Citing Topeka Capital analyst Brian White, BGR reports that Apple will finally launch its long-rumored HDTV in the second half of 2013. According to the report, during his meeting with supply chain sources in China and Taiwan, White gleaned information from “unnamed sources” that convinced him that Apple’s “iTV” will be launched by the end of 2013 and it will include “a major innovation that will revolutionize the TV experience.”

Although according to BGR, White “has reported accurate details about unannounced Apple products in the past,” this time the analyst reveals some information that are really hard to believe:

First of all, we believe “iTV” will be 60-inches in size (but could also include 50-55 inch options). Secondly, we believe Apple will release a miniature device called “iRing” that will be placed on a user’s finger and act as a navigation pointer for “iTV”, enhancing the motion detection experience and negating some of the functionality found in a remote. Thirdly, “iTV” will come with a “mini iTV” screen that will seamlessly allow users to view content on this smaller, 9.7-inch screen, while also opening up use cases around home security, phone calls, video conferencing and other areas. As part of this experience, Siri and FaceTime will be important. Essentially, we believe the “mini iTV” screens will be able to capture content from the 60-inch “iTV” across a distance of up to 200 meters, allowing a user to view “iTV” content in the kitchen, washroom, garage, bedroom, backyard, etc. We believe Apple will offer one “mini iTV” per “iTV” but package options will include up to four screens (i.e., one screen is part of the standard package and pay extra for each additional). While the “mini iTV” screens will be similar in size compared to the iPad, and thus allow for some manufacturing efficiencies, the capabilities and features will be very basic and thus not an iPad replacement. Furthermore, we believe “iWatch” will be an important part of the “iTV” ecosystem, tapping into “iTV” services in a much more mobile friendly manner, complementing the “iRing”. The interaction between “iTV” and making phone calls will be an important feature of this experience, while the “iWatch” and “iRing” will provide increased mobility around the home, supplanting the need to carry a smartphone around the house. Finally, we believe consumers will pay approximately $1,500 to $2,500 for the “iTV” package. The price will be based on the number of “mini iTV” screens in the package and the screen size of the “iTV”. Also, we are being told that “iTV” could be subsidized by certain service providers to expand the market opportunity.

iRing? Mini iTV? Siri?
Really?

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Black Friday is now in the rearview mirror, and we are all left wondering where we will find those great deals for accessories and extras for our Apple TV‘s. Well, fear not good people. We at Apple TV Hacks have scoured the web once again to find you the best deals on new hardware including mounts, stands, speakers, remotes, cables, new Bluetooth goodies, and more. So, grab a cup of Eggnog, relax and let’s get shopping.

Apple TV 1

The box that started it all! We all have fond memories of this silver box, and for some (myself included) we still find them a vital part of our entertainment system.

• 160G HD New – As low as $174.99
• 160G HD Used – As low as $128.16
• 40G HD New – As low as $300
• 40G HD Used – As low as $100

Apple TV 2

Though the Apple TV 1 started it all, the Apple TV 2 is the best Apple television connected product out there. Considering the fact that there is still no jailbreak for the Apple TV 3, the 2^nd gen puck offers all the goods along with the ability to have XBMC installed on top of it!

• New – As low as $249.99
• Used – As low as $167.95

Apple TV 3

Keep in mind that there is know way, as of now, to unlock this device…

• New – As low as $94.99

Now that you have you device figured out, let’s look at all the goodies that can go along with them:

Solid State White (+ remote control) – As low as $14.99

Riptide skin sticker – As low as $14.99

Dark Rosewood - As low as $14.99

Carbon - As low as $14.99

Blue Crush - As low as $14.99

Airlines - As low as $14.99

Nightplay - As low as $14.99

Glow - As low as $14.99

Apocalypse Red - As low as $14.99

Winter - As low as $14.99

APPLE TV MOUNTS

H-Squared TVTRAY-W-S Fixed Wall Mount for Apple TV(1st gen.) – As low as $40.00

H-Squared TVTray for Apple TV 2/3 – As low as $25.43

NuStand – As low as $15.00

Total Mount – As low as $16.99

Out of Sight Brecket – As low as $14.99

AIRPLAY SPEAKERS

Philips  Fidelio SoundRing – As low as $144.95

iHome iW1 AirPlay Speakers – As low as $144.99

Philips Fidelio SoundAvia with AirPlay – As low as $113.98

JBL On Air Wireless with FM Internet Radio & Dual Alarm Clock – As low as $134.99

Altec Lansing inAir 5000 AirPlay Speakers – As low as $349.00

Philips Fidelio SoundSphere – As low as $499.99

Bowers & Wilkins A7 Wireless Music Speaker System with Subwoofer – As low as $799.00

Sanoxy – As low as $14.90

Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard – As low as $31.98

Amazon Basics - As low as $42.99

Anker Ultra Slim – As low as $19.99

Logitech 920 Tablet Keyboard – As low as $38.49

Apple Wireless Keyboard – As low as $69.00

HP TouchPad – As low as $24.35

APPLE TV REMOTES

Official Apple TV 2 & 3 – As low as $16.97

Official Apple TV 1 – As low as $3.75

Logitech Harmony 700 – As low as $81.95

Acoustic Research ARi3G – As low as $25

Apple TV Audio Cables

• Amazon basic Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable – As low as $5.49
• LQP  Premium Optical Toslink Audi Cable – As low as $3.78
• MediaBridge Toslink Optical Audio Cable – As low as $4.99

Apple TV HDMI Cables

• Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI Cable – As low as  $5.49
• Official Apple HDMI Cable – As low as $4.50
• eForCity HDMI Cable for Apple TV – As low as $4.79

HDTV’s

• Samsung 22″ 1080p LED - As low as $229.00
• RCA 26″ 720 LCD – As low as $207.00
• Sceptre 32″ 720 LED – As low as $239.99
• Toshiba 40″ 1080p LCD – As low as $350.00
• TCL 42″ 1080p LCD – As low as $449.00
• Philips  46” 1080p LED with Wireless Net TV, Black – As low as $599.98
• Sharp AQUOS 1080p LCD/LED - As low as $3799.99

Kanex ATVPRO AirPlay Mirroring for VGA Projector - As low as $30.95

TV Stands

• 3M Adjustable Stand – As low as $22.35
• Screen Deck – As low as $24.94

More Holiday Gift Guides:
Best iPad mini Accessories
Best iPhone Accessories
Best iPad Accessories

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW DEALS!

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Black Friday has long been a great way to get insane deals on all things, especially when it comes to high-end tech and accessories. Thanks to Amazon.com, and others, we no longer have to deal with the clear downside of Black Friday… lines, lines, and more lines. Knowing there are likely to be many deals out there that will benefit you and your Apple TV setup, we thought we would collect some of the best Black Friday deals and put them here, for you. So whether looking for an Apple TV, a mount, a stand, a TV, cables, remotes, or some AirPlay devices, we have you covered. Though Amazon is not the only place to go, we have to admit they have clearly got the most going for them from pricing to delivery. That said, we will focus primarily on Amazon.com deals.

WHY AMAZON.COM (straight from the source)

You shouldn’t have to stand in a long line to get a great deal. We’ve been searching for the best Black Friday deals everywhere–including Black Friday deals other stores are planning–so we can bring them to you even earlier. These limited-supply deals will go quickly, but we’ll add new ones throughout the day, every day, so you can skip the long lines and still save a bundle.

The fact that Amazon is price comparing makes this search much easier on us but to ensure you are getting the best deal possible, we will compare each price with that of other sites. If we find a better deal, we will post it!

Apple TV 1

The box that started it all! We all have fond memories of this silver box, and for some (myself included) we still find them a vital part of our entertainment system thanks to OpenElec and CrystalBuntu! 

• 160G HD New – As low as $368.50
• 160G HD Used – As low as $128.74
• 40G HD New – As low as $400
• 40G HD Used – As low as $90

Apple TV 2

Though the Apple TV 1 started it all, the Apple TV 2 is the best Apple. Television, connected product out there. Considering the fact that there is still no jailbreak for the Apple TV 3, the 2^nd gen puck offers all the goods along with the ability to have XBMC installed on top of it!

• New – As low as $200
• Used – As low as $126

Apple TV 3

Perhaps the worst Apple TV to buy, the Apple TV 3 is seeing its own deals right now as well. Keep in mind that there is know way, as of now, to unlock this device meaning it will be the most expensive addition to your setup, in the long term.

• New – As low as $89

Now that you have you device figured out, let’s look at all the goodies that can go along with them:

Apple TV Mounts

• H-Squared TVTray – As low as $19.48 (30% off)

• NuStand – As low as $17.50 (35% off)

• Total Mount – As low as $17.55 (40% off)

• Out of Sight – As low as $14.99 (25% off)

AirPlay Devices

• iHome iW1 AirPlay Speakers – As low as $144.99 (50% off)

• Philips Fidelio SoundAvia with AirPlay – As low as $104.99 (48% off)

• Panasonic Audio System with iDock – As low as $157.68 (25% off)

• Altec Lansing inAir 5000 AirPlay Speakers – As low as $249.00 (50% off)

Apple TV Remotes

• Official Apple TV 2 & 3 – As low as $14.49 (25% off)

• Official Apple TV 1 – As low as $7.49 (50% off)

Logitech Harmony 700 – As low as $55.12 (60% off)

Acoustic Research ARi3G – As low as $25

Apple TV Audio Cables

• Amazon basic Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable – As low as $5.49
• LQP  Premium Optical Toslink Audi Cable – As low as $3.33
• MediaBridge Toslink Optical Audio Cable – As low as $4.59 (70% off)

Apple TV HDMI Cables

• Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI Cable – As low as  $5.49
• Official Apple HDMI Cable – As low as $17.99 (36% off)
• eForCity HDMI Cable for Apple TV – As low as $4.79

HD TV’S

• LG 42-Inch 1080p HDTV – As low as $479.00 (24% off)
• Toshiba 50-Inch 60Hz LED-LCD HDTV – As low as $499.99 (44% off)
• Seiki 46-Inch 1080p 60hz Slim LED HDTV – As low as $349.98 (50% off)
• TCL 55-Inch 1080p 240Hz LED HDTV – As low as $699.99 (36% off)

TV Stands

• 3M Adjustable Stand – As low as $23.36
• Screen Deck – As low as $24.94

Well, there you have it. We hope that this list helps you find some great deals for your entertainment system… and more importantly for you Apple TV! We personally enjoy more than a few of these products and look forward to hearing about the deals you are finding out there as well. Make sure to leave a comment with your thoughts or perhaps other deals that we missed!

Happy Holidays from Apple TV Hacks!

More deals:
Black Friday 2012: Deals on iPhone, iPad and iPod Accessories!
Best Black Friday Deals on iOS Apps

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Apple TV, which has recently taken the #1 spot of top-sellers in the TV and Video category on Amazon, is experiencing a surge in sales in recent months and developers like Firemint, Splitmo or Cerebral Gardens are taking notice.

“We are excited about how popular Apple TV has become as a way to enjoy content without paying high cable bills,” said Rob Witman, founder at Splitmo, makers of Air Show, a photo sharing and editing tool for iPad and iPhone via HDTVs. “And we are taking it a few steps further. We are focused on letting customers enhance their devices and use their HDTV and iPad for a shared video and entertainment experience. Companies like us see an opportunity to create very cool experiences to share on the big screen using platforms like Apple TV.” Apple has sold 5 million Apple TVs in fiscal 2012.

Also read: Air Show HD – Review

Cerebral Gardens is a developer that leverages AirPlay‘s dual screen capabilities with their popular app Party Doodles for iOS. “Apple’s AirPlay technology opens the door to all kinds of innovative app ideas that aren’t possible on other platforms,” said Dave Wood, president at Cerebral Gardens.  ”Being able to wirelessly connect a big HD screen to a mobile device enables developers to create a much more immersive experience for their customers.”

Also read: Apple TV gaming: Party Doodles for iPad and Apple TV

Whether it’s multi-player games like Firemint’s Real Racing 2 HD, which offers a split-screen gaming experience from iPad to HDTV, or MetalStorm: Wingman from Z2Live that features seamless AirPlay compatibility, an ecosystem of games and tools is emerging around Apple TV.

Also read: Real Racing 2 HD First to Support Wireless Gaming over AirPlay on Apple TV 2

Witman says that Splitmo has a few additions to Air Show in the works like stickers, art and freehand (you can already share your HDTV-edited photos through the app on Facebook and Twitter). He say that Splitmo is also rolling out some “unique mobile to HDTV products” in the coming months that will add to the growing array of offerings that enhance the Apple TV experience for customers.

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Air Show, an iOS app that lets users preview, select and edit images on their iPhone/iPad screen while simultaneously displaying the more polished view on an HDTV screen via Apple TV, has been recently updated to support iPhone 5 and iOS 6. Air Show now also lets you add color captions and soundtrack to your real-time photo presentation.

Air Show is simple to use and fast. It lets users do basic crop, zoom, rotate and highlight with a laser pointer — all literally in a couple of seconds as users are showing off images in real time for an audience. With Air Show, Apple TV owners can share their iPhone/iPad photos on an HDTV screen while using the handheld as an on-the-fly preview, slideshow builder and editing tool.

Unlike photo collage apps that can’t display content outside of the device, or slide-builder apps that require sitting down and building a presentation first, Air Show is about on-the-fly previewing and tweaking of images on the small screen of the iPhone or iPad while the audience enjoys the show on the big screen.

Air Show is free and available in the App Store. There will be some add-on features and online storage for additional image playlists that will cost extra for heavy users, but the free version is great for most casual users.

Check out the review of Air Show HD on What’s On iPhone.

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Splitmo, a company dedicated to creating mobile apps that leverage ‘dual screen’ technologies, has released its first app called Air Show (free in the App Store). Air Show is an iOS app that lets users preview, select and edit images on their iPhone/iPad screen while simultaneously displaying the more polished view on an HDTV screen.

Unlike photo collage apps that can’t display content outside of the device, or slide-builder apps that require sitting down and building a presentation first, Air Show is about on-the-fly previewing and tweaking of images on the small screen of the iPhone or iPad while the audience enjoys the show on the big screen.

Air Show is simple to use and fast. It lets users do basic crop, zoom, rotate and highlight with a laser pointer — all literally in a couple of seconds as users are showing off images in real time for an audience.

An iPad 2/3 or iPhone 4S is required to use the AirPlay functionality with Apple TV, but users who don’t have Apple TV can also use Air Show by connecting their iPad/iPhone to an HDTV with an HDMI cable.

Air Show is free and available in the App Store. There will be some add-on features and online storage for additional image playlists that will cost extra for heavy users, but the free version is great for most casual users.

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Apple’s new operating system OS X Mountain Lion is now on the scene, giving us Mac fans yet another reasons to profess our undying love for our favorite devices. Probably the most anticipated new feature is that Mountain Lion gives users the ability to take advantage of AirPlay Mirroring, which allows for wireless video and audio streaming from your computer right to your Apple TV. But not all Apple owners will be so lucky.

You’re going to need an iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or Mac Mini from 2011 or later to make it work, even with Mountain Lion installed. So what’s the deal? Some conspiracists believe it’s Apple forcing people to upgrade to newer machines. Others think that the Intel chips are to blame, as the DRM technology required for Mirroring to work wasn’t available in these computers until last year.

But according to the good folks at Cult of Mac, the truth is much simpler. The graphics in Mac computers prior to 2011 just aren’t up to the challenge. In order for AirPlay Mirroring to work, the computer must be able to compress video on the graphics chip without using the CPU. Since the hardware can’t handle it alone, the CPU would be forced to work overtime, and the performance would degrade to the point of uselessness.

And Macs aren’t alone in this obsolescence. On the mobile side, you’ve got to have an iPad 2 or later, or an iPhone 4S to use AirPlay Mirroring. With those devices, it still comes down to the encoding issue. AirPlay Mirroring is much more complicated than you would think. There’s encoding, scaling, and color conversion, translating the audio and video from your wee monitor to the HDTV hanging on the wall.

It’s not impossible for the dedicated programmer, however. AirParrot has an app that allows Mirroring even with old Macs. But the image is compromised, and we all know how Apple feels about settling for less than perfection. It will work more often than not, but you’re still pushing your older device further than is comfortable, resulting in high fan usage and more than a little bit of heat.

And the issues aren’t hardware-based alone. The network you’re working over is also an important consideration. You’re going to need a high-end internet network and rock star wireless router for smooth Mirroring, especially if you’re streaming a web-based video player. And you’ll have to let your device focus on that one task. If you’re trying to surf the internet or BitTorrent at the same time, you’re going to be one unhappy camper.

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Mountain Lion, a new version of Mac OS X that has been unveiled in February, is now available to download from the Mac App Store for $19.99. Mountain Lion comes with more than 200 new features including the all new Messages app, Game Center, Facebook integration, Notification Center, Power Nap Dictation and Gatekeeper. But the coolest feature of Mountain Lion is undoubtedly AirPlay Mirroring that lets you wirelessly send an up-to-1080p stream of what’s on your Mac to an HDTV using Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3 or send audio to a receiver or speakers that use AirPlay.

With AirPlay Mirroring built into Mac OS, you are able to stream whatever is on your desktop – webpages, photos, videos, presentation – directly to your HDTV, with only one click on an AirPlay icon on the OS X menu bar.

Mountain Lion automatically detects an Apple TV when it’s on the same network and AirPlay icon simply appears in the menu bar. Mirroring sends up-to 1080p video stream with stereo audio. All information sent using AirPlay Mirroring uses encryption.

Game Center

Now that Mountain Lion also includes Game Center, and thanks to AirPlay Mirroring, your Mac becomes a game console! At this year’s WWDC Apple showed a very impressive demo of an iPad and a new MacBook Pro (yes, Game Center for Mac is cross-compatible with iOS) playing CSR Racing head-to-head, with the Mac streaming to a TV with little to no lag.

Apple TV set

PCMAG‘s Edward Mendelson believes AirPlay Mirroring built into Mac OS X could be another evidence that the Cupertino-based company will unveil its own television soon: “Apple of course didn’t say anything about the much-rumored Apple-branded television, but I somehow doubt that AirPlay Mirroring got into OS X only because Apple wanted to sell a few set-top boxes,” he said.

Download Mountain Lion [iTunes link].

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

“The mythical Apple television set that everyone talks about is already here,” said Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Brightcove, in an interview with The Verge. Brightcove, a provider of cloud content services, has just unveiled the App Cloud Dual-Screen Solution for Apple TV. The new solution enables media publishers to develop apps for the iPhone and iPad that simultaneously control content, data and information presented on an HDTV while displaying synchronized content on the iPad or iPhone.

The dual-screen solution leverages Apple’s AirPlay technology, which allows viewers to use applications that simultaneously present content, interactive options and data on both the touch device and an Apple TV.

Brightcove’s new Dual-Screen App Solution will be included in the new App Cloud SDK and available to the open source community, enabling content owners to build dual-screen apps for Apple TV.

The availability of the dual-screen solution coincides with Brightcove’s introduction of App Cloud Core, a free developer edition, also announced today. App Cloud Core enables developers to build an unlimited number of mobile applications using HTML5 and JavaScript.

Although dual-screen apps for iOS and Apple TV (AirPlay-enabled apps) already exist, thanks to an open source SDK, it will be now easier to create such apps for Apple TV.

[image: The Verge]

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

AppleInsider reports that Apple sold half a million Apple TVs in Q2 2011 but it’s not planning a hardware update for the device this year.

Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told AppleInsider that “his industry checks have turned up no evidence that Apple plans push a hardware revision to the Apple TV into production during the third quarter [2011].”

Instead, Apple will probably focus on software updates. The company already announced that iOS 5 will feature AirPlay mirroring that lets wirelessly display everything you do on your iPad 2 right on your HDTV through Apple TV 2. It is believed that this feature will be also available for iPhone 4 and upcoming iPhone 5.

Kuo also said that his industry checks indicate Apple shipped 480,000 units during the second calendar quarter of the year, a 70 percent lift over a year earlier.

You may also want to read:
Photo Stream and AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 Coming to Apple TV 2
Real Racing 2 HD First to Support Wireless Gaming over AirPlay on Apple TV 2
Bluetooth coming to Apple TV 2 with iOS 5
Apple to Enter TV Display Business?

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!