Apple’s AirPlay, a new feature arriving with today’s release of iOS 4.2, marks a huge move into a (mercifully) wireless future, beaming music, videos, and photos to speakers and screens all over your house. Here’s why it’s so damn cool. More »
Macworld is reporting that Apple’s promising to roll out (at long last!) Apple TV 4.1 at the same time iOS 4.2 hits, at around 1PM Eastern today (roughly nowish). Sure, we could hit some last minute snags, but we want to believe. Especially after we reviewed the new versions of the softwares on our new-lease-on-life iPad, blasting AirPlay video all over the house like it was going out of style. In addition to being able to play video to your Apple TV from your iTunes-equipped PC or iOS-based device, the new Apple TV software adds VoiceOver support for spoken menus and meta data.
Update: It’s live, we’re downloading it now and basically just having the time of our lives!
Apple rolling out Apple TV 4.1 alongside iOS 4.2 today for perfect AirPlay harmony (update: it’s live) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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You’ve waited a long while for this day to come, but here it finally is. Apple is today rolling out iOS 4.2 to iPads and qualifying iPhones (3G, 3GS and 4) and iPod touches (second, third and fourth generation) across the globe, delivering the long-awaited multitasking and app folder enhancements to a tablet that was already supposed to be magical and revolutionary. To see whether this new update — replete with Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint additions — really helps the iPad step up to doubleplusgood territory, check out our full review; everyone else, hit up your nearest iTunes 10.1-equipped computer to get your update on.
Update: Plug in your iPhones and iPads, the 624.3MB update is rolling out now. Looks like it’s starting in Europe, given the joyous cackles from our editors across the pond. Screenshot after the break.
Update 2: Now available within US borders as well.
iOS 4.2 available today, brings the iPad into the multitasking era (update: it’s live) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ve already got the Mac OS X update, and here’s iTunes 10.1. Next stop? iOS 4.2. If your copy of iTunes isn’t pushing the update, you can head to Apple’s page where it’ll be there, waiting for you. In addition to paving way for the new iOS, iTunes 10.1 adds the much anticipated video AirPlay feature (it launched as audio only), so fire up that Apple TV and push yourself some vids!
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iTunes 10.1 is out, brings video AirPlay and iOS 4.2 compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’re all expecting iOS 4.2 to hit sometime this week and bring AirPlay streaming with it, and it looks like iHome is getting prepared — the company just updated its AirPlay speaker dock page with more info. The iW1, as it’s been named, is much slicker than its minimalist looks would suggest: the portable speaker system features a built-in lithium-ion battery with an inductive charging base so you can just grab and go, Bongiovi Accoustics audio, capacitive touch controls and support for iHome’s iOS configuration apps, and a USB port for charging and local audio playback. Oh, and it can stream music from iOS devices and iTunes using AirPlay, of course. Sadly, there’s still no price or ship date, but if this thing is priced anywhere close to earth we’d say the Sonos S5 has got itself some serious competition.
iHome’s iW1 AirPlay dock gets detailed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Update: Of course, as Benedict Murray pointed out in the comments, if there really were a conspiracy afoot to disappear AirPrint, Apple certainly would have dropped it from the product page. So we’ll see.
iOS 4.2 coming Friday with iTunes and Mac OS X updates, sans AirPrint? (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The iPad’s ticket to multitasking freedom — better known as iOS 4.2 — has moves past the beta phase and onto GM, which means retail units should be seeing it soon. Besides the iPad, Apple is also providing builds for the second, third, and fourth generations of the iPod touch, along with the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4… so if you’ve got a friend with an iPhone Developer Program subscription, now would be a great time to get cozy.
Update: Apple made some last minute tweaks that give fast access to brightness, volume, and AirPlay controls right in the multitasking bar (pictured after the break). Apple’s also on the verge of allowing MobileMe service logins using an Apple ID.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading iOS 4.2 goes gold, available now to developers (updated)
iOS 4.2 goes gold, available now to developers (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you liked the idea of paying £40 (about $65) for the right to access your media via AirPlay on the Marantz Melody Media receiver, you’re going to love paying the same to do the same on three further devices that the company has confirmed will be getting similar updates. Those new devices are the SR7005 receiver, the AV7005 AV preamp, and the NA7004 network audio player. It’s unclear exactly when these updates will release, or how much they’ll cost, but just think of the wonder they’ll bring to the eyes of your children and your children’s children.
Marantz expands AirPlay support to four devices, keeps on charging for the privilege originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
It’s been just over a month since Apple first showed off AirPlay media streaming, part of iOS 4.2, and now we have another receiver adding compatibility. Marantz is calling its Melody Media receiver “the world’s first AirPlay certified music system,” a title that we think Denon, who announced compatibility last week, might take issue with. Regardless, the systems are quite similar, even sharing a nearly identical form-factor and neither actually being compatible with AirPlay out of the box. Marantz’s option will require a £40 firmware update, available next month, which seems a bit excessive given the up-front cost of the thing: £499.90. But, perhaps there’s some sort of licensing fee involved here Marantz doesn’t want to pay on each and every one shipped. The receiver offers dual stereo amps with 60 watts per channel, the ability to load MP3s from its integrated CD drive, and a USB connection on the front for connecting older devices that cannot play through the very air we breathe. How terribly pedestrian.
Update: And the reason why these receivers look so similar? Both companies are owned by the same parent: D&M Holdings. Perhaps this slightly optimistic statement by Marantz boils down to simple sibling rivalry.
Marantz claims title of ‘world’s first AirPlay certified music system,’ Denon begs to differ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 07:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple TV may not have native apps yet, but AirPlay provides a workaround to run apps on your TV — so long as those apps involve streaming video or audio.
Ars Technica’s Jacqui Cheng wasn’t able to try out video streaming to the Apple TV in full — that won’t be possible until iOS 4.2 ships in November — but in her extended review, she did unearth two important bits about AirPlay:
Some of these applications are no-brainers, like Netflix and YouTube. Since both apps run natively on Apple TV anyway, this might appear redundant; still, it’s nice to be able to seamlessly throw video from your phone to your TV in the middle of watching something, without having to start over and search for the same video again.
Other iOS apps add content that Apple TV doesn’t have. Ars Technica mentions sports applications like MLB At-Bat and local internet radio. You might be able to preview a movie you’re editing in the iPad’s iMovie mobile app on the big screen without plugging in.
Of course, applications that either don’t want their content streamed to Apple TV (like Hulu, perhaps) or don’t want to put in the work to reformat their video into H.264 will be left out — just keep your video and audio in a format that can’t be streamed. For others, there’s nothing else they have to do on the software or hardware side to make their applications AirPlay-compatible.
That prospect could be exciting for both developers and users — at least until full-fledged iOS apps for Apple TV come along. Or Google TV’s apps sweep through and steal the whole show.
YouTube video streaming over AirPlay; Image via Ars Technica
Ars reviews the Apple TV 2.0: little, black, different [Ars Technica]
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