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Friday, October 28, 2011

TV / Tech Today in Technology: Apple TVs and Cheap, Cheap Tablets

Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 3:34 PM

High End: Now that everyone seems pretty certain that Apple is going to make a TV, commentators are beginning to wonder what that TV will look like, and how Apple will try to change the television industry the way they changed the music industry. Nick Bilton of the New York Times says that Siri will be integral:

It’s the stuff of science fiction. You sit on your couch and rather than fumble with several remotes or use hand gestures, you simply talk: “Put on the last episode of Gossip Girl.” “Play the local news headlines.” “Play some Coldplay music videos.” Siri does the rest.

And Gruber says that channels will be the new apps:

Imagine watching a baseball game on a TV where ESPN is a smart app, not a dumb channel. When you’re watching a game, you could tell the TV to show you the career statistics for the current batter. You could ask the HBO app which other movies this actress has been in. Point is: it’d be better for both viewers and the networks1 if a TV “channel” were an interactive app rather than a mere single stream of video.

If Apple is going to do this, they're going to have to hit the biggest home run in the history of the company, which is really saying something. It's going to have to be so simple, we won't believe we ever used those dumb old stone-age TVs we're using today.

Low End: VentureBeat has a look at India's new $60 tablet. It's intended for educational purposes, and it doesn't look half bad!

Some kid who uses this thing will wind up changing the world one day.

Comments (15) RSS

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The real fun will kick in when Apple restricts what kind of content you can view on their, uh, I mean your TV.

Posted by dicon on October 28, 2011 at 3:41 PM

"Put on the last episode of Gossip Girl.” “Play the local news headlines.” “Play some Coldplay music videos.” Siri does the rest.

Microsoft announced that feature for Xbox 360/Kinect back in June: http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press…

Shhh, don't tell Goldy. He thinks Apple invents everything.

Posted by Zeusifer on October 28, 2011 at 3:57 PM

Even better, Microsoft's press release used the same example of listening to Coldplay.

Posted by Zeusifer on October 28, 2011 at 3:59 PM

I hear that tablet is made from 100% pure lead.

Posted by Todd on October 28, 2011 at 4:02 PM

If the software is anything like the AppleTV 2G, then its just going to be a PPV device, built into the HDTV itself. One that you might not be able to jailbreak. I have two Apple TV devices at home and they are utterly useless unless you jailbreak them.

With GoogleTV 3.1 about to be released, chances are you'll get those same voice features because the keyboard lets you do the same thing. But unless GoogleTV 3.1 supports a wide range of codecs, it too will be a PPV box.

Posted by Kinison

on October 28, 2011 at 4:04 PM

@5: That's strange, I use my AppleTV's every day for watching Netflix, YouTube, etc. I guess our definitions of 'utterly useless' differ.

Posted by tiktok on October 28, 2011 at 4:16 PM

This would be more exciting if it was a lack of technological innovation that was stagnating our entertainment experience, and not the basic tenants of business and licensing. No conversation with a television is going to make up for the fact that my girlfriend and I spent a good half hour the other night throwing movie softballs at her AppleTV and it struck out every time.

I hate that I just said "entertainment experience", too.

The majority of my television viewing I do via a Roku/Hulu Plus, and even with the restricted "web only" content I encounter, I can't help but feel like the other shoe is still waiting to fall. Apple becoming a bigger player in this field is—based on their track record—only going to make the shoe that much louder.

Posted by Dougsf on October 28, 2011 at 4:25 PM

The only technology I'll really get excited about is when someone invents reliable, realistic, and cheap robot women that I can have sex with.

/did I just write that out loud?

Posted by Urgutha Forka on October 28, 2011 at 4:31 PM

@6

And if you dont subscribe to netflix? Oh boy! 99$ to watch YouTube videos?! Where do I sign up!!!?

When jailbroken, you can install XBMC, then install Video Add-Ons that let you directly stream Comedy Central, TBS, TNT, PBS, CBS, Front Row (live sports), ESPN3, etc, etc.

XMBC also plays back from a wide variety of audio and video codecs. It relaly make the AppleTV worth using when jailbroken.

Posted by Kinison

on October 28, 2011 at 4:32 PM

Goldy's not going to post the fucking thing, so I will. Remember when Apple products weren't cool, but dorky?

http://blog.signalnoise.com/2011/10/12/1…

Posted by Fnarf

on October 28, 2011 at 4:50 PM

Oh cool, so the content on Apple TV, not Apple TV, will be just like the stuff that the Kinect was shown to do 4-5 months ago?

"Apple TV play Gossip Girl. I want to masturbate." sounds a lot like "xbox play Mad Men season two episode four."

Posted by Devin on October 28, 2011 at 5:07 PM

What @1 @3 and Big Brother said.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on October 28, 2011 at 5:34 PM

The XBox Kinect implementation gives me hives. Thing is, I don't WANT to have to talk to my fucking TV. Apple TV, play Hulu - The Office - next episode I haven't watched sounds nifty, but it will have to work 100% of the time for me to not be totally pissed off by it.

Posted by NaFun

on October 28, 2011 at 6:35 PM

What's that smell? It's not apples exactly. Smells familiar though, like I've caught that scent before, long ago. As a matter of fact, it smells an awful lot like...

WebTV

...come to think about it.

Posted by Timrrr on October 29, 2011 at 2:15 AM

All this talk about "awkward remote controls" reminds me of those informercials where they over-exaggerate how TERRIBLE whatever tool you currently use is and how you NEED the new wiz-bang crapfest they're about to try and sell you.

@10 - if you notice all the comments on that page you posted about dorky apple products are filled with people saying "awesome! I want!" ... Hipster-ironic consumerism is truly a rot in our culture.

Posted by veo_ on October 29, 2011 at 6:27 PM