Digg founder Kevin Rose is once again shilling for Steve Jobs and Apple. Yes, indeed, Rose is now claiming that Club Cupertino’s revamped set-top box – dubbed iTV – will change the world of television as we know it.
According to Rose, the new box will run Apple’s flagship iOS and carry a $99 (yeah, right) price tag.
iTV is also expected to offer users access to a fully stocked app market complete with video sharing, streaming, recording, interactive news and yes, games.
“[And] with Apple’s iAds, content producers (ABC/NBC/etc) can directly monetize and distribute their content,” Rose wrote in a personal blog post.
“This will eventually destroy the television side of the cable and satellite industry, as your only requirement to access these on-demand stations will be an Internet connection. [So], say goodbye to your monthly cable bill.”
Rose added that iTV will feature MobileMe Picture/Video iPhone sharing, with the iPad turning into a “big, badass” remote, game controller and video editor.
Meanwhile, Vern Seward of the Mac Observer opined that Apple TV was this year’s “800 pound, gotta-have gorilla.”
“The family room is ripe for a big change and Apple is in the best position to take advantage of it. [Yes], this is a big deal for couch potatoes looking for a way to spend more meaningful sofa-time watching the stuff they want to watch instead of being force-fed a gazillion channels of mind numbing pablum.
“Movies, TV shows, podcasts, YouTube and other videos, along with personally generated content (photos, music, Web content) are all funneled through a set-top box that won’t cost a lot and can run inexpensive apps downloaded from the App Store. It’s a win-win for everyone, except maybe the cable folks.”
