Apple TV: Apple discussing Siri, motion controls
Apple is discussing its TV plans with major media partners, and sounds like it'll be a streaming behemoth.
Apple TV could be closer than we thought. The Cupertino company is discussing its future vision for TV with media execs at several large companies, The Wall Street Journal reports.
And the big news? It looks like it will have Siri for voice recognition, as well as respond to motion controls. Minority Report-style viewing could be just months away…
Senior vice president Eddy Cue is the man holding the meetings. He's been outlining new ways Apple's tech will bring together everything stored on your phone, tablet and TV, according to people familiar with the talks.
In at least one meeting, Apple reportedly described future tech that'll respond to voice and movements, so you could search for a show or change channels just by speaking. We also like the idea of changing volume by waggling our fingers up or down, but maybe that's just us.
Apple is yet to give out any concrete details on the hardware itself. The Journal reports the company was "vague" and is yet to make proposals to license shows. One feature outlined was allowing you to start watching something on TV, then carry on later from where you left off using your smart phone or tablet. Nothing ground-breaking there, but nice nonetheless.
These meetings aren't purely at Apple's behest: some media companies contacted Apple for an update on what's happening with its TV plans. No doubt said media companies have been reading about the Apple TV rumours on CNET UK.
Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson that he wanted a standalone TV set to sync with other Apple devices, and it sounded like it wasn't just pie in the sky. "It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine," Jobs said. "I finally cracked it."
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