Apple has updated the firmware of its Apple TV (2G) to version 4.4.4, citing a series of negligible bug fixes as the reason behind the new release.
The device, which was only very recently bumped to firmware 4.4.3, doesn’t offer any goodies, but is necessary for users experiencing any issues with the little black box. The official changelog notes:
general performance and stability improvements, including a fix for an
issue that displayed an error when playing some video content.
Rife rumors reckon Apple is planning an assault on the connect TV market, incorporating Apple TV and Siri to create the ultimate home entertainment system.
There’s no doubt that whilst Apple TV has struggled to shake off the "hobby" tag placed by CEO Tim Cook, it is an affordable, compact device which does a decent job of streaming media to televisions. On the other hand, Siri has become a cult figure, personified as a female P.A, and is seen by many iPhone 4S users as a necessity, despite only having landed mid-October.
With the massive rise to prominence of Apple during the last ten years, it would take a fool to challenge the Jobs and Wozniak-founded company cornering yet another segment of the consumer electronics market as it has done time and again.
3DTV has gathered momentum, but voice-recognition television does seem a great deal more convenient and relevant than the visual finesse of viewing in three dimensions. Moreover, Apple has that incessant knack for promotion and marketing, rarely failing to woo prospective customers with clever advertising and an apparently unlimited inventory of superlatives.
It will take more than a fancy speech and a few quips to persuade consumers to part with the sort of cash Apple commands, but with such a strong army of loyal fans, many will have been sold pre-announcement.
The late Steve Jobs is thought to have been the protagonist behind the connected TV advances, and is quoted to have "finally cracked it", in terms of preparing the concept. Whether any of this bears fruit remains to be seen, but with a firm grip on the tablet and portable audio markets, as well as holding a strong flame against Google’s Android in the smartphone category, it would seem like the logical step.
You can download the Apple TV 4.4.4 (9A406a) update from this link.
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