As of 2013, 14 percent of U.S. households are now equipped with a streaming media device, and that is expected to more than double by 2017, according to Parks Associates. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company has sold more than 13 million Apple TVs, The Verge reports. However, Roku and Chromecast are quickly gaining popularity in the rapidly growing market.

Apple executives, including the late Steve Jobs, have often referred to Apple TV as a “hobby” project. For years, there has been speculation that Apple may be developing an entire television set or a radical design to the current device, but in reality there have only been minor updates to content offerings.

An Intuitive Operating System

Apple prides itself on offering easy-to-use devices and intuitive interfaces. While the device’s current interface has a clean design that is easy on the eyes, it is less intuitive than it could be. One of the problems is that as more content-provider applications have been added (including Hulu, HBO GO, and Crackle), it has become increasingly tedious for users to navigate through the system to find a specific show or movie.

In October 2012, Roku introduced its one-stop search tool that allows users to search movies, TV shows, actors, and directors across multiple channels. On the current Apple TV interface, users must search each content app one by one to find a specific show or movie.

Channel Surfing and Continuous Play

The inherent difference between watching traditional television and using a streaming media device is the ability to channel surf and to leave the TV on in the background to continuously play content. The direction that manufacturers of streaming media devices have taken is a search-and-play approach.

In September 2013, Yahoo introduced the Yahoo Screen mobile video application “with the goal to recreate the sensation of TV channel surfing for mobile video,” according to Business Insider. Two months later, Yahoo announced the addition of the app on Apple TV. This brings the concept of channel surfing one step closer to Apple TV’s interface, however, users are still not able to channel surf or set up continuous play across the entire platform. The ability to quickly and effortlessly flip to the next program is an essential piece in creating an intuitive television viewing experience.

Content and Apps

The latest addition of Watch ABC, Bloomberg, Crackle, and KORTV content has been a positive step for the device, but Apple is still in need of a partnership with a cable provider to realistically compete in the market. Cable companies still own the vast majority of content that consumers want to watch. If Apple can’t achieve a partnership with at least one of the major cable companies, it will remain at a significant disadvantage to Roku, which currently partners with Time Warner Cable.

Beyond video content, streaming media devices also have an opportunity to expand upon the television set’s role in the living room. Roku currently offers 66 gaming applications. AirPlay allows users to project content from games and other third-party applications from their iPhones and iPads to the TV screen. If the Apple device was equipped with a camera and microphone, users could use FaceTime to make and receive video calls on the TV screen.

When the original iPhone was released in 2007, it came only with the Apple-installed applications. In March 2008, Apple began allowing third-party developers to create and deliver new apps through the App Store. That skyrocketed the iPhone’s capabilities, generating over one million different apps available as of 2013, The Verge reports.

Opening up the device to third-party app developers could bring the potential of a substantial amount of other unique applications. This update could be Apple’s next game changer in the streaming media device market, but only time will tell the fate of the company’s so-called “hobby.”

Which new Apple TV features you like to see the most?

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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Schmidt posted the guide on November 24, explaining that many of his iPhone friends are converting to Android. He praised the Samsung Galaxy S4, Motorola Verizon Droid Ultra, and the Nexus 5 for being faster, having better screens and more intuitive interfaces than Apple’s competitor. “They are a great Christmas present to an iPhone user!” Schmidt says.

The guide also includes general advice to use Chrome instead of Safari, and to use the two-step verification for Gmail and Google accounts to significantly reduce security risks. Schmidt’s post is a reflection of Android’s continued market share increase over iOS. 

International Data Corporation (IDC) reported that Android now holds 81 percent market share of mobile operating systems as of Q3 2013. Apple is at a distant second with just under 13 percent. Of course, that may not be the company’s top priority, considering they are in the business of selling premium hardware devices, not operating systems on multiple low-cost devices, as Forbes points out.

Still, market share does play a significant role in the success of Apple and Google alike. What will Apple do to slow their market share decline and combat with Android? In an interview with Businessweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook explains that he doesn’t measure success in unit market share, but in usage statistics. “We really want to enrich people’s lives, and you can’t enrich somebody’s life if the product is in the drawer.”

According to NetMarketShare, a web analytics company, over 55 percent of all mobile Web activity comes from a device using iOS. By comparison, only 30 percent is coming from an Android device. But usage does not signify market share, and there are still more people buying Android phones than iPhones.

Many investors were hoping that Apple’s release of the iPhone 5c was going to compete with the low-cost devices that are increasing Android’s market share, but the 5c is still a premium-priced device at $549 wholesale. Current iPhone users may love their phones and use them more than Android users, but how will Apple attract new users and prevent current ones from switching to Android?  

Photo courtesy of Flickr

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“We’ve made the world’s best pro notebook even better by adding more performance and even longer battery life,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. The new 13-inch model is now only 3.46 pounds and 0.71 inch thick (down from 3.57 pounds and 0.75 inch thick in the previous generation). More importantly, the MacBook Pro is now even faster and more efficient using the latest Intel Haswell chip, which is said to be 90 percent faster than the previous generation. The WiFi chip also received an upgrade and will now support the new, faster 802.11ac standard to improve wireless web browsing speeds.

The 13-inch model also features a significantly improved battery life with up to 9 hours of wireless web browsing (the previous model had up to 8 hours of wireless web browsing). Although the new 15-inch model comes in the same size and weight as the previous generation, it has been upgraded for increased speed and improved battery life similar to that of the 13-inch model.

Both new MacBook Pro models also come with an upgrade in memory and flash storage options. The 13-inch model now has up to 16GB of memory (up from only 8GB in the previous generation). Both the 13-inch and 15-inch models now come with up to 1TB of flash storage (the previous generation capped out at 768GB of flash storage).

The new 13-inch model is now starting at $1,299, down from $1,499. And the new 15-inch model is now starting at $1,999, down from $2,199. The last time Apple updated their Macbook Pro lineup was in February 2013 when both the 13-inch and 15-inch retina display models received faster processors and lower prices.

During the special media event, Apple also announced that OS X Mavericks will be available for free download, unlike any other previous software upgrade. In addition, the new iLife suite of software applications will also be free. The company also announced a new iPad Air and an all new Mac Pro. Which new Apple product are you most excited about?

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“I’ve had every version of the iPhone since its debut, and all I want is a gold one,” said one customer who had been waiting in line since the night before. The majority of customers in line seemed to be excited mainly for the new gold color option. The iPhone 5s also features a new fingerprint reader and a faster, A7 64-bit processor.

Another customer, on vacation from Portland, explained that “Apple has never sold a gold phone, so it feels very exclusive to be one of the first to have one.” Exclusivity has long been a key component of Apple’s marketing strategy, and given the lack of an online pre-order option for the iPhone 5s release, those in line Friday morning will be part of an elite club. Apple’s online store is currently showing a ship date of October — two weeks away at the earliest.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has already asked its suppliers to increase production of the gold models to help meet demand, but many people today were still left feeling disappointed in the short supply. “I feel like they should have been better prepared, so I’m a little frustrated,” one customer said in reference to the shortage of gold iPhones. He still purchased a black phone, and was already enjoying the new iSight camera. “I love the new camera!” he shouted to the crowd waiting to get into the store.

Others were also happy with their new iPhones, regardless of color. One student in line was most excited for iOS 7. “I had the iPhone 5 and purposely didn’t upgrade to the new software so I could enjoy it on my new 5s,” she said, after purchasing a 32GB black iPhone 5s.

News crews also lined the street interviewing people in line and reporting on the buzz of the iPhone 5s release. Many of the first in line had been interviewed by at least five different reporters before entering the store. The New York Police Department had a booth set up on the sidewalk to encourage customers to register their new iPhones with their Operation I.D. program, which is used to combat theft.

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