“Canada’s largest telecommunications companies are squaring off in a fight about the future of television,” Rita Trichur, Grant Robertson, Boyd Erman and Steve Ladurantaye report for The Globe and Mail. “Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. are in talks with Apple Inc. to become Canadian launch partners for its much-hyped Apple iTV, a product that has the potential to revolutionize TV viewing by turning conventional televisions into gigantic iPads.”
“While the iTV product remains cloaked in secrecy, sources say Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple has approached Rogers and Bell as it actively pursues partnerships with Canadian carriers,” Trichur, Robertson, Erman and Ladurantaye report. “‘They’re not closed to doing it with one [company] or doing it with two,’ said one source who is familiar with the talks. ‘They’re looking for a partner. They’re looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities.’ Another source, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Rogers and Bell already have the product in their labs.”
Trichur, Robertson, Erman and Ladurantaye report, “The product reportedly integrates Siri, Apple’s voice-recognition software that acts as a personal assistant on the latest iPhone, into television sets to help viewers make programming choices. Viewers can then control the TV by voice or hand gestures, all from the comfort of a couch. An on-screen keyboard, meanwhile, can also be activated in a similar manner, allowing viewers to surf the web, conduct video chats and use social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook – all without any physical interface. Jeffries analyst Peter Misek said an analysis of Apple’s patents suggests its iTV product will likely be interoperable with mobile devices, while also functioning as a gaming platform.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Canuckie C. Canuckster” for the heads up.]
That was some horrible journalism.
“… to revolutionize TV viewing by turning conventional televisions into gigantic iPads.”
Really? Giant iPads?
Also…
“the product reportedly integrates…” –l to revolutionize TV viewing by turning conventional televisions into gigantic iPads.” No. It has not been “reported”, it’s been speculated.
I hate this type of misleading crap.
My 2nd paragraph got messed up by iPhone edit error. Ignore.
If only it had 4″ screen to have a better view of what you wrote.
I’m just really bad at thumb typing.
iTV has already been released! See http://www.itv.com
And they’ll have to choose a different name.
Well if Apple is partnering with Robbers Communications and Hell you can kiss competitive rates goodbye.
Bogus rumor. Since when Apple grants access to its top secret prototypes to anyone, but Joni’s eyes?
Sounds like gaming systems like Nintendo’s Wii are about to get their ass kicked, hard. Remains to be seen if this will be able to support the kinds of games hard core gamers would like or if it’s just App Store “Gaming Lite.”. I hope too that one will be able to modularly upgrade the CPU since the TV itself would be good or years and you shouldn’t have to upgrade the display as well.
Not if it means buying a new TV. Making this a TV rather than a setup box (ATV3) is a horrible idea.
Better not be exclusive to either. Apple doesn’t need the extra cash or exposure by going with a single-source launch.
If there’s one utility hated as much as the big mobile carriers, it’s the major cable/satellite and internet provider companies. Doesn’t help that they’re one and the same in most of Canada, a massive conflict of interest that should never have been allowed to happen.
Could iTV be the first product to use the 3D interface Apple was granted a patent for recently?
An interesting note: What if iTV didn’t have to connect to cable/satellite for its content, but instead used wireless/LTE/broadband services? That could simply cut the cable companies out of the equation entirely.
No! Please! Don’t do that Apple!
Bell and Rogers? Holy hell, shoot me now.
So we’ll have to sign up for some BS plan with an ISP to use the TV.
Wonderful.