personal assistant, that allows users to give natural language instructions to their iPhone or iPad – to retire the remote and reduce the amount of button confusion. However, that could equally be embedded into an Apple TV set-top box, which although less minimalist than an all-in-one Apple television, would be easier to achieve.

Apple has, in the past, referred to Apple TV as a “hobby”, though that focus changed somewhat as sales increased. Still, the company is believed to be encountering push-back from content owners, reluctant to allow Apple to do to TV what it did to music with iTunes and the iPod.

It’s been a day of openness from Cook, who earlier confirmed that Apple was investing $100m into kickstarting manufacturing in the US. One existing Mac line will be produced in the US, Cook said, though declined to specify which particular model it would be; however, it’s worth noting that certain 2012 iMac units have been spotted with “Assembled in USA” branding.

Not content with whispers of just one 1080p smartphone, the rumor mill churned out another concerning a 1080p device from LG, while today’s the day that the iPad mini LTE and 4th gen iPad went up for sale at AT&T and Verizon stores. We heard the good news that AT&T is hitting 4G LTE roll out milestones ahead of schedule, and Apple has been granted a rather controversial patent for page-tuning animation. The crew for the next Star Wars movie is beginning to assemble, while LucasFilm said that it will begin putting out 2-3 movies a year after the release of Episode VII.

We had a lot of video game news today, with Activision announcing that Black Ops II pulled in $500 million in sales on launch day, and Sony announcing that the PS3 has hit 70 million sales worldwide. Nintendo said it won’t have Nintendo TVii ready to go by the time the Wii U launches this weekend, and Hulu launched a brand new Games Hub which users can visit to check out new video game trailers. Nintendo launched a new Pokedex app on the Japanese iOS App Store today, while Microsoft and Sony both revealed the deals they have in store for Black Friday.

We found out that a poll which claimed lagging consumer interest in Windows 8 may not be entirely trustworthy, and a new Apple HDTV product was tipped for an incoming reveal. The Google Maps app for iOS is nearing the finishing touches stage of development according to a source close to the project, while Justin Timberlake showed off the new MySpace today. Apple is killing off the Messages beta for Lion users next month, and finally tonight, scientists have discovered that human ancestors were using spears as far back as 500,000 years ago. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you enjoy the weekend folks!

When you think about a new Apple product – or the possibility of one, in this case – you have to consider how Apple would be able to market said product. They would never release a television set that just works with cable TV. That’s backward thinking. They also wouldn’t release a product that only works with online content the way the current Apple TV does – that would be a sideways move that, given the sales of the Apple TV now, wouldn’t make any sense either.

Instead you’ve got to consider how a new product would be marketable, and for Apple it’d be something like this: Apple TV, a new product that replaces your set-top box and your standard television, doing it all with a high definition display the likes of which have never been seen before! But they’d have to present an ecosystem of apps and content that could work with the device right out the gate.

Regardless of this, Kisner spoke the following: “we believe this potentially suggest an imminent launch of the Apple TV.” It’s interesting that they choose to use the term Apple TV since that’s the product that’s already on the market now as a content box that connects with Netflix and Hulu and your iPad and iPhone. But there’s nothing else to call it at the moment, is there? Apple HDTV is just about the best bet at the moment.

The shared photo streams feature allows you to view the photo streams that you create on your iOS devices on your Apple TV. You can update your photo collections and even invite friends and family to view your photos and comment on them. Also, public photo streams can be viewed through Apple’s iCloud site and now Apple TV devices.

Some of the new AirPlay features are impressive as well. You now have the ability to send audio from your Apple TV out to devices that support AirPlay, such as compatible speakers, AirPort Express devices, and other Apple TVs. You can now also password-protect AirPlay access with an on-screen code, so that no one else on your WiFi network has access to your content.

Another great feature they’ve added is iTunes account switching, which lets each member in your family have their own music or movies libraries on the Apple TV. The update brings the ability to swap between accounts quickly right on the Apple TV. Of course, you could just have one big library that combines all of your family’s content, but we know how stingy some family members can be.

The iOS 5.1 update also includes subtitle support, movie trailers, more advanced networking options, and general performance improvements and bugfixes. If you don’t yet have the update, you can grab it now by going to Settings > General > Update Software on your Apple TV.

[via MacRumors]

First you’ll want to check out the well thought out set of assumptions made by John Gruber of Daring Fireball, which say that a two-event release makes more sense than one. The first event, on September 12th indeed, there will be a new iPhone – a device which will then be released to the public on the 21st of September. Review units, he says, will also likely be seeded on the 12th of September at the event.

The second event would then be an iTunes event in the second week of October and would bring on several devices that are less fabulous all at once:

“An event where the iPad Air (cool, but just a smaller thinner cheaper iPad), new iPod Touch (cool, but just an iPhone without the phone), and maybe even new or at least updated iPod music players (eh) share the stage, tied together with the theme of consuming iTunes media content — that I can buy.” – Gruber

Then there’s another update coming from Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, a notoriously accurate source for Apple-related release information. Regarding the idea that there will be two events, the first having only “the new iPhone and iOS 6″, Dalrymple noted “Oh that Gruber is a smart fellow.” This essentially being a Bible-truth confirmation when it comes to the all-powerful tip-line that is well-connected Apple leaksters.

Have a peek at our [Apple portal] for more information on the upcoming set of devices that’ll be blowing the doors off your Apple-loving brain very, very soon, and let us know what you think of the next generation already in the mix!

Of course, Apple hasn’t said so. In fact, the company has remained tight-lipped on any and all plans it might have. Rather than tip its hand and give up its plans, Apple has decided to let the rumor mill do all of the work.

Given that, I’m going to assume, at least for the time being, that the rumor mill is correct in its assumptions. And upon doing that, I’m going to lament the idea that Apple is even considering launching a set-top box rather than the long-rumored (and more-desirable) television it was supposed to be working on.

Maybe it’s just me, but I was excited at the prospect of owning an Apple television. The company has a flair for the dramatic and could have very well offered up something that sets apart its television from all others available today.

And how might have Apple done so? The company would have undoubtedly delivered a high-end screen in its television, and probably would have offered an application marketplace for those who would want to extend its functionality. Apple would have, in some ways, set a new trend in the television market.

By launching a set-top box, Apple isn’t really doing anything that excites me. I already have an Apple TV, a TiVo, a Roku set-top box, and a Blu-ray player. Why would I need anything else? Moreover, what would make Apple’s set-top box so valuable that I would disconnect those devices to use its own?

I’m sure there are many Apple fans out there that can answer that question. They’d argue that Apple’s set-top box would come with an App Store and a software experience that could trump its competitors’ offerings. Moreover, they’d claim that Apple’s device would have more cable partnerships and a general design that would look nice in the entertainment center. It would be a must-buy, they argue.

I can understand that argument, and it’s awfully compelling. But perhaps I’m displeased with the thought of an Apple set-top box because I already know that a television could have been in the works. I’ve had my heart set on an Apple television for months now, only to have the rug pulled out from under me with the prospect of the company launching a set-top box.

It’s not that a set-top box isn’t appealing – it is. But a television with all of the same functionality built right in is, well, better. And to not want that over a set-top box would be rather ridiculous, don’t you think?

So, count me as one of those who are extremely displeased with news of Apple considering launching a set-top box. Unless it’s designed to be the precursor for the television and not its replacement, I won’t be happy.

One of the most indicative factors here is the move by Jefferies & Co. in raising their price target for the stock from $800 to $900 USD, while Apple’s valuation hits $600 billion in all. With Apple’s notoriously secret ways denying the public a perfect vision for the next-generation handheld smart device, the iPhone 5′s new cycle dominance is somewhat of a phenomenon. It’s no new hat though to Apple.

The Jeffries analyst responsible for the price upgrade earlier today, Peter Misek, described the product launch coming up quick as “the biggest handset launch in history.” With the supposed actual product launch landing before the end of September and each and every single rumor, tip, and supposed leak post here on SlashGear getting massive attention from readers, we can’t say we disagree. No matter what Apple reveals in the next-generation iPhone, it’s bound to make waves.

Apple analyst Gene Munster contributed to the fervor earlier this week with a projection that should Apple release a new iPhone 10 days before the end of September, they’d see sales to the tune of 26 million to 28 million devices sold by the end of the month. At the moment, Apple sits at the current numbers that are sure to make those who are currently holding stock in the company rather joyous:

• Profit margin: 26.97 percent
• Operating margin: 35.62 percent
• Return on equity: 44.32 percent
• Quarterly revenue growth (year-to-year): 22.6 percent
• Gross profit: $43.82 billion

Check the timeline below to see more information on the iPhone 5 – or whatever Apple ends up calling it – and also check out our portals for the iPad and the Apple TV to see what other rumors on Apple devices have been cropping up. With massive cults of rumor spreaders like Apple has now, it’s no wonder they need such heavy defenses, and no wonder why there’s such great anticipation for final product launches, too!

[via CNET]

If you’ve got a product that’s selling moderately well, you don’t go out and make a much more risky product that does essentially the same thing as the first. The Apple TV as it exists today is a conduit through which iTunes can function and users can bring the Apple entertainment experience to any display they like. Apple also sells displays .

Apple does not needlessly combine products when they’ve already got them on the market selling at least moderately well. An Apple Television – that is to say a full television set, not just a box that connects to any large display – would be a product made to be limited.

With iTunes, Apple has been keeping everything in the family for many years – media, operating system, hardware, and even support. Apple even sells products from their own store, which they run. It does not follow that they would meet up with networks in the television industry to grab their service 3rd hand.

Therefor hear this: Apple will not make a television set any time soon. Unless they make the current Apple TV into a magical hot item and top seller – it currently is not – they will not move forward in the television industry. It just doesn’t make sense for them to do so.

However, amid all of the talk of a new MacBook Pro with a Retina display and discussions on Apple’s new mobile and desktop operating systems, the Apple TV was overlooked. And those of us who actually want to run apps on our televisions were left to hope it might happen another day.

There’s just one issue: since WWDC, discussions on a new Apple TV have dried up. We haven’t heard of any improvements to the device’s operating system nor discussions on developers bringing their apps to the device. There hasn’t even been a rumor mentioning the possibility of a new Apple set-top box launching sometime soon.

So, what gives? Has Apple’s highly touted ability to keep everything secret won yet again? Or is it possible that the rumors were nonsense in the beginning, and those of us who own an Apple TV will never get the update we so deeply desire?

Unfortunately, I’m starting to think that it’s the latter. For years now, Apple has called its set-top box a hobby, and although it doesn’t like to use that moniker nowadays, the device really is. Like it or not, Apple doesn’t really care all that much about the Apple TV, and it has proven to be an afterthought for the company for far too many years.

Realizing that, I’ve decided to ignore all Apple TV rumors that might arise in the next several months. The way I see it, Apple cares most about its iPhone, iPad, and Macs, and the company is more than likely working on a television. To worry about updating a device that comes in at $99 and many consumers don’t even know about would be a mistake from a business perspective.

Admittedly, it’s not the end of the world for me. As much as I’d like to have an App Store on my Apple TV, I have applications running on my current Samsung HDTVs. At this point, I really only use my Apple TV to watch television shows or movies I download or to stream some of my music. Beyond that, I ignore it.

But that could all change if Apple actually started caring about the Apple TV. And if those rumors could eventually come true, I think there would be millions of the device’s owners who would be awfully happy to have that extra functionality.

Don’t hold your breath, though. Unfortunately, the Apple TV is slowly but surely meeting its maker. And within the next year or so, it’s quite possible it’ll be discontinued and throw into the grand junk heap of tech goodies that couldn’t hold out for long.

Based on the reports surrounding Apple’s television at the moment, I can all but guarantee that I’ll be buying one. I love the idea of iCloud integration and I firmly believe that it’ll come with an App Store. Better yet, it’ll deliver high-quality visuals that should make its competition reevaluate their future decisions.

The only thing I don’t like hearing, though, is talk of Apple requiring iPhone and iPad owners use their mobile devices to control the television. Yes, it’s a forward-thinking idea, but it’s a bad one.

The fact is, we can use the iPhone and iPad as a remote right now. On my Apple TV, for example, I can control everything the device does with Apple’s nifty Remote app. But that Remote app is designed for a simple box and even simpler functionality. The remote’s featureset just won’t translate to a sophisticated television.

Like it or not, today’s remotes, as ugly and big, and old school as they might be, are a necessary evil. Physical buttons that light up at night make it easy for us to choose a channel, increase the volume, and perform other activities. And with some help from a physical keyboard built into some of those remotes, we can quickly type out just about anything.

A touchscreen-based remote, however, tends to fall short. For one thing, we’ll always need to be looking down just to find out what buttons we need to press. And our current practice of sliding our finger over to a button based on muscle memory alone will be gone. Using the iPhone or iPad as a remote in some ways will take us back in time.

That said, I can see some value in using an iDevice to control my new Apple television. I like the idea of using it to type in credentials into an application or even making it a secondary screen that delivers more information than what’s on the television. For example, if I’m watching a baseball game, it would be great if that broadcast shipped over to my iPhone – likely through an additional application running on the handset – some information on the batter, who’s up next, and other key data.

But as a remote, I don’t see much value in the iPhone and iPad. Apple can certainly create some nifty applications and I won’t deny that the company has come up with features that have blown us away. But controlling a television is very basic and needs some physical buttons. A mobile device featuring only a touchscreen just won’t get it done.

Ditch plans for the iDevices controlling your televisions, Apple. The future is still in the past with physical remotes.

The project known as OUYA has gotten another big update for those anticipating the full system: Final Fantasy III assurance from the folks at Square Enix. The film Skyfall has been given a brand new trailer complete with more bombs, guns, and 007 than you can handle! There’s a new collection of LRO photos up now showing that most of the USA’s planted flags there still stand proudly.

The folks at RIM will likely be cutting 3,000 jobs on the 13th of August as BlackBerry continues to drain out. Microsoft has made a change to Bing search results in Facebook tagging galore! Motion tracking group Leap Motion is getting ready to ship their first big product in February 2013 as 26,000 developers jump on board for the future of next-level tracking.

There’s a brand new Sony Xperia Tablet out in the wild. Samsung is getting prepared to work on an 11-inch 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution tablet for all to love and hold. There’s a new app out there ready to take on Siri and Google Now: Saga, available for your perusal. NASA’s Grand Entrance videos coming out now will feature William Shatner and Wil Wheaton for all the nerds to love.

Apple, so the rumors go, had put the Hulu Plus Apple TV app on ice over concerns that it could bite into its own iTunes revenue. The delay was not said to be a technical one, with all elements of software and service ready for action, with Apple instead suspecting that Hulu Plus subscribers might be less likely to spend money renting or purchasing movies from its own download store.

Muddying the waters were Hulu Plus’ existing iOS apps, available on the iPad and iPhone, and which already offered access to the subscription based streaming media service. At the time it was suspected that the absence of AirPlay streaming support for the apps that was all that had prevented Apple from denying its a place in the App Store; users would simply be too lazy to plug in an HDMI cable and adapter.

Availability on the Apple TV, however, makes opting for Hulu Plus rather than iTunes far more straightforward. Hulu hasn’t mentioned the delay in its blog post on the new functionality, and Apple was apparently content to push it out without fanfare.

Apple TV has seen a sales boom in its third-generation, though Apple itself still refers to the set-top box as a hobby among its range. The company has seen long-standing rumors suggesting it is working on a full television set as part of a more forceful challenge to the living room.

Featured: And in the category of featured stories today, we have a couple fascinating ones. We’ll start by showcasing this one – Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core tops the benchmark charts [Hands-on]. And moving right along to our editorial side of things, here is our featured column for today – Define “failure”: 26m iPhones, good or bad? Keep reading on for the other big stories of the day…

Diablo III, Bourne Legacy, & Ferrari: So here are the other stories making waves today. In the world of gaming, the big title these days is Diablo III, so check this out – Advocacy group threatens legal action over Diablo III always-on DRM. Also, we check into the entertainment world with this – Bourne Legacy behind-the-scenes shows genetically modified action. And finally – 60 Ferrari F40s congregate at Silverstone to celebrate 25th anniversary.

To further drive the point home, Apple didn’t release information on the Apple TV inside their normal sales report, relying instead on the question and answer section to allow the facts appear on their own. Asking what Apple was planning on doing with the Apple TV and what their “updated thoughts” on the system were, the response was simple.

“We sold 1.3 million last quarter, up more than 170% year over year. That brings our fiscal year to 4 million units. This is pretty incredible. It’s all still at a level that we would call a “hobby”, but we’ll continue to pull the string to see where it takes us. Apple is not one to keep around projects that we don’t believe in. There are a lot of people here that believe in Apple TV, and we’ll continue to invest.”

Past quarters yielded numbers such as 100,000 units sold in the first month of sales of the Apple TV back in 2007, with well over a million units sold by the holiday season of that year. The fourth quarter of 2008 had unit sales tripling the fourth quarter of 2007, and the first quarter of 2009 again tripled sales compared to the same quarter the year before as well.

Stick around as Apple’s investment in the Apple TV continues, and check the timeline below to keep up to date with the last few blips on the system as well.

Well, that is, if you disregard the fact that Apple hasn’t said that it’s actually planning to launch the television.

In fact, as with its many other products, Apple has decided to go with radio silence on any speculation that it’s launching a television. The company is content with people wondering and the rumor mill crafting stories. It’s a formula that has worked exceedingly well for Apple over the last several years.

But I can’t help but wonder if the formula might fall short this time around. Yes, hiding the truth about televisions will be a solid idea from a hype perspective, but can it really hold up in a marketplace where people are buying new products every decade or so?

See, the nice thing about secrecy in the smartphone or tablet market is that it doesn’t really matter what people have now. If they like the $200 iPhone Apple just announced or that really cool $500 iPad, they’re going to get a new device, regardless of the fact that they already own a smartphone or tablet.

Televisions, however, are a different story. Today’s sets go for anywhere between a few hundred dollars for entry-level televisions to sets costing over $2,000 for something really nice. When people plunk down that much cash for a television, they’re expecting it to last them a long time.

Realizing that, perhaps Apple should start talking about a television if it is, in fact, considering launching a set. After all, with each new major television purchase, Apple is losing a potential customer to Samsung, LG, and others. And the chances of it getting them to spend another, say, $2,000 for a television anytime soon seems slim.

Simply put, the millions of people that will buy televisions worldwide this year might not be Apple customers for at least a decade.

By announcing its television now, Apple has the luxury of stopping would-be television buyers from actually doing so. Why buy that Samsung, those people might say, when Apple is planning to launch something even better in the next few months? By not being secretive, Apple can actually do more harm than good to its competitors.

But alas, I know I’m talking to a wall. Apple has only one mode when it comes to its products, and that’s secrecy. The very idea of tipping its hand is enough to send the human resources department through its headquarters in Cupertino to remind everyone that a single leak can mean termination.

Apple’s no-nonsense policy has helped the company considerably in the past. But I’m concerned that it might actually fail Apple this time around.

Google TV has already addressed what was perhaps its biggest flaw: using Intel processors initially, rather than ARM chipsets. Those x86 chips were more power hungry, less high-def media capable, and – crucially – more expensive than the sort of CPUs running most smart TVs and set-top boxes, meaning first-gen Google TV hardware was hot, over-priced and underwhelming in performance in comparison.

Now, with ARM at its core, Google TV has sidestepped the performance and price conundrum. What’s left is a legitimate play for an holistic ecosystem within which it can slot: not just “here’s the internet overlaid onto your TV” but a compelling portfolio of interactivity features that combine with Google’s other strengths in phones, tablets, Chrome OS and the cloud.

So far, you see, companies still aren’t convinced that Google TV is the way to go. Only last week we saw LG announce a smart TV proposal of its own, diluting its own Google TV commitment from CES back in January with an alternative strategy it’s shopping around competitors. Google TV’s lack of existing traction in the segment means there’s little motivation to adopt it; if it also had the combined heft of Android on mobile devices at its back, however, that would be a far more alluring proposition for OEMs.

Is a Nexus Google TV the way forward? It’s still probably too early for that; Google has previously saved its “reference designs” for when products are midway into market penetration, and when manufacturers are beginning to stray from the company line. If there’s any new Nexus at Google I/O this week it’s most likely to be a tablet.

Nonetheless, with third-party application support now onboard, and ARM at its core, Google TV is likely to be more of a platform play than a standalone revolution in the living room. Tablets and phones are already finding themselves in regular circulation among sofa-surfers as second screens, something Apple is yet to join the dots on with the iPad and Apple TV. If Google can not only announce its own portfolio of connected services, but push them to the new hardware with alacrity, then it stands a chance of giving Google TV the reboot it deserves.

SlashGear is at Google I/O 2012 this week, so stand-by for all the news worth reading!

But alas, as Apple showed off the new iOS 6 and Mountain Lion, and unveiled the MacBook Pro with Retina display, the company made no mention of the Apple TV. And at least for now, third-party application development won’t be coming to the set-top box.

But I’m not so sure we should stop at “for now.” Apple has made it clear in the past that it has no interest in turning the Apple TV into anything more than a hobby. And the very fact that it didn’t even mention the device during its keynote address seems to indicate to me that it has turned its back on the set-top box.

It’s unfortunate. I’ve been a major fan of the Apple TV since it first launched. And although the latest iteration that lacks storage and forces users to stream content is a bit annoying, it has a lot of promise. With some help from apps, who knows what this set-top box could achieve?

For now, I’m not sure what Apple has planned. On one hand, I wonder if the company will finally announce the long-rumored television and put to an end all of the speculation surrounding that device. More importantly, it’ll put to an end any and all concern that the company doesn’t want to make a splash in the living room.

But what if Apple actually doesn’t announce a television? What if the company has secretly decided against a television, and has turned its back on the living room? What will that mean for the floundering Apple TV? And what could it mean for Google, which obviously has its sights set on that room?

I suppose that when it’s all said and done, I’m fine with Apple eliminating the Apple TV. Yes, I’m a fan of the set-top box, but let’s face it: if Apple doesn’t care, why should I? As days continue to go by with Apple even mentioning its set-top box, I can’t help but resign to the fact that it wants us all to forget about the Apple TV. Maybe I, like so many others, should give in to that demand and move on.

Third-party apps could have been the game-changer that we’re all looking for in the living room. It could have delivered the kind of overall productivity we just don’t have when relaxing at night. Instead, it focused on all of its other products.

So long, Apple TV. It was nice knowing you.

The Apple TV is based on the same underlying iOS platform as the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and indeed now uses a custom single-core version of the Apple A5 chipset found in some of the mobile products. However, so far Apple has proved reluctant to enable the third-party software support on the STB, perhaps because of user-interface differences between apps for TVs and apps for handheld devices.

That, though, may well be changing next week. An SDK would telegraph a significant evolution of the Apple TV, from hobby to a more central position in the company’s line-up. It could also pave the way for the long-rumored Apple television set, which is believed to use Siri to replace the usual button-encrusted remote supplied with HDTVs.

Full details will be shared at WWDC 2012 next week, and SlashGear will be liveblogging the keynoate at live.slashgear.com from 10AM PST on June 11. There’s a roundup of what you can expect – including new MacBook Pro models and iOS 6 - here.