Tim Cook has dropped the strongest hint yet that Apple is developing its own 'iTV' television set.
Speaking to Brian Williams of NBC, Apple's chief executive officer said the TV set was 'an area of intense interest' for the company.
In a full interview that will be screened Thursday evening in the United States, Cook coyly suggested that the humble television set could be next in line for an Apple-style modernisation.
"When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years," he said.
New era for connected TVs?
Speculation has been rife for well over twelve months that Apple's next big move will be to usher in a new era of connected televisions.
Recent reports have outlined a Siri-controlled system, new cable-cutting content subscription models and an iOS-like UI.
Although a launch is not expected in the immediate future, Cook's comments are sure to excite Apple fans eagerly awaiting Cupertino's next major breakthrough.
Maps 'screw up'
Meanwhile, Cook assured iOS 6 users that he was placing the "weight of the entire company behind correcting" the misfiring Maps application that has damaged Apple's reputation in recent months.
He added: "On Maps, a few years ago, we decided that we wanted to provide customers features that we didn't have in the current edition of Maps.
"It [Maps] didn't meet our customers' expectation, and our expectations of ourselves are even higher than our customers'. However, I can tell you, so we screwed up."
The full Rock Center interview will be screened at 10PM ET on NBC on Thursday night.
Via NBCNews.com
