This Friday, Apple revealed a major security glitch in Apple’s iOS devices, relatated to SSL implementation. Later analysts looked into it only to find that OS X and Apple TV are also affected and that it is an easily exploitable yet a seriously injurious one.

I’m not going to talk details about the Apple bug except to say the following. It is seriously exploitable and not yet under control.

— Matthew Green (@matthew_d_green) February 21, 2014

The bug seems to result in failed validation of SSL certification of sites. And for users that would mean, many data which are supposed to be secure are being transferred un-encrypted. Though domain access seems to be protected, direct SSL connections to IP addresses was found to be exploitable. So a hacker’s access to data used through Safari is unlikely, but to that through apps is possible as most of them communicates directly with their servers. And that is why Apple TV apps can also be affected.

Apple describes the vulnerability as follows:

Impact: An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS

Description: Secure Transport failed to validate the authenticity of the connection. This issue was addressed by restoring missing validation steps.

You can read more on the bug here.

But no worries, Apple is quick to seal the bleed and released new software updates for the affected devices. 7.0.6 for iOS devices, 6.1.6 for older iOS devices and 6.0.2 for Apple TV 2 and 3 are now available. You can goto Settings > General > Software update to check for and install the new firmware.

However OS X bug is still unrepaired, during the time of writing. You can quickly browse to gotofail.com to find out if any of your device is vulnerable. If yes, I recommend you guys to update immediately. Else any hacker could pose as a secure site and pull you data.

Now, though things have settled a bit for users, they are far from over for Apple. It is still uncertain as to when the bug was introduced (surely before iOS 6) and whether anybody has already been victim to unauthorized access. Many developers have explained on their blogs as to how the bug works and how it could be exploited and this could pose a great threat to those who haven’t patched it yet.

On the other hand, some are accusing this to be an intentional backdoor for NSA access while others are wondering if there are more such simple, unnoticed security breach roads. Only time will tell if Apple will shine above these dark clouds or get buried in lawsuits.

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Rumors on the Apple TV 4 has been pouring in from all ends of the virtual net, lately. The baseline speculations hit a spike couple of weeks back when iLounge learned from a reliable source that the next Apple TV will support native gaming. It was reported to come with a revamped iOS-based firmware and an build-in Apple TV App Store. We were also told that a Bluetooth controller is in the works and predicted Apple TV 4 to be in shelves as early as March.

Later 9to5Mac reported that the Apple TV 4 will come with integrated Airport Express component to avoid an intermediary modem for streaming and AirPlay. Pairing with iOS devices as a controller and in-built TV tuner card were also speculated.

In the meantime, Apple gave Apple TV a special profile in the Apple Online Store and were also said to be setting up their own Content Delivery Network.

But all the speculations received a new backbone this evening as things become close to official. Developers have spotted references to an unlaunched Apple TV 4.1 within iOS 7 builds. According to 9to5Mac:

The reference is inside of an Apple TV framework related to the device’s AirPlay functionality. The mention of the next Apple TV is the highlighted “AppleTV4,1.” The current Apple TV is “AppleTV3,2″ while “3,1″ is the 1080P model introduced in March 2012, and 2,1 is the first iOS model introduced in September 2010.

The sighting of Apple TV 4,1 is confirmation that the new device is in the works. The nomenclature also indicates that the new Apple TV model will remain as part of the Apple TV product family. The jump from 3,2 to 4,1 also confirms that the device will see notable changes in terms of internal components.

They’ve also found references to a new game controller system but they’re not sure whether they “are just left over from the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch or if they indicate confirmation of Game Controllers being able to connect to the next-generation Apple TV product.”

So this is the take away: an Apple TV launch is imminent. Though not sure of the exact changes or the release date, we can be sure that it will happen soon. Apple unveiled the last Apple TV in March and also the iOS 7.1 is said to be arriving in March. So is the next Apple TV just a month away? Let us know what do you think!

Stick around here at Apple TV Hacks (Facebook, Twitter, Google+) for more coverage on the Apple TV 4.

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AirServer for Mac, one of our favourite AirPlay receivers, has been just updated to version 5.0 that features long-awaited HD recording with post processing filters. New AirServer has been optimized for iPhone 5s and its 64-bit processor. The update is free for existing users.

With the latest version release you can now record whatever is happening on your iPad or iPhone with the push of a button. AirServer even allows you to save a copy of the streamed photos and videos to your computer.

Here is the full list of changes:

• All new Recording feature with Post Processing.
• Added sharing/saving feature when streaming videos and photos to AirServer, requires ML+.
• Enhanced support for iTunes multi-room audio synchronization.
• AirServer preferences now located within the app.
• Added activation management.
• Added various iOS 7 specific tweaks.
• Fixed Mirroring compatibility with Virtual Machines.
• Fixed various OS specific bugs all the way back to Snow Leopard.

Check out this explanatory video to learn more about the new AirServer:

AirServer, an AirPlay receiver for Mac and PC, allows your computer to receive and display AirPlay streams from your iOS device, or mirroring-enabled computer. Using AirServer, you can wirelessly share your iPad or iPhone display to your computer, and from there, to your projector, smartboard or HDTV.

Check out our full review of AirServer here.

AirServer 5.0 is an update for the Mac version only. A PC update is coming “in the near future.” The current PC build is 1.9.4.

AirServer is sold at $14.99 for both Mac and Windows versions (there is also free 7 day trial) and you can get it from here.

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• Automatic pulling of cover and file details from IMDB.
• Stunning staging of covers and ticket entry to the theater.
• Support of over 14 formats
• Direct search and download of subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org
• Trakt.tv sync
• Social media sharing
• Easy file transfers and AirPlay

When I first heard about the Infuse 2, I was a little confused. How could there be a sequel to a video player app? Is it a tricky way to make old users pay again for a redesigned app? Later, I realized that it is not a new app but just the new name of the revamped app. Yeah, that makes more sense.

Bringing a brand new design and the ability to stream videos from other devices, Infuse 2 takes the experience a step further. Do consider reading the original review for an in-depth look into its huge list of features, as I will be dealing only with the fresh ones here.

The new interface is undoubtedly optimized for iOS 7. It is clean, compact and flat like a pancake. The basic UI frameworks, like the stage appearance and ticket entry are retained but are more plain as the skeomorphism is lacking. Support for iOS 7 gestures and the blurred backgrounds are in place too. Overall, the app seems new at a glance but instantly feels familiar once you start using it.

Regarding the features, Infuse 2 keeps all those lovable qualities which we praised last time. One of the most demanded features of Infuse was the support for video streaming and had been the deal breaker for many. Guess what? Infuse 2, as promised by FireCore, completely supports network streaming from Mac, PC or drives. It even works with AirPlay, subtitles and Trakt.

In short, Infuse 2 is all the goodness of Infuse, plus a lightweight design and some new features. The best part is that the app is now free. New users can try out the basic player for nothing and upgrade to the Pro version for $4.99 if they like what they see. Old users needn’t worry though. They can avail a free upgrade by tapping the restore button.

Get Infuse 2 from the App Store for free and do let us know in the comments section below, your thoughts on the app.

UPDATE: Firecore has released an update to Infuse 2, just in time for Christmas, bringing better options for free users, bug fixes and more. The full list of changes in Infuse 2.1 are:

• Free users can now play more formats!
• Variable speed scrubbing (drag position dot down for finer control)
• Improved accuracy while scrubbing
• Better movie artwork
• SMI subtitles
• Improved Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, and Spanish translations
• Many other fixes and improvements

The post Infuse 2 Review – The best gets even better appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

FireCore, the maker of aTV Flash (black) and Seas0nPass, has just released Infuse 2, a significantly updated version of its popular video player app for iPhone and iPad. Infuse 2 lets you watch videos in as many as 14 formats on your iOS device and is optimized for iOS 7 and Retina displays, with AirPlay and subtitle support as well as trakt.tv integration baked right in.

Infuse 2 builds upon our vision of being ‘the beautiful way to watch videos’ by featuring a fresh, new, content-first design for iOS 7 that makes enjoying movies and TV shows on an iPhone or iPad better than ever.

We’ve previously reviewed Infuse as the best video player we’ve ever used and now Infuse 2 is set to only increase the greatness of the application.

Other features:

• Automatically download and display cover art and other metadata from TheMovieDB and TheTVDB.
• Connect with trakt to scrobble plays back to your account, submit ratings and post shouts.
• Use a standard web browser to easily transfer videos. No iTunes syncing required.
• Add subtitles in seconds with one-tap downloads from OpenSubtitles.org.
• Easily post what you’re watching to Facebook, Twitter and trakt…all optional of course.
• Localized in 31 different languages with native support for multiple audio tracks and subtitles.

Infuse 2 is available from the App Store as a free app and comes with a new premium in-app purchase called Infuse Pro, which is said to empower you to play additional media formats, stream videos from other devices (such as a Mac, PC or network drive), send a wider variety of video types over AirPlay, and enjoy full Dolby Digital Mobile Surround.

The Infuse Pro in-app purchase is available at an introductory price of $4.99, but it’s a free update for all current Infuse users (note: current Infuse users should tap the ‘Restore’ button instead of ‘Upgrade Now’ on the Infuse Pro upgrade prompt).

Infuse 2 requires iOS 7 or later.

Infuse 2 [iTunes link].

Be sure to also check out a great review of Infuse by our friends at What’s On iPhone.

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Squirrels has rolled out a major updates to their Reflector app for both Mac and Windows.

Created by the team that brought you AirParrot, Reflector wirelessly mirrors your iPhone or iPad to a larger screen. Whether that be playing games, watching movies, or just browsing the web, Reflector has AirPlay mirroring built into the app meaning no extra software or cables are needed.

Reflector for Mac got updated to version 1.6, adding support for OS X Mavericks and the iPhone 5S and 5C. Here are some other changes for the Mac version:

• Rewritten rendering engine for much faster mirror streams
• Enhanced iOS 7 video and audio mirroring
• Corrected issues when recording
• Added a register option to the main Reflector menu
• Resolved a rotation issue with the iPhone 5s
• Improved AirPlay video player performance
• Miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements

In addition, Reflector just got updated to version 1.3 for Windows, marking a major release to support iOS 7 and the new iPhones, together with performance enhancements.

Other changes include:

• Completely rewritten rendering engine for much faster mirror streams
• Enhanced iOS 7 video and audio mirroring
• Added iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s colored frames
• Added a register option to the main Reflector menu
• Mass deployment is now simplified with registry keys for large Reflector rollouts
• Resolved a rotation issue with the iPhone 5s
• Resolved an issue with full screen mode appearing behind the task bar
• Corrects AirPlay from iTunes issues
• Miscellaneous bug fixes and performance improvements

You can download this update by selecting “Check for Updates” from the Reflector menu. The new version of Reflector can also be downloaded from here.

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Apple has today released new support documentation for the newly implemented Apple TV setup feature that was introduced last week in the Apple TV 6.0 software update.

Owners of the third generation Apple TV running the new 6.0 firmware can use an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch running iOS 7 to automatically transfer network settings, Apple ID information, and language preferences to the Apple TV.

The information exchange is done via Bluetooth by simply touching the iOS device to the Apple TV, which takes advantage of the Bluetooth LE built into all Apple devices after the iPhone 4.

Apple’s recently published support article offers further detailed instructions of the process:

1. Connect your Apple TV to your television and power and wait until your Apple TV displays the setup screen.

2. Unlock your iOS 7 device and ensure that Bluetooth is enabled. Also ensure that you are connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to use with Apple TV.

3. Touch your iOS device to your Apple TV and wait for the prompts to appear on your iOS device and Apple TV.

4. Enter your Apple ID and password on your iOS device.

5. Choose if you want Apple TV to remember your Apple ID password, and if you want Apple TV to send data to Apple.

Note: This does not change your iOS device preferences.

6. Your Apple TV will start the configuration process, including connecting to your Wi-Fi network, activating Apple TV, and setting up your iTunes Store account.

Setting up an Apple TV has also been a tedious task, using the infrared remote to slowly input your WiFi password and Apple ID account. Now, the setup procedure in Apple TV 6.0 is quick and easy.

The touch setup feature requires an iPhone 4S or later, a iPad 3rd Generation or later, an iPad Mini, or iPod Touch 5th Generation.

Let us know in the comments below if you’ve had a chance to try it out.

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One of the more ‘out-there’ announcements at Apple’s recent iPhone event was the introduction of 64-bit support in their new A7 processor and the optimisation of iOS to support it. No one really saw it coming, and no one really knows what it truly means.

Many people assume that it is just Apple future proofing themselves and preparing for the eventual move to 64-bit chips, but sources suspect there is more to it than that.

Canny Vision reports:

Apple made a similar full-scale transition to 64-bit on the Mac with Snow Leopard in 2009. At the time, Macs were already at the point of reaching 4GB and above memory capacities. This isn’t the case with the 5s today, or even for the majority of Android phones.

I don’t believe Apple added 64-bit support to iOS 7 and all their apps just to prepare for an eventual transition to 4GB+ memory capacities in future iPhones. I think this was to do with something more impending. Do we know any product category that Apple would be interested in, that would require the use of both iOS and an A-series chip that is 64-bit capable in order to address 4GB+ memory?

One platform that is highlighted is Apple TV.

The Xbox One was recently announced touting 8GB of RAM, and if Apple were to offer a feature-rich home media solution to Apple TV, it would need to have around that same amount of RAM.

iOS was designed without the retina displays we have now, 4k resolution, graphic-intense games, so going 64-bit should only scream to people that Apple have something up their sleeve, and it all points towards enhancements to the Apple TV that would require a 64-bit transition.

Only time will tell with this prediction (well, Apple TV 4 is rumored for October), but the move towards 64-bit by Apple is definitely move than just a future proofing move.

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