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Stream from your Android device to an Apple TV with an $8 app
Non-Apple-device Airplay streaming to Apple TV effectively died when Apple pushed tvOS 10.2 into the world. But the folks who enabled it in the first place, doubleTwist, have returned to fix that. "We went ahead and added support for Apple's new pairing process in the latest doubleTwist Pro release because we believe the era of walled gardens is long gone," a post on the developer's blog says. Meaning, if you didn't already have the premium app, all it'll cost to get FLAC files from your Android device to your Apple TV is a spare $8/£8. Handy!
CloudPlayer now lets you take your playlists everywhere
Ever wanted to take your favorite playlists with you on the go but didn't want to go to the trouble of creating them across multiple services? Now you can with doubleTwist's CloudPlayer, which is now introducing special cloud playlists.
DoubleTwist's CloudPlayer can stream to Android Wear and Auto
DoubleTwist's CloudPlayer can already pull and stream media from Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive accounts, but now it works on AllPlay speakers, Android smartwatches and Auto. Yep, you'll be able to stream your tunes in your car, on your wrist and in your home or office... depending on where you store your non-smartphone Android hardware. With AllPlay support it also means you can now use CloudPlayer on Chromecast Audio, Apple TV or an AllPlay speaker. These are all great reasons to give doubleTwist's media player a shot -- unless you're already busy with one of the (many) other options available.
CloudPlayer streams your music from Dropbox and Google Drive
DoubleTwist has released a media player separate from its main product, and this one can stream music straight from various cloud services. Aptly named CloudPlayer, the app links to your Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive accounts all at once to access any music files you've uploaded. The company says it "created CloudPlayer to provide an alternative to crippled, proprietary cloud music lockers that impose painful restrictions on what you can do with the music you own." Unlike other services (company co-founder Jon Lech Johansen specifically targets Google Play Music in his blog post), DoubleTwist claims CloudPlayer doesn't have a download or a device restriction, and it supports lossless audio.
DoubleTwist's new app lets you save iTunes Radio tracks to your PC
The folks at DoubleTwist are at it again. Over the past three months they've crafted Android and OS X apps to help penny-pinching users save the music they hear on iTunes Radio, and now they've gone and done the unthinkable: they made a version for Windows PCs, too.
'AirPlay Recorder' lets you rip iTunes Radio songs on OS X, and other news for Feb. 18, 2014
Back in 2002, a man by the name of Jon Lech Johansen put out a program called DeCSS, which allowed users to rip encrypted DVDs for the first time. It caused a stir in the technology and film industries for obvious reasons. Now Johansen is at it again, working with Monique Farantzos at a company the two co-founded called doubleTwist. They've released software called AirPlay Recorder which lets you rip tracks directly from iTunes Radio. AirPlay Recorder has actually been available on Android since January, but now is available on the Mac for the first time. The app is free for time-limited recordings or $9.99 for unlimited recordings. The app doesn't download the audio files associated with iTunes Radio songs, but actually records music in real time in high-quality. In other words, a three minute song takes three minutes to record. Earlier this year co-founder Monique Farantzos spoke with out sister site Engadget about AirPlay Recorder's legality: "Recording has been around for decades, from audio cassettes (remember mix tapes?) to TuneIn radio's recording feature. Given that Apple built their iPod empire on letting millions of people rip CDs based on fair use, we don't see how they could object to this app." As AirPlay Record for Mac exists outside of the Mac App Store, it seems there is nothing Apple nor the music providers can do to stop the distribution of the app without a court order. In other news: Tim Cook has tweeted a picture from the opening of the first Apple Store in Brazil. Apple has seeded the seventh build of OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 to developers.
iTunes Radio recording comes to Mac via DoubleTwist
While you could use an Android device to capture iTunes Radio streams before, DoubleTwist's latest AirPlay Recorder update brings that functionality to Cupertino's desktops. Based on the walk-through that the outfit lists on its blog, the Mac app seems pretty simple to implement too. First, select the app as an AirPlay device and then start playing a song or station. That's it. While some might scoff at the price ($10), convenience doesn't always come free.
DoubleTwist's new Android app records songs played on iTunes Radio (updated)
Those clever guys and gals at DoubleTwist have been freeing music from iTunes' grasp for years, so we suppose it was only a matter of time before they figured out how to do the same with songs played on iTunes Radio. The app's called, quite appropriately, iTunes Radio Recorder, and it circumvents Apple's DRM by turns your Android phone into an AirPlay device -- not literally, mind you, the app on your phone simply populates as an optional AirPlay streaming device in iTunes on your computer. Once the app is selected for AirPlay streaming, music is played and recorded in real-time, so a five minute file will take five minutes to record. Not quite as quick as a download, but it is an elegant way to circumvent Apple's digital audio shackles. As for piracy or legal concerns? DoubleTwist has none. According to company Co-founder and President Monique Farantzos: "Recording has been around for decades, from audio cassettes (remember mix tapes?) to TuneIn radio's recording feature. Given that Apple built their iPod empire on letting millions of people rip CDs based on fair use, we don't see how they could object to this app." So, there you have it. Go forth, friends. Listen. Record. Enjoy the fruits of iTunes streaming and DoubleTwist's coding labors... while it lasts. Update: We mistakenly reported earlier that iTunes Radio streams are protected with DRM, when in fact, they are not.
doubleTwist Sync for Windows adds new interface and syncing options
It might not have gotten a Holo makeover, but doubleTwist for Windows has still scored a major update that includes a fresh UI, additional syncing options and a brand new name. Now aptly called doubleTwist Sync, the re-christened app comes with MTP support for quick PC-to-tablet/phone syncing via USB. The service's Android player now also automatically pushes playlist edits, playcounts and ratings to iTunes. Finally, neat freaks will love that they can now sync music previously organized into categories on iTunes or Windows Media Player with their mobile devices. All those still using doubleTwist as a bridge between ecosystems, check out the FAQ links below for more info on the new app.
doubleTwist gets Holo-inspired makeover in latest release
Now with a brand-new streaming music service under its belt, Android player doubleTwist is undergoing a makeover. The app's latest incarnation has just landed on Google Play and features a Holo-inspired refresh that still keeps the character and dark looks of its predecessor. As you'd expect, the application now uses the system action bar on all screens and incorporates the "Up" button. The fresh release also includes cleaner alert and dialog prompts, refined typography and pages that work in both portrait and landscape views, with the occasional optimized layout for the latter. Despite the big tweaks, the outfit says this is just phase one of its Holo facelift, and that more drastic changes and optimizations for devices toting larger screens are coming down the pike. Click the neighboring source links to download the app and catch a grand tour of the revamp.
doubleTwist takes on Pandora with Magic Radio subscription service
Remember doubleTwist? (Probably almost as well as you remember India.Arie and Nikka Costa, but more on that later.) The player made a bit of a name for itself in the pre-Play Music days -- based as much on the default Android music app's shortcomings as its own strengths. Over the years, as the need for a third-party media manager has waned, doubleTwist has fought to remain relevant by piling on features. To its own detriment, however, many of them remain premium options, like the ability to download missing album art for $5. The latest offering to bring some much appreciated functionality attached to a rather undesirable price tag is Magic Radio. This is doubleTwist's attempt to take on Pandora with a streaming music discovery service that's supposed to help you find the music "you love." For $4 a month...
Qualcomm's AllJoyn P2P software framework adds audio streaming and notifications, we go eyes-on
Qualcomm revealed that it was expanding its AllJoyn software platform today with some new services designed to help create a network of connected devices. Essentially, these services take the AllJoyn P2P software framework and package it in a way that makes it easier for hardware makers to implement. Qualcomm sees these new services enabling a kind of hub and spoke organization where myriad devices -- from coffee makers to stereos -- connect to a single internet gateway. With such a framework in place, users can control those devices and receive notifications from them on a smartphone or tablet. To get an idea of what AllJoyn can do, imagine a world where your washing machine sends you a text when the laundry's done and you can tell your coffee maker to start brewing using your smartphone. In addition to an appliance and gadget connectivity network, AllJoyn's also rolling out a open source, wireless audio streaming protocol. Like AirPlay or Sonos' wireless technology, it allows users to stream music from mobile devices to any set of AllJoyn-enabled speakers. But, unlike those closed competitors, AllJoyn's solution is open source and freely available to speaker and stereo manufacturers. Intrigued? You can see an AllJoyn-enabled coffee maker and the AllJoyn-compatible DoubleTwist app do some music streaming in our video after the break.
DoubleTwist adds Google Music support, gets an alarm clock app
DoubleTwist is certainly still one of the better music management options for Android, and it just keeps improving. Two days ago the player app got an update and now it can hook into Google Music, though, it only recognizes songs that you've checked for offline access from within the Google app. An unfortunate restriction, but at least your tracks don't disappear into the ether if you prefer to play back your tunes via DoubleTwist. There's also new functionality coming to what is now less an app than an ecosystem, thanks to the just released DoubleTwist Alarm Clock. The functionality is pretty much what you'd expect -- set a time and pick a song from your DoubleTwist library to gently rouse you from your slumber (or kick your butt out of bed). The Alarm Clock is just $0.99 in the Play Market right now for the first 10,000 customers. After that it'll go up to $1.99. So don't waste any time, go download it now.
DoubleTwist update brings podcast support to auditory Android users
A fresh version of the DoubleTwist media player hit the Android Market this week, offering a whole new world of podcast possibilities -- for a price. With the in-app upgrade, users can search for and subscribe to a variety of podcasts from the comfort of their own handsets. It's pretty simple. The app will automatically download the latest episodes, too, though there's an option to restrict all downloads to WiFi, in case you're worried about eating into your data plan. You can also choose to either stream or download each file, and manage all your feeds straight from your device. It's available now as an update to the DoubleTwist Pro package, though it'll cost you $4.99 to make the jump. If that seems worth it, you can upgrade at the coverage link below.
DoubleTwist releases new version for Android faithful, shows off premium EQ
If you've been getting bored with that stale version of DoubleTwist you're sporting, get ready for a breath of fresh air. The company has announced the next major version of its music player now awaits Android faithul in the Marketplace -- and will hit the Amazon Appstore later in the week. New features include a new grid view for album art, premium EQ (if you're running Android 2.3 or higher), an AirSync storage location option and a new playback screen which enables sliding to see previous / upcoming tracks. If you're still not impressed, DoubleTwist promises another update in December that will be similar in stature. Take a look after the break for a few more screen shots, should you need more convincing and get ready to show off all of those Ben Folds album covers.
DoubleTwist's latest trick is NFC-based MP3 sharing between Androids
After adding AirPlay to AppleTV support to its Android media player app over the weekend, DoubleTwist's followup is a page out of Microsoft's Zune squirting (R.I.P.) handbook as it has implemented the ability to share MP3s between two devices. Play the video above to get more details on how DoubleTap works (or just keep an eye on Google's I/O event where it will be on display) but basically you'll need two Android phones with NFC, then tap them together and watch the file sharing magic happen automagically over WiFi or Bluetooth. The new update went live in the Android Market overnight, now all you need to do is find someone else with a Nexus S, Galaxy S II or any of the other NFC-packing Android devices expected to arrive shortly.
doubleTwist adds AirPlay hooks to Android
I remember doubleTwist as an iTunes alternative from back in the day, but it's apparently morphed into an Android application and promises to bring many of the standard iTunes and iPod music features to the Android platform. Now the app has added yet another trick to its arsenal: doubleTwist now features support for AirPlay so that users can stream music, videos or photos from an Android phone to an Apple TV or any other AirPlay compatible devices. The app itself is free on the Android marketplace, but you'll need the AirSync add-on, which sells for US$4.99. Of course, those of us running just iOS devices don't have to worry about hooking AirPlay up (that's kind of what it's for), but if you have an Android phone and want to sync your media across devices, doubleTwist is happy to help. Engadget also points out that another Android app called Twonky Mobile also offers AirPlay integration, though it doesn't have the rest of doubleTwist's robust feature set.
DoubleTwist upgrade features AirPlay support for more Apple / Android miscegenation
Add another notch to DoubleTwist's Apple ecosystem integration belt, now that its Android app has added AirPlay streaming to the list of features. As of version 1.4 it will stream music, videos or pictures to the Apple TV or other compatible devices while also claiming beta support for Sonos hardware. The DoubleTwist player is free, but using AirPlay means purchasing the $4.99 AirSync add-on that also enables wireless sync with your media library (iTunes) and streaming to DLNA or uPnP compatible devices. Twonky Mobile is a free alternative that's also AirPlay-compatible but without the tight iTunes integration; you can check them both out in the market.
DoubleTwist for Android adds AirTwist, streams media to Xbox 360, PS3 and more
Building on its Airsync feature that lets users wirelessly keep their media (pictures, music, movies) library synced between computer and mobile device, DoubleTwist's new AirTwist feature lets your Android powered phone stream them to any Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Assuming you've already paid for the $4.99 AirSync add-on, all users need to do is get the most recent version of the app from the Android market, join the same network as one of the consoles wirelessly and authorize it within the app. While PS3 and Xbox 360 are the only devices officially listed, we didn't have any problem pulling in a few songs on a connected Google TV device since it's built on DLNA and should work with any device using the standard. Of course, Skifta does pretty much the same thing (with the exception of streaming to the Xbox 360) and it's free, so choose carefully.
Ask TUAW Video Edition: Syncing music with Android Phones
This week, another Matt asks how to sync his iTunes music and videos to his new Android-based phone. In the video we show two very simple to use applications that can accomplish the task. Applications mentioned in this video: doubleTwist - free for wired sync, US$4.99 for wireless sync Salling Media Sync - $14.95 and available through the App Store Remember, you can leave us questions in the comments! The video is on the next page.
