Is Apple looking to boost its audio and video technologies?

If you’re in the mood for Apple speculation, the company’s recent recruiting of Dolby Executive Vice President Mike Rockwell has many people speculating about some new audio and video-centric Apple products in the near future. Rockwell has extensive experience in streaming media, digital video, audio processing and sound, all of which are areas that Apple has become especially interested in recently. 

Continuing its high-level executive hiring spree, Apple has recruited Dolby Executive Vice President Mike Rockwell to become an executive in its hardware division, 9to5Mac has learned. According to a source, Rockwell has likely been hired to bolster the audio and display performance of future Apple products, which could include anything from next-generation Apple monitors to professional audio/video editing tools to speakers. Rockwell’s LinkedIn profile confirms he joined Apple in February but does not specify his role. At Dolby, Rockwell was most recently in charge of the company’s Advanced Technology Group, where he led the “invention of new technology and incubation of new businesses,” according to an archive of Dolby’s executive profiles page. While Dolby is best-known for multichannel audio solutions, Rockwell was interestingly involved in Dolby Vision, a “state-of-the-art color display technology” designed to improve the color rendition and brightness of high-definition displays and capture tools, among other projects.