App Store placeholder hints at another iOS device

What appears to be a placeholder that popped up briefly on some App Store listings last night is causing a stir, hinting that another iOS app capable device could be on the way.

As spotted by developer Cabel Sasser and picked up by MacRumors, a compatibility description for "ix.Mac.MarketingName" appeared briefly under Sasser's listing for his newest iOS app called Prompt.

The app, which serves as an SSH admin tool, is universal--meaning it works on both the iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as on the iPad. The "ix" moniker showed up as a fourth device within that list. Since being discovered, the item has been removed.

The apparent placeholder shows up fewer than two months ahead of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference where the company has said it is showing off "the future of iOS and Mac OS X". That future could very well include bringing iOS apps to other Apple products where they cannot currently be had, such as the Apple TV and computers running the next major version of Mac OS X.

For months, rumours and code snippets have suggested that Apple was looking to bring apps to the Apple TV, however when the second-generation device was released the features were not present. As for Macs, some of the design and interface changes to pre-release versions of OS X 10.7--including touch-screen-like track pad behavior and app organization with the Launchpad feature--have suggested the OS is getting more finger-friendly.