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After covering CES and Macworld all week, we somehow let the Apple TV slip by without giving it a fair share on the site. During Steve Job’s keynote, he announced what was previously codenamed the iTV. The Apple TV is Apple, Inc.’s solution to bridging the gap between the computer and the living room. It allows you to wirelessly play all your iTunes content from your Mac or PC on your TV, including movies, TV shows, music, photos and podcasts.

“Apple TV is like a DVD player for the 21st century—you connect it to your entertainment system just like a DVD player, but it plays digital content you get from the Internet rather than DVDs you get from a physical store,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Apple TV plays the same iTunes content that users enjoy on their computers and iPods, so now they can even watch part of a movie in their living room, and watch the rest later on their iPod.”

Apple TV has a 40GB hard drive to store up to 50 hours of video, 9,000 songs, 25,000 photos or a combination of each and is capable of delivering 720p output. It comes standard with HDMI, component video, and analog and optical audio ports, and it hooks up to your computer and internet via 802.11b/g/n. Apple TV can auto-sync content from one computer or stream content from up to five additional computers right to your TV. Apple TV requires an enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen TV. It also ships with a remote that works from up to 30 feet away.

The Apple TV and Remote will be shipping in February for $299.

Read [Apple]

As we chat about in our Apple MacWorld post (don’t forget to submit your thoughts to enter our giveaway), there is a ton of speculation regarding what Apple will do in 2007. As MacWorld 2007 quickly approaches (it begins Tuesday of next week), we are starting to get reports of what Steve Jobs will address in his keynote.

Back at Apple’s “It’s Show Time” event in September, Steve Jobs decided that it was time to reveal Apple’s entry into your living room via a home A/V wireless streaming device dubbed the “iTV.” Jobs said that the device would hit stores in Q1 of 2007 but did not provide a more precise time. AppleInsider has reason to believe that the iTV will be a part of the keynote address—we may actually even get final specs—but consumers should not expect the unit to hit stores for a few more months. It seems that Apple has run into a few snags getting Mac’s OSX operating system to run in a new media function (ala a Windows XP/Vista Media Center Edition competitor).

When released, you can expect the device to have Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi, component video, HDMI, optical audio, and although not yet officially announced, I expect it to have an internal hard drive (to add DVR functionality), all for a price tag around $299.

The shared software foundation between Macs and iTV also paves the way for Apple to more closely tie the streaming media device to the upcoming iLife ‘07 and Leopard operating system releases, of which several features remain “top secret.” And it’s almost a sure bet that Jobs & Co. will be up for some disclosure in that regard as well come next Tuesday.

Read [AppleInsider]

Wow if this doesn’t create excitement what does? Apple has changed their homepage image to the one seen above.

The first 30 years were just the beginning. Welcome to 2007.

As if there was not enough buzz around the company, they have certainly succeeded in reinvigorating the rumors and longing for shiny new gadgets and software in 2007. We already know that Apple will be upgrading their OS, from Tiger to Leopard around Q3 2007 as well as entering the living room space via the “iTV.” Other expectations are a HD Apple Cinema display with HDMI, Blu-ray support for the Mac Pro, the long awaited Apple phone, as well as the forever rumored video iPod.

Can we expect other new products/services from Apple? Be sure of it. How about some thinner, faster, sleeker MacBook Pros, maybe a MacBook tablet, doubling the memory of the nano and shuffle, HD iTunes downloads, more movie studios on iTunes, as well as other gadgets here and there.

Gadgetell Contest: We want to know what your Apple wishes are for 2007. Post them as a comment below and we’ll pick five winners at random. If you win, we will send one of the following items:

• Altec Lansing’s M602 iPod speaker dock ($199)


• Altec Lansing im500 iPod speaker dock ($129)


• Myvu personal media view for the iPod ($299)


• DLO Homedock ($99)

The rules…

The Rules:

• You may only enter this contest one time


• The winners will be sent a notice via email and has 72 hours to reply with their mailing address to claim their prize — make sure you use a valid email address


• You will be shipped your prize as soon as we get it into the mail, but don’t worry it’s coming


• Contest only valid in the continental 48 states


• Contest is open until 11:59pm PST on Friday, January 5, 2007


• Gadgetell has the right to use any and all submissions in any way, shape or form; but will never sell your submission nor your contact information.

Good luck!

According to AppleInsider’s sources, Apple has three new iPod models on their roadmap for 2007.  Details are skimpy at this time, but they’re reporting that one of the new models will likely be the FULL video iPod.  Until now, Steve Jobs “has so far been unwilling to commit the marketing and other resources necessary to bring the device to market.” Others are saying Steve just wants to get a better feeling for how popular the new iTV and iTunes Movie Store will be before dumping millions into the product.  We all know he’ll eventually come around.  No info yet on what the other two iPods could be, but I’m sure we’ll catch word soon.

Last fall when Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced plans to launch iTV by Q1 2007, it wasn’t very clear what direction they would go with it.  Would they simply use it as a wireless set-top-box that streams content from your iTunes collection to your TV?  Would they wire it to your cable and have their own TiVo-like DVR unit?  If the past is any predictor of the future, everything that’s hit the streets so far is a RUMOR… and that’s it.  Products are rumors until they’re announced, and that’s what this one is.  Matt over at PVRBlog is reporting on a ”Wild rumor” that hit his inbox recently.

Apple will be licensing TiVo patented technology for iTV. Also, the name iTV has changed to Mac Media Capsule

Yeah… that’s what I thought.  This one goes down as one of the most unlikely scenerios to be included in Steve’s announcement at Macworld 2007.  Let’s be honest here.  If Apple was going to make a DVR, they would want to OWN the technology as well as sell it.  They would have their good old friends at Hon Hai Precision (AKA Foxconn) whip them up the unit from scratch.

Apple is smart enough to realize a streaming set-top-box will not appeal to the mass market.  If they’re only targeting Apple fanboys, then this would be the product they would release.  However, like I said… they’re smarter than that.

Read [PVRBlog]
Via [SeekingAlpha]

Every year day the Apple rumor mill chugs along offering more and more bogus stories. This propaganda tends to especially heat up before each Apple conference, including MacWorld. This year, there’s been so much hype about Apple and its plans (iTV, Leopard, iPhone, iLife, MacPro, a tablet...) that we are probably setting ourselves up for a major disappointment. Nonetheless, Thomas Fitzgerald had decided to jump the gun early and list out his predictions in three areas: certainties, probable, and possible but unlikely—sounds like a crap-shoot to me.

Keep in mind that he claims, “These are not secret files I have received or inside information, just careful analysis of the current thoughts and public rumors.”

Certainties

• OS X Leopard - Apple will show and possibly announce a ship date (March/April) for Leopard at MacWorld. Which “top secret” features are shared is another thing.


• 2.iLife 07 - There is no new speculation as to what might be included in the new iLife suite, however I suspect iWeb will probably get the most work, it being the youngest of the Applications.


• 3.iTV - We’ll finally get an official name, maybe a release date, and more spec/feature info.

Probable

• MacPro revisions - Quad core Intel Xeon processors


• Revised Cinema Displays - Refresh needed


• MacMini Revision - Core 2 Duo refresh


• iPhone - Ah, the Apple branded cell phone. The one thing however that does suggest an iPhone’s imminent release is that Apple hasn’t denied it. If they don’t release one at this stage, their share price is going to tank.


• Full Screen iPod - Based on numerous patents and a rumor started on think secret well over a year ago, the full-screen iPod is the Apple rumor that just won’t die.

Possible but Unlikely

• Apple Tablet - They could have their own interesting take, possibly something similar to the UMPC’s


• MacBook Sub Notebook - AKA a Sony’s Viaos TX, cool but unlikely

There is a little taste to get you into the MacWorld cheer. For more, head over to Thomas’ site.

Read [Thomas
Fitzgerald]

On October 12, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple’s patent application titled ‘Apparatus and method to facilitate universal remote control’ uncovered Apple’s patent for what we assume is the iTV. The patent was originally filed in August 2005 for a method to command a universal remote control for controlling multiple home A/V appliances.

The patent reveals that the new remote will work with a plurality of appliances which includes one or more of a television, a video tape player, a video disk player, a stereo, a home control system, and a computer system with remotely controllable software (for example: a DVD player, a CD player, an MP3 player, or slideshow presentation software). The patent notes that this application is not restricted to only electronic appliances, but could also be used to control programs and functions that run on a computer system.

Overall the patent is not very revolutionary but does give a glimps of what is to come from Apple in January...a set-top box.

Read much more [MacNN]

It’s been many weeks since we spoke to you last but the CE trends have not changed. Microsoft has announced the Zune and Apple hyped up new iPods and movies at their “Showtime” event. I wouldn’t call this podcast a news report as Doug and Adam dive into some great debates about how essential iTunes is to the iPod, if the Zune can actually survive, how Microsoft is copping Nintendo, and much more. Listen in to this portable audio edition of the Gadgetell podcast.

This podcast was once again sponsored by GoDaddy.com and comes with a 10% off coupon. It was also made possible by Gizmo Project, PodServe, and Plantronics extremely high quality and comfortable .Audio 510 USB computer headsets.

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