Apple Gaining Partners for Testing Siri Features on iTV
The Apple iTV rumors are starting to gain some speed after several reports claim that Apple has not only been after new partners for the expected Apple HDTV, but that they are already testing the Siri-enabled iTV features. To support these claims, a document was leaked online from Best Buy highlighting some of the features to be expected. This not only puts to rest the 'rumor' that Apple is making an iTV, but also what we should expect as a price point. In the Best Buy document, the Apple iTV is said to be a 42inch 1080 LED display, has App Store integration for purchasing programs, movies and apps, iCloud service integration for media storage, Netflix pre-installed, YouTube and Flickr apps and FaceTime camera for video chats. The Apple iTV will also, according to this document, be running iOS and cost around $1,499 USD to start.
To keep the rumor mill running, a report from Bloomberg states that Apple may be working with Verizon Wireless and AT&T for exclusive and non-exclusive content access for the iTV. There is also speculation that two Canadian carriers are currently testing the Apple iTV and it's features. One of the most talked about features will be the Siri voice interaction. With Siri voice control, this gets rid of the need to have a remote control for the iTV, allowing users to say voice commands such as "Watch 'The Mentalist'. There are of course remote apps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that can control the iTV as well, if voice control is not preferred.
The Apple iTV is expected to launch later this year, and is said to revolutionize the way we watch TV, just like the iPad revolutionized personal computing.
Sources - Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail
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