Cult of Mac this morning published a mockup of a future Apple television based on a description provided by an anonymous source who claimed to have seen a prototype of the device in action. While the story quickly spread to other tech sites, Jim Tanous was not impressed. He breaks down why the design lacks Apple’s disruptive flair and why Apple will have to (and likely will) do better with the final product.

It is reported that Apple has been in talks with EPIX to land a deal that would allow for streaming its movies on Apple devices. This is expected to include both current set-top devices and the rumored Apple HDTV, if such a device is ever produced.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted at gaming giant Valve’s headquarters in Washington State late last week, an event that has sparked much speculation and claims from unnamed sources. The former include the idea that Apple is interested in buying Valve, while the latter includes the claim that Apple is working with Valve to reinvent living room gaming.

Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp has begun production of its first high-resolution displays based on indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) technology, the company announced Friday. Analysts believe that Sharp’s new displays are a “prime candidate” for use in upcoming Apple products, including the much-rumored Apple television.

Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek is the latest analyst to hike his price target for shares in Apple Inc., pushing it to US$800. The analyst said that he believes Apple will introduce a TV set called “iPanel” in the fourth quarter of 2012, a device that is “so much more than a TV.”

During Apple’s March 7th keynote, the company announced an update to its Apple TV, with a shipping date of March 16th, the same day the new iPad also ships. Nine days didn’t seem like too long to wait, but many people have reported receiving their new device today, March 15th, one day early.

The late Steve Jobs approached CBS to ask the media giant for content for an Apple television subscription service, according to CBS CEO Les Moonves. Mr. Moonves made the comments on Saturday at a conference, where he also said that he rejected Mr. Jobs’s attempts to make a deal.

Apple’s 1080p Apple TV will hit store shelves, but current Apple TV owners can start playing with the new interface today thanks to a software update that rolled out Wednesday afternoon.

Apple’s iTunes in the Cloud, which is part of its iCloud service, added support for movies on Wednesday. Along with iCloud movie support, Apple CEO Tim Cook also announced that iTunes Store movies will be available in at 1080p resolution, which fits nicely with today’s update for the Apple TV.

Along with iOS 5.1, Apple unveiled an updated Apple TV entertainment appliance on Wednesday that supports 1080p video. The announcement came during Apple’s special media event in San Francisco where the company is also introducing new iPad models.