Apple has quietly reduced the price of “Apple TV”: down to S$369 for the 160GB version. At the same time, they removed the 40GB version from the inventory. You can get your hand on one of the 160GB at the Apple Online Store.
To get more from your Apple TV, you can look at some hacks or you can just get your hand on the aTV Flash to increase the functionalities of your Apple TV.
Just gonna make one – no new Mac mini, but a MacTV – putting the Mac into the AppleTV.
It will have at least 1 TB harddisk, with an option for an optical drive or a second harddisk, with mini Display Port, HDMI port, component video port and a mini DVI port. There will also be Firewire 800 and USB 2.0 support and 802.11n WIFI and BlueTooth built-in.
There will be a new Media Server software that will replace Front Row that can manage and edit media – a part iLife, part Front Row hybrid application.
There will also be an update to the Remote software for the iPhone that can control the new Media Server software, but also comes with a remote Touch Pad to serve as a mouse, and a full-screen keyboard so that you don’t need to BYOKAM.
Lastly, when you press Comd+Ctrl+SpaceBar+Z, a rainbow will form just on top of the Mac TV to give it a nice glow.
That’s my last minute Macworld 2009 prediction.
For Apple TV users, Apple just released version 2.3 of its firmware with new features to allow streaming music via AirTunes to speakers connected to an Airport Express or the Apple TV, more support for 3rd party remote controls, support for Playlists with other media like Movies, TV Shows & Podcasts in iTunes that can be viewed in your Apple TV and lastly, volume control while playing Music. The update is only available via Apple TV’s built-in update service.
Although not earth shattering, the updates do give the impression that Steve Jobs’ hobby is still alive and that Apple is still working to improve the feature set of the Apple TV.
Reports are coming in about Apple is getting closer to provide more DRM-free music in iTunes Music Store. CNet reported that Apple is in further discussion with three other top recording companies about acquiring those songs for iTunes Plus.
With Amazon’s own DRM-free MP3 store providing much higher quality and yet affordable music without DRM, many have began to use iTunes as a tool to search for tunes but then turns to Amazon to purchase the tracks instead that are free from the DRM locks. With more such online stores providing such DRM-free purchases, Apple needs to work out these deals before they eat into the MP3 music pie.
Unfortunately at this moment, whichever deals are done, we Singaporeans will not enjoy any bit as long as the Music Store is not available here.
