Edible Apple

Digg co-founder Kevin Rose recently put up a blogpost detailingwhy he thinks the upcoming iTV (formerly the Apple TV) will change everything. As a quick recap, here’s what’s been reported so far about Apple’s rumored Apple TV upgrade.

– it will rebranded as iTV

– it will come without a hard drive, and perhaps 16GB of Flash memory

– it will sport a new iOS-like interface

– it will include support for social networking, network multimedia, and the iTunes App Store

– it will come with a speedy A4 processor

– it will have a much smaller form factor (think iPhone-esque)

That said, Rose, who every so often obtains a nugget of info about upcoming Apple products, layed out a few reasons why iTV is going to be a big deal.

• iOS TV Applications: Expect to see an iPhone/Pad like marketplace for television applications. Video sharing/streaming/recording apps, interactive news apps, and of course games.
• The iPad will turn into one big badass remote control: The iPad will be the preferred input device for the iTV. You’ll be able to editing videos, control games, and extend the interactive television experience. Imagine watching monday night football on the TV while viewing/exploring other camera angles on the iPad.

Rose also speculates that iTV will integrate iAds into the content, granting content producers yet another avenue with which to monetize their content. “This will eventually destroy the television side of the cable and satellite industry,” Rose writes, “as your only requirement to access these on-demand stations will be an internet connection. Say goodbye to your monthly cable bill.”

That’s a nice thought, and while that may be where things are headed, it seems that such a scenario is a ways off.

Interestingly, Rose notes that picture/video sharing across Apple devices to iTV’s might be on the agenda.

Sharing pictures/videos from your iPhone will happen with the push of a button. Imagine getting a notification of new family videos the next time you turn on your TV. My mom will love this feature. From what I hear we should expect to see the iTV launch in September.

Also rumored for September is Apple’s annual iPod event. It’s not entirely clear how much of Rose’s post is rooted in his own speculation, or if he’s been talking to a little birdie at Apple. In any event, Apple’s efforts with AppleTV have been lukewarm at best, and it’ll be interesting to see if the next iteration will truly make a strong push for control over the living room. The problem is, most folks have a TV with a cable box, and it’s hard to advertise yet another set top box for these individuals. That said, there have been rumors of Apple working on an Apple branded HDTV. But that’s a whole another story.