Take this with a grain of salt: Canadian telecoms company Rogers and Bell already has the “iTV” (an Apple-branded HDTV) device in its labs, reports “The Globe and Mail.”
Quoting two unnamed sources, the article says the TV will be voice controlled, using software similar to Siri on the iPhone 4S, and will offer iPad-style apps.
It will also offer gesture control with users able to manipulate apps using hand gestures to type on an on-screen virtual keyboard.
While the iTV product remains cloaked in secrecy, the sources said Apple has approached Rogers and Bell as it actively pursues partnerships with Canadian carriers. “They’re not closed to doing it with one [company] or doing it with two,” says “The Globe and Mail.” “They’re looking for a partner. They’re looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities.”
The article says the iTV “has the potential to revolutionize TV viewing by turning conventional televisions into gigantic iPads.”