Tipsters told MacScoop that Apple has been developing and will include a stripped-down version of Mac OS X in its forthcoming "iTV" home entertainment appliance and on its next generation of iPods.

The "iTV"'s user interface has already showed signs of similarity with Apple's computer operating system, as its navigation is identical to Mac OS X' media-browser application called Front Row. Apple has however not confirmed yet that the device will use a Mac OS X variant to operate.

But recent reports indicated MacScoop that both the "iTV" and the next generation of iPods will use a stripped-down version of Mac OS X so as to handle their multimedia operations.

No word - from our sources - on the use of this technology on Apple's rumoured mobile phone but if the reports MacScoop has obtained are accurate, it looks obvious that Apple is developing a platform that will be used on all of its portable and living-room consumer products.

The stripped-down version of Apple's operating system will reportedly be based on a similar kernel as Mac OS X and will offer mainly multimedia features, such as those we can see on Apple's Front-Row application.

Other reports recently claimed that Apple was working on a stripped-down version of Mac OS X with most of them hinting at the use of this technology in Apple's long rumoured mobile phone.

The use of similar software on both its computers and consumer devices will not only make development of software for the device easier, but may also represent an increase on the halo-effect that these consumer devices may generate to Apple's customers, making the switch to the Mac platform more natural for them.

The "iTV" and - with less certainty - Apple's mobile phone are expected to be released at MacWorld SF 2007 opening keynote while evidence on the possible release of a new generation of iPods has yet to surface.