I think "I finally cracked it" means that he finally discovered a way to get TV content directly to the view without the cable stations getting in the way. He

I think "I finally cracked it" means that he finally discovered a way to get TV content directly to the view without the cable stations getting in the way. He described the problem in his Walt Mossberg interview @ AllThingsD conference in 2010, I think. He basically said the TV problem is very challenging and he doesn't have a solution because the cable companies control the viewing experience for the user, and Apple would be stuck with just adding another device onto the TV but wouldn't be able to really disrupt much (ie., current Apple TV as a hobby). SJ finally cracking it probably means he found a way to circumvent the cable companies... thus, apps as a means to directly give TV to users. But not just apps, but probably some kind of aggregation of TV shows from all the TV apps out there to provide a new interface/experience with all the content available, so you don't need a cable subscription anymore.