Apple’s much-rumoured TV set could be in testing in Canada, according to a report in Canadian paper The Globe and Mail.
Citing sources “familiar with the talks” the newspaper says two major telecommunications companies from the land of syrup and bears — Rogers and BCE — have the product itself in their labs, with Apple approaching them to discuss partnerships for its shiny tellybox.
“They’re looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities,” pipes up one unnamed source.
While Apple is staying as tight-lipped as usual when it comes to rumours about new products, the paper reckons Apple’s tellybox will feature Siri, the snooty voice-controlled butler that graces the iPhone 4S, as well as a motion-control camera for changing the channel with hand gestures. Web browsing and video chat are also mentioned.
There’s also word of an on-screen keyboard, which to be honest is less enticing — navigating these dense grids of characters on most TVs is about as much fun as having beavers eat your toes.
Yesterday we reported Apple’s TV set had popped up in a Best Buy customer survey, showing that the biggest names in tech are taking the idea very seriously indeed. Steve Jobs’ biography, released last year, revealed Apple had been working on a proper standalone TV set, with “the simplest user interface you could imagine”.
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- Read our complete Apple TV rumour guide