On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

Will the humble Apple TV be reborn as a cable box? The Wall Street Journal reports Apple is "in talks" with major US cable operators to allow the streaming of live TV and content on the device.

The WSJ says Apple has not managed to reach a deal with a cable company yet-- maybe due to "the reluctance of operators to let Apple establish a foothold in the television business."

Apparently Apple also demands a 30% cut on transactions going through the box, similar to how it operates the iTunes business.

Trying for a deal with cable operators echoes the way Apple got into the mobile business, where it convinced service operators to pair their services with Apple hardware and software.

According to "two people briefed on the matter" Apple is also testing prototype HDTVs with embedded Apple TV technology-- leading to further speculation on the now legendary Apple HDTV (aka "iTV") set.

So far the Apple TV failed to capture the imaginations (and living rooms of the world). Back in 2010 the late Steve Jobs described the STB as a "hobby," a description CEO Tim Cook repeated in 2012. Cook still believes the STB "will lead [Apple] somewhere," even if sales remain low.

Go Apple's New Front in Battle for TV (WSJ.com)

Amazon starts delivering parcels to around 500 corner shops and newsagents in the UK, the Telegraph reports-- pushing its assault on brick and mortar retail ever further.

Currently on small scale trial, the scheme applies to items such as books and clothing and will soon cover the entire country (and presumably with the entire Amazon catalog). It allows customers to pick up orders from local shops instead of waiting for mail-delivered parcels.

Customers can also use the "Collect+" scheme to send unwanted items back to Amazon. The company running Collect+, Paypoint, hopes the system drives footfall into participant schemes.

Once a mere online book specialist, Amazon now takes on retailers in virtually every sector-- not only CE, but also clothing and even fresh groceries.

Go Amazon to Deliver Parcels to UK Corner Shops (The Telegraph)

It looks like HP did not give up on the mobile dream-- an internal email from senior HP VP Martin Risau obtained by webOS Nation details how the webOS Global Business Unit (aka Palm) is turning into internal startup "Gram."

“We are no longer a consumer hardware brand," Risau writes. "We are a different company with a focus on software, user experience, cloud, engineering and partnering.” That rules out HP making mobile devices, then.

HP donated the webOS source code to the open source community back in December 2011, but kept the webOS GBU as a business unit. However Gram is a quasi-independent entity under the larger HP umbrella... and purse strings.

Risau gives no details on what Gram will work on (the company is "in stealth mode") but apparently the company not only has webOS, but also Enyo development tools and the separate webOS group cloud services team. It is also looking for new hires.

Is HP taking a second stab at taking on the mobile market after failing to make the initial Windows RT OEM partner list? Or will Gram createl something more interesting than a mere iOS/Android/Win RT rival?

Go webOS GBU to Become Quasi-Independent Cloud and UX Company (webOS Nation)

AudioXperts, the latest venture from Eli Harary (Boston Acoustics, Infinity) shows off a take on TV audio improvement-- the 4TV "audio entertainment console" family.

The 4TV consoles are designed to sit under table-mounted flat panel TVs (similar to the Z-Base systems from ZVox), with smoked glass and aluminium enclosures and a built-in swivel base.

Sound comes through what AudioXperts calls "High Aspect Ratio Transducer" (HART), a suspension and support system allowing the use of a large voice coil for high power handling within a high aspect ratio design.

The systems decode Dolby Digital and DTS formats, handle Bluetooth audio streaming (with the aptX codec) and include a number of listening modes and EQ settings for music and movies.

Two models are available-- the 2112 (2.1 channel virtual surround system) and 5112 (true 5.1 channel system), both with coax, optical, digital, USB and analog inputs.

The 2112 handles up to 200W of amplification through two fabric dome tweeters, four 4.5-inch HART drivers and built-in subwoofer. The 5112 ups the power to 500W RMS with six drivers, three tweeters for L/C/R channels, four more tweeters for dipole surrounds and a separate flat subwoofer with eight 4.5-inch drivers.

Go 4TV Audio Entertainment Consoles