Apple iTV Powered with Siri to be Released by 2013
Apple is working on a real television set (iTV?) that utilize the artificial intelligence agent Siri as the controller, according to a new report from The New York Times. They go so far as to say prototypes are already underway, and that “it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when“, suggesting that Apple may announce the product in 2012 with a release of the TV by 2013.
A Siri based remote control system is described as follows:
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.
Of course this experience goes beyond just playing TV shows or the local news. As the line between television programming and Web content continues to erode, a Siri-powered television would become more necessary. You aren’t going to want to flip through file folders or baskets of content, checking off what you want. Telling Siri to “play videos of cute cats falling asleep” would return an endless YouTube stream of adorable napping fur balls.
The NY Times mentions they first heard of plans for an Apple television a year ago, and that the project has been in some stage of development since 2007 when the iPhone and first Apple TV box was released. Why the wait until 2013? Other than refining the intelligence of Siri, Apple has been waiting for large flat panel displays to become cheap enough to be reasonably priced for the consumer.
News and rumors of an Apple television set have exploded over the last week after comments made by the recent Steve Jobs to his biographer proclaimed that he had ‘cracked’ the TV, which the NYT says is a reference to using Siri AI as a replacement for the remote. This was soon followed up by reports that the creator of iTunes is leading the project.
Siri is currently only available to iPhone 4S users, but is widely expected to make appearances across the Apple lineup down the road, including in Mac OS X and the iPad.
[…] Other Siri related rumors suggest the AI agent would act as the remote control on a potential Apple television set. […]
Apple TV would be great if you could buy just the channels you want, rather than get charged for 263 cooking, gardening, cosmetic channels that you never watch. Just like iTunes.
Now THAT is something I would pay for. See how emphatically I said that with CAPS? Seriously though, Apple should start it’s own cable Internet provider service, then let you choose exactly which channels you want. Total world domination of T.V. and internet, because I hate these stupid cable providers that make you choose “packages.”
Apple didn’t own the name iPhone either, but they still used it. A small obstacle like that wouldn’t stop them.
ITV is a major television station in the UK, home to such shows as the X factor, and Britain’s got talent. Apple can’t use iTV
as name of their new product
People beaware of this apple cant use iTV
I cannot picture myself shouting at Siri to get her to lower the volume of the iTV set
This is pretty interesting. I dont see it in my house unless there is another way to control it. I mean, talking to Siri all the time on the TV? Sometimes, I dont want to say anything when Im just laying there. Sometimes you are so tired, you dont want to talk.
What if someone is sleeping on the couch next to you? You wake them up because you are talking to your TV? Sounds like a good idea, but in reality, I wouldnt use it unless it was in the middle of the day. Which I dont really watch TV in the middle of the day anyway.
Another problem:
Siri works fine when you’re alone, but imagine a birthday party. First problem: Everybody starts talking to your TV. Second problem: Siri doesn’t understand you, because there’s so much noise in the room.
Even if the TV has Siri build in, you’ll still need a remote control which has a button you’ll have to press in order to have Siri start listening. Just like you’ll have to bouble tap the home button on the iPhone 4S. Otherwise your TV will keep on switching channels, starts to play a slideshow of your photo’s and starts playing music, because everyone gives your TV another command.
Imagine your daugther watching Dora the Explorer, then a friend of yours comes to visit you and immediately the moment he enters your room he says (not knowing your daughter has a day of from school): “Play me some nasty hardcore pron.”
Any voice uses different frequencies to another. Why Siri later shouldn’t use this? Any voice has his own “finger print”.
I look forward to using the tip from earlier to turn off all my alarms on a Saturday morning by barking orders at an Apple TV from my couch.
Apple makes the coolest stuff in the world, what other company inspires this much excitement over technology?