Add AirPlay To Your Old 30-Pin iPhone Dock With The Auris Skye Kickstarter Project

skye

Old iPhone docks are a depressing sight in this world of Lightning cables and connectors, sitting with their 30-pin connector exposed and lonely. There are a number of Bluetooth accessories that you can use with those devices, including one from accessory-maker Auris called the freeDa. But their latest project is a similar attachment that brings AirPlay and DLNA streaming to those docks.

The Auris Skye is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, and connects via Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. It lets you stream music from your iPhone, iPad touch, Android or Windows Phone and Mac or PC on your local Wi-Fi network, using either Apple’s proprietary AirPlay streaming protocol or DLNA on Android and Windows. It’s also Wi-Fi Direct enabled, so that you don’t even need to have a Wi-Fi router or network available to use it.

Their are a few advantages to using AirPlay over Bluetooth. For one, if you have other AirPlay speakers and stereo equipment in your home, you can stream to the Skye and those simultaneously from a Mac or PC. Apple also has done its best to optimize the AirPlay streaming protocol for maximum quality, so you’ll get much better sound using it vs. Bluetooth, so long as the Skye works as advertised. Plus, there’s no need to pair; the Skye should just show up in your list of available streaming devices once set up on your network. Finally, Wi-Fi range is far greater than that of Bluetooth.

Skye also doesn’t need a separate power source, as it uses the power from the dock itself, which would normally be used to charge the iOS device sitting in the cradle. The Auris team says they’ve tested it with a range of speakers already, and so far haven’t found one that doesn’t work, and they offer a control app to get you set up.

Santa Clara-based Auris already makes and ships two audio accessories, so it knows how to build product. The company previously kickstarted its Bluetooth receiver, and raised $131,911 (exceeding its $40,000) goal. It’s worth noting that some backers complained about the quality of that device in the comments for that project, but Auris has redesigned the original product, and has already exceeded its $56,000 goal for the Skye, raising $72,197.

AirPlay can be tricky to get right, though the recent incarnations of the tech in consumer products have all performed reliably, so Auris has a lot to deliver with this project and a shipping timeline of December, 2013. Hopefully the company learned some lessons from its first go-around, however, because this is a very useful accessory to have.

Cambridge Audio’s Minx Xi music streamer packs built-in amp and 24-bit DAC (video)

Cambridge Audio's Minx Xi streams music at 24bit quality, packs its own amp

There are plenty of gadgets that will stream music across the home, but few of them would satisfy the stereotypical audiophile. Cambridge Audio’s just-shipped Minx Xi system may appease those fussier listeners. The WiFi sound hub includes its own 24-bit / 96KHz Wolfson DAC, a Class AB amplifier and even a toroidal power supply to minimize interference at higher volumes. It can also decode compression-free formats like AIFF, Apple Lossless and FLAC. There’s no want for input sources, either. The Minx Xi takes local music from both Cambridge’s mobile apps as well as devices with Bluetooth, optical output, UPnP and USB support; by itself, the hub streams services like BBC iPlayer, Pandora and Rhapsody. The Minx Xi isn’t cheap at $899, but it’s also one of the few networked audio devices that could be a true complement to high-end speakers.

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Source: Cambridge Audio

Pandora intros redesigned iPad app, hopes you’ll skip that other big radio service

Pandora launches redesigned iPad app, hopes you'll ignore that other big radio service

There’s no doubt that Pandora is feeling the heat from iTunes Radio. The company isn’t letting its competitor’s launch go unanswered, however. It just unveiled a redesigned Pandora 5.0 app for iOS that gives iPad users several features that were previously iPhone-only, including deeper artist exploration, social music sharing and an option for more variety in stations. The release also makes better use of the big screen through a panel that helps listeners find related music without skipping a beat. Android tablets will get these perks later in the fall, Pandora says. The firm may still have a tough time luring iPad owners away from Apple’s streaming service, but the new Pandora app is free to use — it won’t hurt to tune in.

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Via: CNET

Source: App Store, Pandora Blog

Offline Viewing Is Coming to YouTube’s Mobile Apps

Offline Viewing Is Coming to YouTube's Mobile Apps

You’ve been able to pre-cache YouTube videos on Android to watch—while still online—for a while. But by November, you’ll be able to watch them offline, too.

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YouTube’s mobile apps will add true offline viewing in November

YouTube’s Android app added the ability to watch precached videos (while still online) last summer, but Google’s video streaming unit isn’t stopping there. A post tonight on its Partners & Creators informed video makers that viewing of stored videos with no internet connection is coming soon. According to the blog the feature is coming to its mobile apps — following up on the recent updates on Android and iOS — in November, and will let viewers store videos for disconnected viewing for a “short time.” We don’t know if that consists of minutes, hours or days at a time but we’ll keep an eye out for more details — perhaps this is what the team that used to work on video responses has been up to.

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Source: YouTube Creators Blog

Roku 2700X set-top box surfaces at the FCC with basic specs

Mystery Roku 2700X settop box hits the FCC

The Roku 3 might not be the only Roku set-top box arriving this year: an unannounced 2700X has just passed through the FCC for approval. The filing shows a streaming hub that’s curvy like the Roku 3, but is limited to single-band, 2.4GHz 802.11n WiFi. Combine this spec with the low model number (the Roku 3 is the 4200X) and it’s not hard to figure out what we’re looking at — this is an entry-level device based on Roku’s newer design language. When the company’s confidentiality request to the FCC will expire in less than 90 days, we’d expect the 2700X to launch relatively soon. Check out a second image of the hardware after the break.

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Source: FCC

TVCatchup adds catch-up TV for UK’s major broadcasters

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For the first time, the ironically-named live-streaming service TVCatchup is offering catch-up TV. From later today, the outfit will be baking-in links to the UK’s four major broadcasters’ on-demand platforms to its own service — giving you a choice between watching live TV and binge-watching old episodes of Only Connect. While access to BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD and Demand 5 is currently limited to the browser, the feature will be rolled out to TVC’s mobile apps in due course.

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YouTube testing Chromecast support for embedded videos

Chromecast achieves Zen

Anyone wanting to stream YouTube videos through a Chromecast currently has to visit YouTube’s website or run one of its mobile apps. Viewers may soon have more options, though, as Google has confirmed to GigaOM that it’s publicly testing Chromecast support for embedded YouTube clips on third-party web pages. Right now, access is random at best — the “send to” button only appears some of the time, and might not be available to everyone. The company says it’s monitoring feedback from these experiments, however, and it could offer embedded video support to more Chromecast owners if all goes well.

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Source: GigaOM

Rdio and Cumulus Media to announce partnership, add free streaming soon

Today, Rdio and Cumulus Media are slated to announce a partnership between the two companies, one slated to help boost the Internet radio service into more popular waters via, among other things, an advertisement-based free version in the U.S. Cumulus Media owns 525 radio stations, and will provide Rdio with access to its programming content. […]

NYT: Rdio Will Have a Free Streaming Radio Service This Year

NYT: Rdio Will Have a Free Streaming Radio Service This YearThe New York Times is reporting that Rdio is partnering with Cumulus Media—a company that owns, like, real radio station—to provide a free version of its audio streaming service.

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