iPhone

Smart, connected TVs clearly offer more entertainment options than traditional flat-screen TVs, and those who already own them seem to enjoy accessing their apps, favorite websites and watching 3-D movies, all from the comfort of their homes. In fact, smart TVs were (and still are) great companions to an innovative TV lift cabinet, which raises and lowers your flat-screen TV with the touch of a button. But some analysts worry that smart TVs could experience slower than expected growth because of customer “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doubt).

When the first flat-screen and HDTVs hit the market in the last decade and then dropped significantly in price in the latter half of the last decade, upgrading one’s TV seemed to be an easy choice. Many customers were able to upgrade into a larger screen, better picture quality and a much slimmer unit (perfectly suited for a TV lift cabinet) without emptying their wallets. The features and benefits customers were getting were clear-cut and understandable.

Few would argue that Apple is a successful company. The company has given us the iPhone, iPad, iPod, iTunes and Mac computers. Apple iPads were one of the hottest gifts of 2010 and the company is on the verge of releasing the iPad 2. Verizon Wireless made headlines about two weeks ago when it announced it would carry the infamous iPhone and include the ability to use your iPhone as a mobile hotspot for computer internet access.

Now we know that Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, is taking a permanent medical leave of absence, and he’s been a driving force of innovation for Apple, but many things have already been set in place to keep Apple moving forward without him, including the fact that Apple has been issued 563 different patents in 2010 for new products.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Apple will be producing 563 new exciting devices like the iPad, but some of them could change the way we interact with our environment, the way we “channel surf” and the way we enter our homes.

A couple of Apple’s

Welcome to the new era of channel-surfing! Two weeks ago, Comcast released its new Xfinity TV app for the iPhone and iPad, which acts as a remote control and TV guide for most Comcast-compatible TV boxes. The free app connects to your DVR or cable set-top boxes, and after logging in, you can manage each DVR unit or cable box you own. Then, after entering your zip code and choosing your channel offerings, the app loads on your mobile device an interactive, searchable TV guide, from which you can select the show you want to watch and your TV will either change to that channel or your DVR will set to record it.

The remarkable difference between Comcast’s Xfinity TV app and a traditional remote control is that you don’t have to be in the same room as your TV to control it. Since the iPhone and iPad connect to the Internet, you can be sipping coffee at a café with your friends (or standing in line buying Christmas presents) while setting up to record the season premiere of your favorite show.