Here's a blast from the past... in 1995, Apple created an Apple Set Top Box. Details from this 1995 Press Release announced that this interactive TV set-top technology was being evaluated in a six-state trial.
"Apple's ITV system incorporates key technologies including a subset of the MacOS, QuickDraw and QuickTime. In addition, it includes an MPEG1 decoder and supports PAL and NTSC video formats as well as E1 and T1 telephone protocols. "
Needless to say, this technology never went anywhere, but some units have been floating around. As Apple/Mac fans, we got our hands on one to take a look.
Continued (click Read More below)...Pictures (click on thumbnails for larger image):
Front of Unit.
Back of Unit.
From left to right on the picture of the back of the unit, there are the following things:
1. Power Switch
2. Power Cord Connector
3. SCSI Port
4. SCART/VCR port (covered)
5. SCART/TV port (covered)
6. RF Out
7. Channel 3/4 switch
8. RF in
9. Ethernet Port
10. Serial port
11. S-Video Port
12. Video RCA Port
13. Audio Right Out
14. Audio Left Out
Looking inside, the unit is based on a 68040 CPU. All in all, it does appear to be a 68k Mac-based machine. Plugging it in and powering it on gives a blank screen with no other sign of life. Though, one does wonder what happens if you were to plug in a 68k Mac Boot Drive onto that SCSI port. Unfortunately, we don't have access to one.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
