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aTV Flash (black) now in beta, ready to equip your new Apple TV with a browser
It's always a bit of a funny business paying for hacks, but Fire Core's aTV Flash is a serious product and we can't blame them for trying to make a buck off the back of it. Now the sequel, aTV Flash (black), is here in beta form, bringing a subset of the aTV Flash's functionality to the brand new Apple TV, which runs that fancy new iOS-based 4.0 software. Most importantly, Fire Core brings a HTML5-compatible browser, but the Last.fm app and Plex Client are welcome tag alongs. "Coming soon" features include expanded media format support and networked storage support. The pre-order beta price is $20, while the final hack will retail for $30. For existing users, (black) is a free upgrade. [Thanks, Gustavo]
Jailbroken Apple TVs getting Last.fm and a browser, for a price
There's something deep down inside of us that makes us want to believe Apple has some sort of app plan for Apple TV, and by "deep down inside" we mean "jailbreaking." Fire Core, the people behind the aTV Flash software package for older Apple TVs, has just shown off its work on aTV Flash (black), a port of its hackery to the new Apple TV. Basically, aTV Flash converts your Apple TV into most of the interesting parts of the Boxee Box, and we're particularly interested in the "Couch Surfer" browser aspect -- at least as far as it can fend off encroaching jealousy for Boxee and Google TV. Unfortunately, the current version of aTV Flash costs $50, and while $50 + $100 is less than a Boxee Box, you don't have to hack the Boxee to make it work. Hopefully Fire Core will reconsider that price by the time it launches aTV Flash (black), and in the meantime maybe some white knight hacker will get something like this working on Apple TVs gratis. Check out a video of the browser and Last.fm in action after the break.
Plex arrives on jailbroken Apple TVs (video)
Boxee might get all the attention but Plex is without a doubt one of our favorite Mac media center apps. So it's with wide-eyed interest that we tell you about the Plex client making its first tentative steps onto the second generation Apple TV platform. Naturally, Cupertino's not behind the initiative to replace Apple's own "Lowtide" 10-foot user interface -- this work is being done by the Apple TV jailbreak community. The ATV2 build is still just a proof of concept so it's buggy and limited to video playback (no music, images, or app management) for now. But hey, it's another iOS app for ATV2 and it does work as evidenced by the video after the break. Man, we're getting all tingly at the thought of scattering a few $99 boxes around the house to serve up the wide variety of codecs supported by Plex in addition to Apple's more limited AirPlay.
Welcome to Fallen Earth-Mart, how may Icarus help you?
It always amazes us just how resilient the economy is. Drop a few nukes, unleash a plague, dig up a tomb of zombies -- no matter how you end the world, the survivors will always emerge to find a merchant who's set up shop. In the spirit of post-apocalyptic commercialism, Icarus Studios has stocked the Fallen Earth store with a number of new items this week. Now available are the Scavenger t-shirt (which -- obviously -- boosts your scavenging skill), the Fallen Earth ATV and Badland Rider mounts, and a Clone Psychoactive Shot that increases your XP rate for an hour. For players who have stocked up on reward points, the in-game vendors will be featuring a buffed-up array of goodies come Monday, October 25th. Vendors' inventories will include increased vault storage space, the Weak Nitrous Booster, LifeNet Collar Hacks, and harvesting tool buffs. Does this all mean that Icarus is gradually preparing Fallen Earth to go to a free-to-play/microtransaction model, or is the company simply seeking additional revenue streams? In any case, the anemic store and vendors are now looking mighty beefy and potentially attractive for players looking for a leg up.
Apple TV hacked to run weather app
Well, that didn't take long. Greenpois0n jailbroke the new Apple TV just yesterday, and PwnageTool 4.1 this afternoon, and we've already got what appears to be the first custom software successfully running on the device. As you can see, it's a simple weather app, designed by a tiny software firm called nitoTV, but it's a harbinger of things to come when developers get cracking on the Apple TV in earnest. See a picture of nitoTV's custom launcher after the break, while your subconscious frantically tries to figure out what the four cities in the above pic could possibly have in common.
Apple TV jailbroken again with Greenpois0n, lets Shatter off the hook
The iOS dev community already shattered the new Apple TV, but now it's been poisoned, too. What does this mean for you? It means that there's still a chance your $99 set top box might be jailbroken to run apps, even though Shatter is gone. Now we'll just have to wait and see if someone figures the hard part out, and gets some apps installed. Those Angry Birds don't fling themselves, you know.
Apple TV teardown reveals 8GB flash storage, 256MB RAM, leftover iPad parts
"Of course the new Apple TV gets a teardown, silly," is what we would tell you should you have the audacity to question its inevitability. But alas, we're too busy analyzing every photo of iFixit's gallery to even dignify your raised eyebrow with an unprovoked response. The site gives it 8 out of 10 in its metric of repairability, opining it might be "the most eco-friendly set-top box of all time." With that said, here are the big takeaways we're seeing so far: 8GB of storage provided care of a Samsung K9LCG08U1M NAND Flash chip, and the same one found in the iPad. Speaking of which, there's also the exact same markings on its Apple A4 processor as the iPad and new iPod touch, K4X2G643GE (not the same as the iPhone 4, as it turns out), the exact same Broadcom BCM4329XKUBG 802.11n WiFi / Bluetooth / FM chip as the iPad, and at 256MB, the same amount of RAM. Also interesting and of note are the solder pads near the side of the logic board, which look to be a perfect fit for an Apple dock connector. At any rate, with all that's under the hood, we expect the jailbreak community to have an absolute field day.
What happens when you leave a skateboard and a tank alone in a dimly lit room? (video)
You get all-terrain vehicle babies, is what. Ben Gulak, the youngster that brought us the Uno electric unicycle, is back with a new transportation device, this time aiming to woo military procurement types with a rugged and extremely versatile one-man transporter. The DTV (Dual Tracked Vehicle) Shredder has enough torque to tow an SUV, but is also flexible enough to turn within a circle of four feet and scale slopes as steep as 40 degrees. To be honest, though, nothing we say can do justice to just how badass this thing really is, you'll want to see the videos after the break for that. Our favorite part? The Shredder can be remotely operated and its makers even advertise its ability to carry offensive weaponry and serve as a "robot attack platform." What self-respecting supervillain wouldn't want an army of those?
Nail'd secures October 19 release date
Techland's insane ATV game Nail'd might defy reality in many ways, chaining together ridiculous stunts that nobody should ever do, on courses that rely on incredible, unlikely circumstances -- but even something with as little regard for the real world as this must adhere to linear time. To that end, publisher Deep Silver has announced a release date for the game: October 19 in North America, and October 22 in Europe. Past the break, you'll find a new trailer, absolutely loaded with both guitar rock and slow-motion absurdity.
Nail'd: ATV racing from the Call of Juarez team
Developer Techland has moved from the Call of Juarez to the Call of Four Wheelz with its new ATV racer, Nail'd, on the way to PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime this year via publisher Deep Silver. Personally, we'd want to keep our little ATV tires from being nail'd, but we're not racing experts. The racer combines high-speed ATV racing with outlandish obstacles -- according to Destructoid's preview, " There were rock slides, giant buzz saws moving about, and a jump that saw you sailing through a wind turbine. In one section, a 747 jet lands in front of you. There was even a segment that had the player racing on top of a moving train for several seconds." All in one track. For players who manage to avoid the stray planes, saws, and other hazards, performing tricks will build a boost meter to help enhance speed. To read more about the totally extreme racing game, and to see more screenshots, check out Destructoid.
Pure flips onto Games on Demand
Black Rock's stuntastic, straight out the plastic (NSFW) ATV racer Pure has vaulted onto the Games on Demand service. The price of admission into Pure's amusement park of big ramps and bigger air will set you back $19.99. Not sure if that's worth it. Check out the demo through Xbox Live. And, now that we're on the subject, could someone undo the supposed cancellation of Pure 2? Thanks! Shortcut: Add Pure to your download queue [Xbox.com]
1080p support coming to the Apple TV
The crew over at XBMC have made the Apple TV a little more useful in our eyes. Up until now the Apple TV has failed to playback any 1080p content because its internal chips weren't up to the challenge -- a limitation that not even the most efficient codecs could fix. With a little help from the Broadcom Crystal HD BCM970012 PCIe Mini Card, XBMC can now play back 1080p videos with ease. The bad news is the little card sells for $69 and requires the same space as the built in 802.11N WiFi adapter, but as long as you don't mind dropping the cash and Wifi, this seems like a pretty solid solution. We can only assume that thanks to close ties between XBMC and Boxee, that Boxee will be next, but in the meantime give this a try and let us know how it works out.
Fallen Earth's special pre-order ATV goes vroom vroom
Remember when we mentioned that if you pre-order Fallen Earth over at Direct2Drive that you would get a special horsey known as the Wasteland Runner? Yes, of course you remember, because we just gave you the link to the story so you would remember.But, apparently, there's a second pre-order gift in town now. A gift that goes by the title of the Fallen Earth ATV. Pre-ordering the game straight from the developer will get you this nifty vehicle that comes with more hitpoints, a larger gas tank, better fuel efficiency, more storage, and a special Fallen Earth paint job. Plus, you get the ability to tell anyone you kill that they can "stick it in your tailpipe and smoke it." Horse riders just don't get that social ability.So, if you're pre-ordering Fallen Earth, it looks like you have a decision to make. Horse or ATV? It's up to you!
Blizzard puts a few limits on the costume contest
This is interesting -- the costumes at BlizzCon have gotten more and more complicated every year, as people try to one-up each other by bringing the wackiest and biggest costumes to wear, both for the official contest and around the show floor (you can see some of last year's appearances below). The big winner last year was this turtle mount, complete with wheels and a moving head, and so we wonder: what'll happen this year?Not so fast, says Blizzard. When a player asks just how far costumers might go (a live mount?), Bashiok says that there are some tweaks to the rules this year: costumes can't go over 10' in any direction, include "liquids or messy substances," or be judged on items that can't be worn or held. That would seem to disqualify the turtle mount, from official judging anyway -- they want the contest to revolve around costumes, not vehicles.Which doesn't mean that we won't see some crazy costumes on the show floor (and obviously you'll see them here on the site, even if you're not in Anaheim). But the contest itself might be a little more low key than last year -- seems like the Sea Turtle/ATV was enough to make Blizzard dial it back a notch.%Gallery-34205%
Sigmatek's HFDL-1080 brings an LCD to the mini-system desk party
The niche product segment dedicated to "executive desktop" solutions will be getting a new entry in the "hi-fi with articulated LCD" category in late April (€159) thanks to Sigmatek's HFDL-1080. This piece of desk jewelry comes with a DVD spinner, DVB-T and ATV tuners and an articulated 7-inch LCD. We're guessing the "1080" in the product name is just a byproduct of the predecessor's "HFDL-1070" moniker and not a spec, but for what it's worth, the HFDL-1070 came in at 500 lines of resolution, so the new model will at least meet ED spec. More to the point, we seriously doubt you're going to notice a dramatic difference between HD and ED on a 7-inch display; and shouldn't executive types be focused on work while at their desks anyways?
Boxee releases new alpha, adds Netflix support
It's a pretty awesome day to be a Netflix fan. Not only is the Watch Instantly service officially available for OS X, it's also now working via boxee, my favorite media center application!Boxee pushed out an impromptu update last week for Apple TV owners, specifically to address issues with the 2.3 firmware update. Today's update is targeted at all boxee versions and adds a host of new features, including the big dog: Netflix support for US customers. Note: Netflix support is currently only in the Mac version of boxee. The boxee team is working hard to bring it to the Apple TV, but they need to work around some of the hardware limitations. They'll be posting updates on the boxee blog on their progress.Here's the rundown: Netflix support for Mac users Improved Hulu performance and a new Hulu interface, including access to your personal Hulu queues Access to TheWB.com (US only unless you use a proxy) The Boston Globe's Big Picture blog - amazing photos from around the world MTVMusic - songs/artists in your collection are now linked with music videos New YouTube interface, improved performance and .h264 support Custom interfaces and improved playback for CNN, Flickr and Picasa All in all, this is a pretty stellar update. When I talked to the team from boxee last week, they made it clear that Neflix was the #1 priority. That they got Netflx running in boxee in under two weeks is nothing short of amazing. Yes, I do wish that support would be extended to Apple TV users, but I can be patient. If you haven't tried boxee, you can go to http://boxee.tv/tuaw and get an invite. You'll need an Intel Mac running OS X 10.4 or OS X 10.5 or an Apple TV. Boxee is also available for Ubuntu 7.10 and 8.04, though I'm unsure if the team was able to implement Netflix support for Ubuntu yet.Give it a shot and tell us what you think in the comments!
Install Boxee or XBMC on an Apple TV
We've been expecting something interesting to happen to the Apple TV, but with nary a peep out of Cupertino it seems that atv-bootloader creator Scott Davilla has been busy. We've posted about Boxee before: it's a media center application based on XBMC with a social networking spin. Previously it was limited to Intel Macs running Leopard (and Ubuntu Linux), but it's now been ported to Tiger. That means that it's compatible with the Apple TV, which runs a modified version of Mac OS X 10.4.So what does this mean? Simply that you can now install the Tiger versions of Boxee or XBMC (for Mac) on your Apple TV. First you use need to use Davilla's handy atvusb-creator on your Mac to convert a USB flash drive into a patchstick. Then you just need to plug it into your Apple TV, wait for the patch process to complete, and install either Boxee or XBMC from within the plugin. In the end you get an Apple TV with all the extra functions of XBMC or Boxee including much broader codec support, the social networking features, etc.The atvusb-creator is a free download from Google Code for Intel Macs. To use Boxee, however, you'll need to request an account at their site.[via Engadget]
Boxee / XBMC now available on Apple TV
If you were curious as to why Boxee suddenly became available for OS X 10.4 users, here's your sign. The underpinnings of the Apple TV are indeed based on Tiger, thus paving the way for Scott Davilla, a developer for the aTV-bootloader project, to announce that Boxee and XMBC can now be installed on Apple's set-top-box. In order to take advantage, you'll need the aTV Flash bootloader on a bootable USB drive, an Apple TV and the software in the links below. Currently, things are setup to run on Mac only, though PC / Linux versions are promised for next week. After signing up for a Boxee invite, jump on past the break for the step-by-step guide to getting this going. %Gallery-33129% Read - ATV Bootloader siteRead - Boxee Alpha signup
Pure's ATV racing coming to A TV near you on Sept. 23
Disney Interactive Studios has informed us -- by means of a very elaborate musical number -- that its edge-of-the-seat ATV racer, Pure, has shipped out and should be available in "all major retailers" on September 23. Several online retailers are already sending out copies, however, so you'd best check in with your favorite store if next week lies outside your boundaries of patience.If you're not sold on developer Black Rock Studio's high-flying bag of tricks, there's a downloadable demo waiting for you on the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation store. Gallery: Pure
aTV Flash voluntarily pulled until further notice
Ah, bugger. Just days after Apple Core began offering its aTV Flash on a foolproof USB stick, the outfit has officially pulled the software. Apparently there have been a few "questions arising regarding the fair use of a particular file present on the aTV Flash, and conflicting opinions as to whether or not it falls under the fair use category." In order to keep itself off of the hot seat, it has "proactively" (and voluntarily) discontinued offering the product "until further notice." Not all hope is lost, however, as Apple Core is currently working with the party in question to resolve the dilemma, and it should be keeping us all in the loop as discussions progress. Oh, and in case you're curious -- all current orders were canceled and refunded.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
