iTV to enable easy video chat?

Given that the demo showed it displaying a Front Row interface, the interesting thing will be how much of OS X will be in there. hinking ahead, even just the simple ability to stream iPhoto slideshows to a HD TV would be a killer feature.

By integrating well with the Windows version of iTunes, it could be another Apple Trojan horse. Of course, some people will prefer the 30 button media centre remote, but I have the feeling this is a device whose time has come - not because people want to download movies (I can do movies-on-demand on cable and don't) but because we're building enormous media libraries on our computers but don't want a computer in the front room, or to view them on the computer.

The current retail iSight is FireWire based. With the built-in iSights being USB-based in new Macs and the current FireWire iSights banned by EU regulations, could a new, stand-alone USB-based iSight be far away?

Robert Cringsley, I'm sorry to say, sometimes lacks a bit in the brain department. Always has. "Practical reasoning", to quote, is simply not his thing.

What popular music- and video-oriented peripheral offered by Apple connects via USB, hmmmmmm? Christ, is it that difficult...

Gee, the thing's got wireless, an ethernet port and USB. What other devices have that combination? How about Airport and Airport Express?

There might be a few people that will hook their printer up near this think to be able to print wirelessly (doubt it costs much to add it and it's a feature).

If it's something else, great (maybe you can dock your iPod to it & sync wirelessly) but I wouldn't try and guess the feature just yet...

Didn't Steve mention in his keynote that you could hook up an iPod to it?

What a strange article... Amazing what (and who!) gets the attention.

The iSight is banned in EU not because its firewire, but because of the materials it contains.

However, one would hope a USB iSight is on its way, for no other reason then the Firewire one is more trouble then helpful (gotta love it that problems you have with your external harddrives turns out to be caused by a freaking video camera).

Oh, and uses could be: 1) Bluetooth adapter for better remote control usage (sorry, but Apple's remote is just a little too 'simple'

2) Keyboard and mouse

3) External storage (maybe iPod, maybe just external drives), although if this is a case, its just another example of Apple's quest for stupidly small over better overall look (if they made this box standard component sized, people who wanted extra storage could actually fit 4-8 in there, most likely. Height isn't the deal, its all about width and depth).

As for the iSight, let's not discount this. Going along on the incredible popularity of You Tube, MySpace, etc, maybe Apple has determined that web-cams are going to be a retro next-big-thing. Just imagine having people being able to voyeuristically watch you watch TV! Hell, and if you can surf the web on this thing, they could be watching you watching other people watch TV. I'm telling you, this is going to rock! Imagine the possibilities!

"Hey, let's see what louzer's doing. Oh wow, he's watching TV! Check it out guys! No, can't tell what he's watching, but, yep, he's reaching for the popcorn! No, wait, he fooled me, its the drink! Looks like iced tea! OMG, I wonder if its sweetened. Man, wish I knew what he's watching, since he seems to be enjoying it. Wait, he's moving again. OMG, I think he's watching porn! Oh, there he goes, he's pulling out his johnson! Man, glad this thing has a wide-angle lens! Oh, that's disgusting! Tell me when its over, man, I can't watch anymore....Oh, what, over already...."

Streaming a Keynote over to the TV would also be a killer feature, just hook up to the network and bang its controllable via the iTV.

Streaming iTunes, iPhoto, Keynote, iChat, Pages, PDF, special webpages, online content, ... the possibility's are endless. :)

Jeronimo2000 nailed it - the USB port is to allow hooking up an iPod -- you know, that thing with a USB port on it, to allow you to hook it up, or have your friends hook theirs up, and play back through iTV.

Not really rocket science - you folks 'speculating' (along with Mr. Cringely) need to buy a clue.