My First Apple Prediction

Ya right, but it is one of my first published. Just off the top of my head, I’ll post my announcement prediction before they get to announcin’:

1. iOS 6 will ship this summer. New features include Apple-built mapping with some industry-leading bells and whistles, extensive AirPlay integration with everything Apple, a new iPod music app, more Siri integration with other databases (both local and network), new iLife iOS apps with some whiz-bang features, and something on the digital wallet front so we can pay for things with our iPhones.
2. OS X Mountain Lion is ahead of schedule and shipping soon, digitally only. Those of us on Snow Leopard will be screwed again. It’s getting harder and harder to use professional software on the Mac because Apple is forcing your hand on software upgrades and the developers make the user pay. But most of us will upgrade anyway because Apple is still 10x better than the alternatives.
3. Apple TV is real and it’s a compelling product. It’s basically a big screen TV running iOS through the TV and voice interface (as opposed to the touch interface). This screen can do everything the current AppleTV and Roku products can do, such as stream HD from hundreds of sources served through a ‘Channel Store’ / ‘App Store’.But it can do so much more: go full-screen using voice control on your personal database apps like Address Book and iCal; run iOS apps that list information such as recipes and study guides, display iBooks interactively, query the web using Siri, browse with a TV-friendly Safari, play your movies, photo slideshows, and even Youtube, and yes, play real iOS games adapted for the TV interface. Basically a 6 foot wide iPad you talk to (or use the remote when you are sick of yelling at the wall) – most Apple users will start saving for one immediately.The killer feature of the iScreen might be buried though – it features a universal video search much like the current iOS does left of the Home screen. This search will be the google of video, both live and archived, both privately owned and publicly shared. For example – type your favorite band name into this thing and you will see every TV appearance, every DVD, every Youtube bootleg, every film appearance, every MTV and VEVO video, even if they are going to be on HBO or NBC this week – basically every instance of video past, present, and future on the subject.So this thing will hang on your wall, possibly not replacing your current TV, but forming a new place in the house – like the kitchen or dining room, a home office, even over the mantle. Wherever it is you can talk to it or remote control it. Yes the future is now – walk into your house, say what you are thinking, and up comes a screen full of every type of video imaginable on the subject. Say “next” or “back” to select, “play” to load, and “pause” to go grab a drink. While watching a movie and you forgot to check something: “pause movie, go to web, my blog, resume movie”. My favorite – live playlist creating: while playing a song in the music app “create playlist, add all 2MERICA, save as Ego Trip” and so on.Nothing like this has been done before and I really don’t know how Apple would get access to all of that data, but this is just what I feel they are working on.

That’s it. I’ll have to tune in in 24 hours to see how?prescient?I am.