AirplayMirroring
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iOS 7 video tip: Where is Apple hiding AirPlay Mirroring?
While not everyone uses AirPlay Mirroring to display their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch screen on a TV through an Apple TV, that capability is surprisingly popular with those who need to teach or demonstrate iOS apps. In the iOS 6 days, you could get to AirPlay Mirroring by double-tapping the Home button, then swiping right as far as you could go, into the Music player controls where you'd see the AirPlay icon. With a tap on that icon, you could turn on mirroring. We've had pings from more than just a few readers who wonder where that capability has gone in iOS 7, so here's the simple solution: it's part of Control Center, which you reach by swiping up from the bottom edge of your screen. Just look for the AirPlay icon. As with all of the earlier video tips, this one can be enlarged to full-screen for easier viewing.
Android to AirPlay Mirroring demonstrated, coming soon to CyanogenMod
Just in case you thought incorporation would slow things down among the folks behind CyanogenMod, dev and VP of Engineering Koushik Dutta just posted this video showing off AirPlay Mirroring from an Android phone. He's been working on Android streaming support to various protocols / devices for the "AllCast" media streaming app since Google's changes cut it off from the Chromecast (for now at least), and Apple's screen sharing feature is the latest target. There are other apps in the Play Store that connect Android devices over AirPlay, but mirroring support integrated into the OS feels fresh. AllCast support is already in place for pushing media to Roku and DLNA-compatible hardware, and he says this mirroring feature is "coming soon to a CyanogenMod near you."
Dear Aunt TUAW: Disappointed over AirPlay Mirroring hardware cutoff
Dear Aunt TUAW, With the new launch of Mountain Lion and its new features, I have somehow started looking at my old mid-2009 MacBook Pro with disdain. One of the features I looked forward to was AirPlay Mirroring which unfortunately my older model can't support due to hardware limitations. [This is causing no small amount of consternation among Mountain Lion upgraders, many of whom expected the feature to work universally. –Ed.] So my question now is, do I really need a new laptop? My hands are itching to get one. Maybe my question should be, what should be the cycle for upgrading laptops (but this is probably more personal). Would appreciate your help and guidance. Thanks. Your loving nephew, Dare Dear Dare, It's never the wrong time for a nice new Mac, if you can afford it. If not, AirParrot is just ten bucks and gives you the same kind of AirPlay mirroring, albeit with more burden on the Mac's CPU and some quality tradeoffs. In return for your $10, AirParrot offers two killer features that Mountain Lion does not. First, you can limit mirroring to a single window. Second, you can use it with an HDTV/Apple TV combo to extend your desktop! Why just mirror to your HDTV when you can use it as an extra monitor? As for Auntie's laptop upgrade cycle, it goes like this: she only buys hardware when she absolutely utterly cannot avoid doing so. It looks like a new Mac mini is in her future, although she hopes to hold off for a 2012 refresh. If not, she's buying a refurb 2011 mini and upgrading it to within an inch of its life. It will fit in perfectly with Auntie's lace doilies and Precious Moments figurines. Hugs, Auntie T. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Mountain Lion 101: AirPlay Mirroring
One of the flagship iOS features to carry over to OS X Mountain Lion is AirPlay Mirroring, which allows users to mirror their desktop to an Apple TV. System audio can also be streamed to AirPlay-compatible devices, which means that apps without custom AirPlay support (like Spotify) can stream directly to an Apple TV or Airport Express. AirPlay Mirroring is a great way to share content from your desktop, no matter what program you're running. It works well even for streaming video sites like Vimeo. You can control AirPlay Mirroring via the new AirPlay menu bar icon, which shows up when there's a valid target device on the network. You get some additional display options once you've turned AirPlay Mirroring on: When enabling AirPlay audio, go into Sound>Output in System Preferences and choose which compatible device you want the sound to go to: In my testing the mirroring worked great, but some issues can arise when you turn AirPlay Mirroring off. I'm using a mid-2012 13-inch MacBook Pro and after AirPlay Mirroring was turned off, it still had my Mac's resolution adjusted to that of my TV's. To fix it, you'll have to open the display panel and select your previous resolution. However, after a few times using AirPlay Mirroring, the problem stopped. Richard Gaywood noticed similar issues in his review. Unlike Richard, my MacBook Pro wasn't running hot with AirPlay Mirroring going, but it also has a newer graphics card. Other than this issue, I think that AirPlay Mirroring is going to be extremely useful. The requirements are pretty tight; if you have a computer that wasn't purchased in the past year or so, it probably is not supported. If you're looking to get AirPlay Mirroring features for older systems, AirParrot will fill that gap nicely.
Kanex ATV Pro connects Apple TV to VGA projectors
Kanex has just released the US$59 ATV Pro HDMI to VGA adapter. This little video adapter may well be a hit with teachers and presenters who want to mirror their iPad screens to VGA projectors -- without tethering the iPad to a clunky VGA cable. Up until now, if you intended to display your iPhone or iPad screen on a projector without HDMI inputs, your choices were few. First, you could use an Apple or third-party Dock connector to VGA cable. That, of course, limits your mobility to the length of the cable you're using to connect to the projector; the Apple VGA dongle is also prone to falling out if you're wandering around. Putting an Apple TV into the mix (and an accessible local WiFi network) lets you can leverage Apple's AirPlay mirroring, making it simple to send iPhone or iPad screens to a big screen with no cable clutter. Unfortunately, a lot of legacy projectors out in the field aren't equipped with HDMI inputs -- and it's a bad moment when you show up at your meeting without the right connections. If you have your Mac and a copy of either Reflection or AirServer, you can mirror your iOS device to your laptop... but that's a lot of gear to lug around if all you want to do is present and/or demo from your iPad. [In theory, if you wanted to show a Keynote presentation from your iPad and control it while walking about, you could connect the iPad to the VGA projector using one of the aforementioned cables and then use Apple's Keynote Remote app on a handy iPhone or iPod touch to run Keynote remotely. That doesn't solve the mirroring issue, though.] Now Kanex makes it possible to grab a $99 Apple TV, attach it to the ATV Pro and then to a VGA projector, and pump anything on an iPad or iPhone out of that projector. [Note that Monoprice sells a similar HDMI to VGA adapter for slightly less, but it's much larger and clunkier. –Ed.] Unlike the Apple TV, the ATV Pro doesn't require a nearby power outlet, so you don't need to worry about having more than two plugs available -- one for the Apple TV and one for the projector. There's also a 3.5mm audio connector that splits out the HDMI audio signal so you can play it over your analog speakers. So, how does it work in reality? Very well, thank you. I taught a class last night at a nearby community college using an Apple TV and ATV Pro, and I zapped all of my content from an iPad to the big screen as I walked around the room. Setup was drop-dead simple; the classroom has a VGA cable that I normally connect to the Mini DisplayPort on my MacBook Air using an Apple adapter. Instead, I plugged the VGA cable into the VGA port on the ATV Pro, plugged the ATV Pro's HDMI cable into the HDMI port of the Apple TV, and just plugged the Apple TV into the wall. A little bit of simple configuration of the Apple TV to join the college's network, and I was ready to go. [Be aware that some enterprise or educational wireless networks use captive portal authentication, which does not play nicely with the Apple TV's connection setup; others may block mDNS or ZeroConf/Bonjour peer-to-peer communications, required for AirPlay's magic. Be sure to test in advance of any critical presentations. –Ed.] Until projectors start arriving on the market with the ability to accept AirPlay input directly from iOS devices, the Kanex ATV Pro is definitely the way to go. It's a well-made and reasonably-priced product, and the setup is a no-brainer. The ATV Pro is currently on pre-order from Kanex, and should be available starting next Monday (May 14, 2012).
Kanex unveils ATV Pro, gives VGA projectors the power of AirPlay mirroring
If you wish you could use your legacy projector with your iPad for educational or business purposes, then crack a smile. Kanex has released the ATV Pro, a HDMI-to-VGA adapter that will allow older gear to get access to AirPlay mirroring. It's designed to get iPads into the classroom and even offers a 3.5mm audio-out port for stereo sound. Its available from today and will set you back $60.
Apple unleashes OS X Mountain Lion Preview to Mac Developer Program
You may still be purring your way through our in-depth preview, but Mountain Lion is now officially out of the bag, with Apple releasing a preview version of its latest OS X to the members-only Developer Program. If you're up to date on those $99/year dues, you can head on over to the Member Center to get your OS 10.8 fix, and start checking out those shiny new Messages, Reminders, Notes and Notification Center apps. Or kick up your feet and bring your desktop to the big screen with AirPlay Mirroring. If you have the Apple-approved credentials to proceed, you can find all that and more by making your way over to our source link just below.
OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 in-depth preview
Apple OS X Lion (10.7) review Apple's OS X Lion USB sticks now available online for $69 Apple updates EFI firmware on 2010 Macs: offers Lion internet recovery, not much else You can bid farewell to the days of Apple's theatrical OS reveals -- at least until OS 11 rears its head, anyway. In the meantime, the outfit has seemingly been content to strip away more and more pomp and circumstance with every subsequent big cat release. Lately, the company has settled into an evolutionary release schedule, eschewing full-fledged makeovers in favor of packing in lots of smaller changes, many of them quite granular indeed. It's a trend that can be traced as far back as 2009's OS X Snow Leopard (10.6), a name designed to drive home the point that the upgrade wasn't so much a reinvention of the wheel as a fine tuning of its predecessor, Leopard. The arrival of Lion (10.7), though, marked a full upgrade. With features like Launchpad and Mission Control, it seemed like it might be the last version Cupertino dropped before finally pulling the trigger on operating system number 11, and perhaps transitioning to something with an even stronger iOS influence. Right now, at least, the company's not ready to close the book on chapter X, but it is giving the world a first peek at 10.8. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Mountain Lion.
Gigabit 802.11ac Wi-Fi may be coming to Apple devices soon
Apple was the first computer manufacturer to popularize Wi-Fi, pioneering the adoption of the early 802.11b standard, then 802.11g, and raising the speed limit with 802.11n in 2007. Now AppleInsider is reporting that the company is expected to start providing support for the "Gigabit Wi-Fi" 802.11ac standard in 2012. To provide lightning-fast wireless networking, 802.11ac uses up to four times the frequency bandwidth (up to 160 MHz), more antennas (up to eight; existing Macs use up to three), and hyper-efficient data transfers through more sophisticated modulation schemes. The standard hasn't yet been approved by the 802.11 Working Group, but things are moving along at a fast clip. Many suppliers, including Apple component manufacturer Broadcom, have announced 802.11ac chipsets. The new equipment not only provides network speeds above 1 Gigabit per second (about three times the speed of existing 802.11n networks), but also offers improved reliability, better power efficiency, and more range. When the changes come, they'll most likely first appear in the form of new AirPort base stations and a new Time Capsule, and then start rolling out to new Mac models and mobile devices. Where the new technology will have the biggest impact is in the user of other Apple technologies such as AirPlay, AirPlay Mirroring, and AirDrop. Now aren't you glad you didn't run Ethernet cabling all over your house?
Seas0nPass untethered jailbreak for Apple TVs on 4.4.4 detailed, iOS apps coming soon? (Update: video!)
Now that pod2g has done the heavy lifting and released an untethered jailbreak for iOS5, the Seas0NPass tool has been updated for your untethered jailbreaking pleasure on Apple TVs running even the latest 4.4.4 update. Redmond Pie has a full walkthrough and how-to that should help you get things going, so that you no longer have to choose between extending your device's capabilities beyond Apple's restrictions (still no Plex support on 4.4.4 though Update: Plex Beta 4 has been released which is compatible with 4.4.4., thanks Christo & Tulio) and features like AirPlay mirroring. Even more interestingly however, a few hackers may be close to unlocking iOS apps for use on the Apple TV. There's nothing released yet but we'll be following @themudkip and @westbaer on Twitter for further updates as they're available. In the meantime, check out a couple shots of iOS apps running on the Apple TV after the break, courtesy of Steven Troughton-Smith. Update: Still images not enough to get you going? Check after the break or hit the YouTube link for a quick video demo of iOS apps running on Apple's TV box. Our friend STS hopes this may push the folks in Cupertino to open their doors to apps officially similar to the way things happened back in '07 on the iPhone -- for now we can only wait.
Photo Stream, NHL, AirPlay mirroring and more added to Apple TV with software update
It got a bit overshadowed by Apple's other software updates earlier today, but Apple TV users also have a few new features to enjoy whenever they're ready to plop down on the couch. Version 4.4 of the Apple TV software is now available to download, which adds the new Photo Stream feature to view photos stored in iCloud, as well as AirPlay mirroring, plus content from the NHL and Wall Street Journal, and a new movie trailer section. You'll also now be able to view subtitles in Netflix (when available, of course), and you have a few new slideshow themes to choose from.
Real Racing 2 shows off iPhone 4S' graphical chops, brings split screen gaming to iOS (video)
Rearing to make the most of the iPhone 4S' new AirPlay compatibility? How about streaming not just one device to your big screen, but four? That's the setup Firemint is teasing for its next big update to Real Racing 2: four-player streaming over AirPlay. The apps' upcoming "Party Play" feature lets an iPad 2 or iPhone 4S play host to up to three additional iOS devices running the game, piping the stream for all four to your boob tube via Apple TV. The update also promises to make the most of the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S' A5 processor, kicking the graphics up a notch. Now you can relive those lazy summer days playing Mario Kart in your friends garage, albeit with faster cars and minus those infuriating blue shells.
AirPlay Mirroring coming to iPhone 4S, not just for iPads
That snazzy AirPlay Mirroring feature Apple showed off at WWDC earlier this year is back for an encore, and now it's strutting its stuff on the iPhone 4S. Previously we saw AirPlay piping an iPad 2 to the big screen by way of Apple TV, but the upcoming iOS 5 features seems to have broadened it horizons -- letting Apple handsets get in on the HDTV mirroring love. AirPlay not your thing? Don't worry, you can still score high-def mirroring action using a wired dongle. Skip on past the break for a peek at the accessory that will make your next $2,000 Halloween costume that much easier to build.
iOS 5 AirPlay Mirroring demo brings games and more to the big screen
One of the most anticipated features of iOS 5, at least in my book, is AirPlay Mirroring. This feature endows the iPad 2 with the ability to wirelessly mirror all video on the screen of the device to an Apple TV 2. No longer is mirroring just enabled in a few apps here and there -- anything on your iPad 2 can be blasted to the big screen with a few taps. The guys over at Apple'n'Apps have produced an amazing ten-minute video walkthrough of several popular iOS apps being beamed wirelessly to a large screen HDTV from an iPad 2. More than anything, the video shows just how smooth AirPlay Mirroring is. The lack of cables makes it all that much better for game play, as you can shake, rattle, and roll your iPad 2 without worrying that a cable will fall out. Without further ado, here's the video for your viewing pleasure:
More iOS 5 features get their moment in the beta testing sun
Steve Jobs and co. showed off all kinds of cool new features during the debut of iOS 5 at WWDC earlier this month. We had the chance to take a few of them for a spin, when we tested the beta build of the mobile operating system, and now that more and more folks have tried their hand at iOS 5, more and more features are getting their turn to shine. Here's a list of some of the cooler ones we've seen in the last few weeks. Apple has added the ability to make FaceTime calls over 3G -- though rumor has it that this may be a beta-only feature, which carriers can choose to disable, over obvious data usage concerns. AirPlay Mirroring has been shown off. The feature lets users display video from an iPad 2 on an HDTV, by way of Apple TV, for those times when you just can't keep your tablet content to yourself. (Read) The new software also offers up the ability to sync 1080p video to iOS 5 devices, opening the door to speculation that future iPads and iPhones may be able to play back content at full 1080p. (Read) Like to play your iTunes over your car stereo? Good news, iOS 5 will transfer audio information like album, track, and artist names over Bluetooth. (Read) [Thanks to everyone who sent in tips]
