Taking in Television: so what is that USB port on the new Apple TV accessory going to be for?

Interesting take on one little I/O port on the upcoming TV-accessory from Apple: an enigmatic USB 2.0 port.

One techno pundit speculates it may be designed to allow a USB-eqiupped PVR-like television tuner to plug in. Companies like El Gato certainly make them.

huibert-aalbers.com: The most exciting feature of iTV may be it%u2019s USB port:

...if I am right and the USB connector will be used to add third party TV tuners, suddenly it all makes sense and we all get what we had been waiting for. I would be really surprised if Apple hadn%u2019t planned that all along. Why not announce it now, then? Well, I guess that Steve Jobs is already preparing it%u2019s One more thing%u2026 speech for MacWorld

It would be great to see Apple creating a new niche for innovative companies to synergize with the corporation and help consumers in even more new ways.

A lot of companies in the early part of this decade forgot that people have a home life, and they need some creature comforts there, too.

Not Apple.

After they introduced the iMac, they rolled out iTunes, the iPod, Airport Express with AirTunes, and host of other products to make the home more livable.

Plus, you don't have to hire a live-in IT department to come to your house - or be forever taking your computer to the shop for one ailment after another. It just works.

Speculating on the future of TV in light of what Apple has done to make over the home computer and the MP3 player is really fertile ground for prognostication.

Thankfully, with just 3-6 months to go - there is not much time to get much wrong!