New Wearable Technology: Apple TV arrives in Italy. And the world of apps invading your TV

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Apple TV arrives in Italy. And the world of apps invading your TV – The Republic

Milan – Hard to say if it will be really a revolution, but it sure is a big step forward compared to what we saw earlier. The latest Apple TV, which arrives in stores now from 179 € for the 32GB version, a black box is compact and heavy. Outside the differences with the previous generation, which remains on the market at € 79, they are two: almost doubled thickness and different remote with accelerometer and touch surface to navigate through the menus and manage apps. Already, apps. They are the true stars and real innovation. Along with the fact that this fourth Apple TV uses a new operating system, tvOs, closely related to iOS smartphones and tablets. “The future of TV is in the app,” said the same Tim Cook on September 9th presenting the new platform. “More than 60 percent of paid streaming takes place on an Apple device and is done through an app.” Hence integration with the TV.
The new Apple TV, a leap forward . It connects via HDMI and comes in Full HD, it is easily configured. Very little is needed and if you have an iPhone is sufficient to enable the bluetooth and Approach him to the set-top-box acquires network settings wi-fi and the account on iTunes. No pre Installed app, you have to go in the store where only showcase there are already over fifty between video games, news and Entertainment options starting from Netflix. The processor is the same as the iPhone 6 and having the device plugged in, the Apple claims that it is able to offer slightly higher performance. All apps, except some like Guitar Hero that require special devices to work, they must be able to be operated by remote control which may become a controller. Wanting but you can also use a real joypad bluetooth. The company of Tim Cook does not believe that its Apple TV can really replace the current generation consoles, for now, but some may imagine seduce many people who do not need games with graphics as well defined and complex structures.

Ecosystem Apple . Unfortunately, for us, the price of the app will not always be the same as the version for iPhone and iPad. In some cases, see Ocenhorn, you will move one euro reaching 9.99. In other remains the same but the sector had already that title for tablet or phone is not right to give said it also on TV. It will depend on the developers. Badland or Lumino City for example, if you have them already, you can re-download them on Apple TV as well as Rayman or Shadowmatic Adventures. Others see Transistor, ranging bought a second time. It is up to developers to decide the costs and is always up to them if, perhaps playing on the phone, we can get back on their TV game where we left off. Our account Apple Tv resume only access to iTunes and the App Store, then we will not find our contacts, messages or email. Siri from us is not yet active, the dedicated key to access to the search engine that is able to identify the names of the app as much as actors, directors or movies on iTunes tomorrow and be able to do so even finding them in alternative services like Netflix.

What are the other . The arrival of the app on TV are nothing new. Chromecasts Google does something like he delegates all the power of computing to your smartphone and in fact turns the TV on a second screen. Heir to the version of last year, sold over ten million units, has just come out and costs 39 Euros. He also connects to your TV and allows you to see all that we have on the phone, even if a short-iPhone: photos, videos, apps, news, social networks, video games. Fire TV Amazon instead, which is not available to us, it works in a way similar to the new Apple TV becoming a de facto mini console. Not to mention operating systems for smart TV, from Samsung Tizen to WebOs of Lg, until Google’s own Android TV used by Sony or Firefox employed by Panasonic. All have their own app and all aim to offer very similar things.
The Treasure of the app . “We are at the beginning,” says Richard Firminger, vice president of Yahoo !. “The turnover of the app is 64 billion dollars only considering those freemium, which are the vast majority. Those that are downloaded for free and earn from advertising and purchases within the app itself. And of these, 33 billion come from video games. In short, the console could be the next to have a problem even if they have their audience. Basically WhatsApp three years ago did not exist and now is the main means of delivering messages. It ‘a revolution that phone companies has cost $ 35 billion last year alone. ” Of course, thinking that soon the next Last of Us or Assassin’s Creed they do get out of Apple TV is difficult. But the computing power of smartphones is growing year by year. Maybe the names are not the ones mentioned above, but there may be something similar in two years. Also because advertising is moving to mobile apps in particular, and also with her investments. Hence the mass arrival on television thanks to set-top boxes like the new Apple TV.

Apple Hub Home . Questions remain about how in Cupertino want to evolve the Apple TV and how many functions can expect gradually added over Siri and voice commands that are already available in the United States. You already know who will become the center of the connected home, or rather one of the possible centers. A window to manage all the devices connected to HomeKit, the operating system of the apple for the Internet of things. All devices that we have smart home can receive instructions remotely right through the set-top box Apple. Yet some caution shown by Apple itself suggest that it is only one of the roads that will be covered and that the smartphone and the tablet will continue to play a central role by interacting individually with the various devices. The fact that some of the data of our account to iCloud may not play on Apple TV, not only email but also the agenda for example, is a clue. Cook and his companions their new set-top box is designed to provide. At least in this first phase. And it has the main function to initiate the unification of the three screens: tablets and smartphones on the one hand and on the other TV. With the prospect of no more than one large ecosystem, able to rival that of Google and Microsoft who have ambitions to altrattanto universal.

The TV connected
59% of Italians have a television connected to the web (smart TV, set-top box, game console)
What the Italians at home connected to the TV 46%
consoles (Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Wii)
Google Chromecasts
10% 9% 8%
Apple TV Decoder Sky or other devices
27% No device
What Italians would like to have (purchase intent) Google Chromecasts

18% 16% Apple TV
> 13% Sky decoder or other devices
10% a console (Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox)
43% No devices