Amazon takes on Roku and Apple TV with Fire TV set-top box

The Amazon set-top box has been rumoured for quite a while. Now, we get to see the real thing in the form of Fire TV. It looks very much like other set-top boxes and it connects to your TV through HDMI. It has Amazon Prime and Instant Video plus support for Netflix, Showtime Anytime, Hulu Plus, and Watch ESPN.

What sets it apart is a remote control with voice control feature. And Amazon is selling a separate game controller for US$40. Some of the tie ups they have for games include The Walking Dead, Minecraft, and the exclusive game for Amazon called Sev Zero. It is priced like the Apple TV at $100.

Source: Gizmag

Apple TV sales push past $1 Billion in 2013, now Apple's fastest growing hardware

There may not have been much news about Apple TV, specially in Canada since newer US-only features haven't come across the border. The suprising news is that Apple TV sales in 2013 have pushed past $1 Billion making the diminuitive device Apple's fastest growing hardware. Not bad at all for a device that hasn't seen a physical refresh in close to three years.

Apple's CEO Tim Cook revealed as much during his company's annual shareholder meeting. He stated total sales of the Apple TV topped $1 billion in 2013. Priced at $99 each, that would mean sales were beyond 10 million for the year. Long acknowledged as a fringe product by Apple, Cook said that with these numbers, it's tough to continue to call the set-top box a "hobby" anymore.  

With new product categories in the pipeline for 2014 and expected updates to the popular iPhone and iPad line, it will be interesting to see where Apple will take Apple TV in terms of hardware, software, services and functionality.

Source: Appleinsider