1. tvProximity

If you’re an app developer and work with beacons, then you will absolutely love this app. If you don’t know what a beacon is, well, beacons are basically a small Bluetooth emitter that makes it possible for you to track people’s phones and based on their location, send them real time updates. Beacons are actually used in a wide range of industries, mainly for the purpose of helping people find great deals on products and also use coupons. Once you install tvProximity, your TV will act as a beacon which you’ll find very useful for application testing.

2. Bitcoin Monitor

Those who trade Bitcoin need to have this app installed on their Apple TV right away. Thanks to Bitcoin Monitor, you can view the real time price of Bitcoin, but also its price across different exchanges. The current rate is displayed in a very large font, meaning you can easily see it from across the room. You’ll also be able to gain access to a graph that details BTC volatility over the past thirty days. BTC rates are updated every 5 seconds or so.

3. Real Kick Soccer Pro

Who doesn’t love football? If you’re also a football fan, then you may want to get Real Kick Soccer Pro from the apple tv app store as soon as possible. This is a great app if you want to practice your freekick and penalty skills in the comfort of your own home. Swinging towards the goal to shoot low, high, hard, chip shots, and curve balls is simple and you do that by using the Siri Remote. Sure enough, this is not FIFA 2017, but it’s the closest to experiencing a match of football in the comfort of your own home. Give it a shot and we guarantee you’ll love it!

4. iBooks StoryTime

Have you ever wanted to bring iBooks to the big screen? Well, now you can! We’re not saying that you can now use your TV to read books off of it. However, you can give your friends and family a new way to experience books. The Read-Aloud function features excellent illustrations and narration that makes for a very unique experience. Use it once and we guarantee you won’t go back to simply reading books anymore.

5. Lara Croft GO

Square Enix Montreal is probably one of the most popular game developers in recent history. In fact, if you played the Hitman franchise, then you know for sure who these guys are. Thanks to the massive success they had with Hitman, Square Enix decided to also start working on the latest Lara Croft title. Lara Croft GO is currently available on the Apple TV and it’s very much fun to play. You’ll play the famous Tomb Raider who explores forgotten and lost worlds in a very fun, creative, yet also addictive turn based puzzler.

6. Minecraft: Apple TV Edition

The Apple TV edition of the building block sensation has just reached your living room. You can now play Minecraft on your Apple TV and boy is it so much fun! Discover amazing things, build new worlds and put your creativity to the test with the latest Minecraft edition for your Apple TV. You can get unlimited resources if you play in creative mode or if you want to put your Minecraft skills to the test, then go for the survival mode. Fend off the dangerous mobs by crafting armor and weapons and show your might in one of the most played games of the decade!

7. Tiny Wings TV

Check out the apple tv apps store for the Tiny Wings TV app and start having fun! This is a very engaging game that features twenty five hand designed levels, a split screen multiplayer function, but also a Flight School mode. Better yet, thanks to iCloud, you can easily sync your progress across the iOS and Apple TV. How great is that?

8. Amazon

The Amazon app is one of those apple tv 3rd generation apps that will give the competition a run for its money. Well, at least when it comes to reach. Amazon is simply everywhere, including on your tablet, mobile phone and now it’s in your home as well. With the Apple TV version, you can now shop directly from your Apple TV. Browsing Amazon can be easily done by using Siri voice search. However, if you’d like to enable 1 touch purchasing, then you’ll have to use your Prime login details. Those who don’t have Prime won’t be able to purchase products, yet you can still browse Amazon by using the Apple TV app version.

9. Tinder

If you had it on your mobile phone, but thought that wasn’t enough, rest assured. You can now download and use Tinder on your Apple TV as well. This is one of those apps on apple tv that you’ll certainly be surprised to find you can use it on your Apple TV. After all, we’re used to using it on a mobile device. Even so, with Tinder you no longer need to worry about going out to meet people since you can do so by using the app. You can use the touch surface of your Apple TV remote to swipe left or right which is rather fun. Just give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!

10. Zova

If you gained a few pounds in the last few weeks and would like to get in shape fast, then you may want to download Zova. This is one app on our apple tv apps list that you don’t want to miss, since it helps you burn off extra calories like crazy. One of the things you’ll love about it is that it helps tailor workouts to meet your specific fitness goals. On top of that, it will only suggest workouts that you can do in front of your TV from the comfort of your own home. Talk about customer satisfaction!

These are the hottest Apps for the Apple TV that you absolutely need to have. Download them now to take your Apple TV experience to the next level!

The post 10 Apps On Apple TV You Should Download Right Now appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Apple TV users have hoped for a standalone Amazon Videos app for their little black boxes for the past few years. Although there is a way to enjoy Amazon Videos on the big screen using Apple TV, it’s not the most straightforward and comfortable one. Back in November, Amazon appeared to have confirmed that they were developing a tvOS app for Prime Video, but since then we haven’t heard anything about it.

And according to Cord Cutters News editor Luke Bouma, “all signs continue to point to the fact that Amazon Video is not coming to the new Apple TV.”

He believes that the most recent evidence (which is “just one more piece in a growing list of evidence”) comes from the new Starz standalone subscription streaming app for Apple TV and Android.

Also read: How to watch Amazon Prime Instant Video on Apple TV

Why does this new service mean anything for Amazon Video?

Starz has had a subscription service for some time now through the Amazon Video app as an add-on. Roku, Fire TV, and other device users have had access to Starz content.

The Starz app being added to the Apple TV and not to Roku, Fire TV, and other devices points to Starz knowing there is no hope for the future of Apple TV and Amazon Video. Android also does not have a official Amazon Video app in the Google Play Store. So the two platforms the new Starz subscription service works on are two largest platforms that do not have an Amazon Video app.

Making a high end app, such as the new Starz app, is not cheap. If Starz thought Amazon was on its way over to the Apple TV or Google Play store they would not be spending their money on their own service.

So what is the reason Amazon is not coming to the Apple TV?

Likely because Amazon Video is at its core a store, and Apple seems to have a policy that no third-party stores for movies and TV shows being added to the Apple TV. Now Amazon has a similar policy on their Fire TV so Apple is not alone in this policy.

From everything we have learned, this is the real issue that is preventing the Amazon Video app from coming to the Apple TV. Amazon also seems unwilling to release an app that does not have their Amazon store, and Apple won’t allow third-party content stores leaving services, such as Starz, in the middle.

Luke thinks that Amazon Video could eventually show up on the Apple TV but he is quite sure it’s not going to happen any time soon.

Also read: Starz subscription streaming app now available on Apple TV

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Well, let’s wait a bit till Apple announces their next-gen. Apple TV so that we can make a fair Apple TV 4 vs Amazon Fire TV comparison. In the meantime, if you’re craving to get your Amazon Prime Instant Video subscription or rented movies on your Apple TV, here is a way.

Amazon Prime on Apple TV

1. The wireless method – AirPlay

Prime Instant Video has a wonderful iOS app (free on the App Store), which is compatible with your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Of course, it lets you watch the rented movies or countless other subscription-included ones via this app. The best part is that it supports AirPlay and hence, can broadcast your favorite videos from Amazon Prime to your Apple TV.

How to?

Step 1: Download the free Amazon Instant Video app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Step 2: Sign in with your Amazon Prime subscription ID.

Step 3: Search for your favorite content or browse the limitless catalog and find the perfect movie for your mood.

Step 4: Start the movie and click on the AirPlay icon (displayed in the lower right) -> choose Apple TV.

The video should be now playing on your Apple TV. Sit back and watch the movie in full-screen on your HDTV.

2. The alternative method – HDMI out cable (no Apple TV needed)

In case AirPlay is giving you trouble, you can use an HDMI-out cable (Apple Digital AV Adapter is recommended) for the same. It works exactly like AirPlay, but may even be better in case of heavy videos.

Step 0: Get a HDMI-out cable for your device if you don’t have one already (Apple Digital AV Adapter: Lightning or 30-pin).

Step 1 – Step 3 are the same as for the first method.

Step 4: Plug in your AV adapter and connect it to your TV via a HDMI cable. You can use the second slot on the adapter with your lightning or 30-pin connector to charge your device simultaneously.

Step 5: Start the movie, sit back and watch it on your HDTV

Note: both methods require iOS 6 or later. 

As already told, these methods do not provide a permanent solution nor an absolute replacement for watching Amazon Prime on Apple TV. But this can surely help you to evade the temptation put forth by the Amazon Fire TV, till the next-gen. Apple TV is announced.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

Also read:

• How to watch Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime Instant Video and other US-only services on Apple TV outside the US.
• How to get Amazon Fire TV-style voice search on Apple TV

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to watch Amazon Prime Instant Video on Apple TV appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Amazon has updated their Instant Video App to version 2.1, adding official AirPlay support for the content.

Previously, watching Amazon Video content on the Apple TV was possible only by streaming it from a Mac using AirPlay Mirroring or 3rd party apps like AirParrot, but it wasn’t always that reliable. It appears Amazon have heard their consumers by adding this long requested feature. The addition of AirPlay means Amazon’s Instant Video can be watched on the Apple TV via any device running iOS.

It was rumoured that the delay in adding AirPlay support was the agreements that needed to be in place with the content providers to allow the content to be streamed to other devices, so the addition of this feature is pretty big.

In addition to this, the 2.1 update brings deeper integration with IMDB to show information about the TV show or Movie including cast, crew, and other facts. It’s a surprise it took until 2.1 to add this integration, given Amazon own IMDB anyway.

Users can now also see iTunes-inspired metadata such as what customers are also watching and also cross-reference different content based on author or director.

Together with this are the usual performance and big fixes you’d expect from an update.

You can check out the whole Amazon Instant Video collection here.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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