Apple eyeing billion-dollar acquisitions, push into TV market - rumor

Dan Frommer of Silicon Alley Insider on Monday night moderated an event with a number of chief executives in Manhattan. Out of that discussion came a number of rumors about Apple.

"Apple's shopping spree isn't over, and the company is looking at all kinds of deals, even up to $1 billion," Frommer wrote. "This is being led by Apple's newish deals guy, former Goldman banker Adrian Perica."

Apple has more than $40 billion in cash, money that Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in February that Apple must "think big" with. He said his company would take "big, bold" risks with its massive war chest.

The last year has been busy for Apple in terms of acquisitions. In January it was revealed that Apple bought Quattro Wireless, which laid the groundwork for Apple's forthcoming iAd mobile advertising platform, set to launch July 1. And late last year, Apple acquired streaming music service Lala for $85 million, an acquisition that is believed to pave the way for a cloud-based iTunes.

Most recently, in April, it was revealed that Apple had acquired Siri, which developed a personal assistant application for the iPhone. The software allows users to find local businesses and complete activities like make a dinner reservation or purchase movie tickets, all through voice commands.

Frommer also revealed that Apple's "next big move" will be in TV. The report did not say whether that means the company is planning an actual television set — which has been which rumored for some time — or or a redesign of the already established Apple TV set top box. In May, one rumor suggested that a cloud-centric Apple TV would be based on iOS 4, offer 1080P streaming video, run Apple's custom A4 processor, and cost just $99.

"Apple's next big move is going to be TV," Frommer wrote. "Besides the leaks of a supposed new Apple TV device, the company also renamed its iPhone OS 'iOS,' foreshadowing a future beyond mobile devices. The company's move into advertising — mobile, so far, but no reason it can't extend into TV somehow — is another hint."