Cisco to take on Apple TV

Cisco -- which filed a lawsuit against Apple on Wednesday over the iPhone trademark -- is planning to introduce its own equivalent to the Apple TV, according to Light Reading. Although already in testing and development before the September preview of the Apple device, Cisco's media hub may enflame tensions following the recent lawsuit due to similar features. The Linksys-branded device, demonstrated behind closed doors at the CES trade show in Las Vegas this week, is expected to both access media across a network and store it on its own hard drive for quicker access. Cisco says the adapter will offer features absent from other devices, allowing owners to choose between buying videos directly from CinemaNow or streaming media over Wi-Fi from cellphones as well as other handhelds. Users will control Cisco's device via a ring-shaped remote that will function as a wireless pointer rather than a simple button-operated device similar to Nintendo's Wii game console. The company plans a release by the end of 2007, which could complicate its launch if the firm's suit against Apple remains unsettled by the end of the year, according to Electronista.

by MacNN Staff