Apple iTV to launch in 2012

According to a article in the Guardian, Apple's new product the iTV is set to be released in late 2012, with Japanese firm Sharp to begin commercial production of the TV’s in February.

The iTV provides access to iCloud, allowing users to connect their television set to the internet whilst also allowing it to sync with other Apple devices. It is also believed to respond to motion gestures and voice, with Steve Jobs having stated in his biography that it will offer “the simplest user interface you could imagine”.

"In October the US patent office published a filing by Apple for "real time video process control using gestures", which describes using infrared, motion and other sensors to read the user's movements. Gestures could edit video, or "throw" it from one device to another, say to transfer a film from a mobile phone to a bigger screen." wrote the Guardian.

"The patents mention facial recognition, to tag individuals within videos so that home videos can be grouped according to who features in them. This autumn the iPhone was updated with a highly accurate voice control application called Siri, and some observers believe it will feature on the TV sets."

It is estimated that Apple has spent $500 million to $1 billion on manufacturing equipment at the Sharp factory where work has already begun on setting up the production line to be ready for production of the TV's.