Back in May, Apple removed YouTube channel from the 1st and 2nd generation Apple TV. It was due to Google ending support for its YouTube’s Data API v2, used by older devices. Luckily, there’s FireCore and its aTV Flash (black), a little piece of software that supercharges jailbroken Apple TVs.

With the release of aTV Flash (black) 2.6, FireCore built an all-new native YouTube plugin that provides many of the most popular YouTube features that were taken away in May.

The new plugin works on any jailbroken Apple TV 2 running Apple TV 5.3 firmware version.

This new YouTube plugin allows for browsing of popular videos as well as searching for videos, channels, users, or playlists. The developers said they are also working on a few additional, “neat options” for subsequent releases.

Due to some required behind-the-scenes changes, updating to 2.6 will require re-running the aTV Flash (black) installer from a Mac or PC. Once updated, future releases can be installed through the native Apple TV menus as before. Links for the latest version can be found in your account under the Downloads tab.

If you’re new to aTV Flash (black) you can read our full review here.

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Some people enjoy learning about communication protocols like Bluetooth Mesh and Z-Wave and Zigbee and Insteon and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low-Energy and Thread.

Most people, however, didn’t finish that sentence. They cursed the author (that’s me) and bounced to the next paragraph (this one), hoping to find a sentence without so much Latinate gibberish and hyphenated brand names. Most people don’t have time to waste. And that’s why other people invented automated home technologies, like internet-connected security cameras and soil-sensing dishwashers.

Introducing Google Brillo & Apple HomeKit

And Brillo. Brillo is spelled and pronounced the same way as the soap-impregnated scouring pad we all know and love, but it’s owned by Google. Brillo is a home automation platform for the Internet of Things.

Wait. The Internet of what? The Internet of Things (IoT) is a catchphrase describing a semi-autonomous machine-to-machine data communications network. It doesn’t exist in any empirical way, just in a philosophical sense. “Home automation,” says Mike Elgan of ComputerWorld, “is the domestic, consumer wing of the IoT.”

But Brillo is not the only home automation platform in the market. In fact, it’s late to the game. In summer 2014, at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple introduced HomeKit, its proprietary home automation platform. Will Google usurp what Apple started?

Product Aims & Goals

Brillo could be one of two things. It could be Google’s next nefarious step toward world domination. Or, it could be the belated fruition of Android@Home, Google’s home automation platform announced in 2011 and promptly eaten by the dog.

In techno-speak, Brillo is a “scrubbed down” (pardon the pun) version of the Android operating system designed to run on low-power devices with RAM as low as 32 megabytes. It synchronizes devices using a new cross-platform schema called Weave. Support is built-in for Android and, yes, iOS products.

HomeKit, meanwhile, keeps it all in the family. It’s only compatible with Apple-certified third-party devices like the Insteon Hub and Belkin WeMo sensors. Here’s how it works: Every network, device and function has a name (e.g. Home – Radio – Maximize Volume). Homeowners can create “groups” or “scenes” in which devices pair up. In “Theater Scene,” for instance, the lights would dim, the television activate, and the oven set to “pizza preheat.”

Compatible Products

Brillo is compatible with …

…

We’ll get back to you once Brillo is released to developers in Q3 2015. For now, Google promises that upcoming Nest thermostats and smoke alarms will use Weave. Google will likely push Brillo onto OEM hardware manufacturers, possibly for free.

But Apple has the headstart. The first HomeKit-compatible products hit the shelves the first week of June 2015. Products currently or soon-to-be available include the iHome iSP5 SmartPlug, Lutron Caseta Wireless Lighting and the Elgato Eve Door and Window Sensor. Additionally, many home security tools – whether they’re professionally-installed devices from ADT, or part of a DIY system like Home Depot’s Wink or Lowe’s Iris – have the potential to link with Apple’s connected framework. Many of these devices were first released in Europe, where Apple enjoys greater market penetration.

Hub Requirements

Google is avoiding any central app or hub for Brillo or Weave, since both labor behind the scenes (Nest has remained silent on the issue). However, using the Weave API, developers can craft their own apps for third-party devices that run Weave and that may or may not run on Brillo. Eventually, Google wants to release voice command functionality for Brillo.

Reports heavily suggest that Apple intends to make the Apple TV a hub for HomeKit. After signing into their Apple TV using their Apple Sign-On ID, homeowners can use Siri voice commands to lock doors, control lights, activate coffee pots, or set daily schedules for such devices. Of course, most HomeKit devices will be controlled through an iOS smartphone app as well.

Both Google Brillo and Apple HomeKit are means to an end: a home where machines talk, where coffee makers brew quantities according to foot traffic and radios choose music stations based on the nearest smartphone. All they need is language.

Read more on Apple TV’s role in HomeKit and device compatibility.

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

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Slides is Google’s answer to MS PowerPoint and Apple’s Keynote. It is cloud based and let’s you create presentations on the go, to be accessed from anywhere on any device. The Slides app for iOS just got updated with AirPlay support, making it more appealing to Apple TV users.

Once you start the slideshow over AirPlay, your iPhone or iPad screen turns into presenter’s best assistant. It shows a preview of your current slide on top and below that, you can have your notes for the presentation. You can also place a timer for each slide to make sure you stay within the allotted time limit.

When you’re up on the big screen, you can use your smaller screen to advance slides, view speaker notes and stay on track with a built-in timer. This way you can focus more on telling your story and engaging your audience…instead of on logistics.

The update also adds Google Cast support, which means you will be able to broadcast to Chromecast and Android TV as well, from the iOS app.

So if you are an avid Google user or would like to make use of Google Doc’s free 15 GB document storage, you can get the Google Slides app for iPhone and iPad from the App Store for free.

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

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Last month, Google announced their plans to end support for its YouTube Data API v2 used by older devices, which meant that the YouTube channel would no longer work on older Apple TVs, as only the Apple TV 3 supports the new YouTube Data API v3. Without any warning, Apple has today removed YouTube from the 1st and 2nd gen. Apple TVs.

Both YouTube’s main menu icon and references to the app in Settings dissapeared from the Apple TV 2.

“If you’re using Apple TV 2nd generation or older, unfortunately there’s no current way to watch YouTube on these devices,” noted Google. However, you know well that you can use AirPlay to stream the YouTube content from your iOS device (running iOS 6 or later) or Mac to the 2nd gen. Apple TV.

If you noticed that the YouTube channel has stopped working on your Apple TV 3, you may want to update the software (Settings -> General -> Update Software) to get the latest version of the YouTube app.

Also read: Apple TV 4 with Siri and App Store reportedly coming this June

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

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At the I/O developers conference yesterday, Google unveiled their vision of the set-top box, called Android TV. Packing much more than just screen mirroring as in Chromecast, the Android TV sounds better than the recently announced Amazon Fire TV. However, for Apple TV Hacks followers, most of the features on Android TV would seem like deja vu.

The Android TV will be built on the latest version of Android, dubbed “L” and will focus mainly on entertainment and gaming. The featured movies and TV shows from Google Play will be available right from the home screen and users can even voice search to find their favorite content from different sources including GooglePlay Store and other installed third party apps, like Netflix and Hulu.

The Android TV also supports games from GooglePlay, which can be enjoyed using a controller, plus it brings Chromecast-like capabilities to “AirPlay Mirror” any Android screen to HDTV.

Google has also partnered with television makers like Sony and Sharp to built Android TV right into their television sets, starting 2015.

That is a really compelling list of features and probably the best set-top box offering we’ve seen. However, Apple is yet to show their hand. The current Apple TV model, the 3rd generation one, is over two years old now and the kind of speculations we’ve been hearing during this time is overwhelming. If rumors are to be believed, the Apple TV 4 will be a revolutionary new take on televisions, scheduled be launched sometime in Q4 this year, or early next year.

The next Apple TV is speculated to sport an iOS 8 based firmware, a completely revamped interface, a developer SDK for custom apps, a separate App Store, support for third party channels, ability to play games, compatibility with MFi controllers and more. Besides, iOS 8 features like Continuity, iCloud Family sharing and peer-to-peer AirPlay are getting integrated into Apple TV.

The Android TV is set to be launched “this fall” along with the official L release. And from the looks, it would give just enough time for Apple to reveal what they’ve been working on for the past 2 years. Just wait a couple more months and hopefully, we’ll have a worthy Apple TV 4 vs Android TV clash to look forward to and decide the fate of our living rooms.

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

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doubleTwist has released a new tweak that adds AirPlay support for Google Play Music. A hack named AirPlay for Android makes use of the API in Android 4.1 which adds support for streaming devices. It is available right now on Google Play as an app, MagicPlay: AirPlay for Android for $2.99. Though publicized as a way to stream Google Play Music from Android to Apple TV, they’ve clarified that this hack will work with any music app that supports Google Chrome Casting.

In order to get AirPlay feature for your Android, you can follow this official guide:

1. Install the doubleTwist AirPlay for Android package
2. Launch the Google Play Music app and tap the Cast (streaming) button
3. Grant root access when prompted (this patches the plugin whitelist)
4. Force stop the Google Play Music app and relaunch it
5. AirPlay devices on your WiFi network should now appear when tapping Cast

Android has a built-in white list feature, which regularly checks for streaming devices and disconnects anything other than Nexus Q and Sonos, for which the API was initially designed. So you might have to restart the app now and then to shake Apple TV off this list. But if you’re already rooted, this caveat is automatically patched by the tweak and things are bright as ever.

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

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After the release of iPad Air people began re-imagining iPhones to match the “Air” aesthetics. But what about the possibility of an Apple TV Air? Well, nobody was expecting that. Curved is behind this one too, after the wirelessly rechargeable touch-enabled Apple TV remote concept and the remote slash gamepad concepts, showed off in the last couple of weeks.

Unlike what you might think, the Apple TV Air is not an extremely slimmed down version of the current set-top box, instead, it is a whole new category of device. Similar to Google’s Chromecast and Roku Stick, the Apple TV Air is a HDMI dongle, which plugs directly into your HDTV and streams content from your iPhone or iPad.

According to Curved, the device could be just half the size of the current remote and will work over Bluetooth rather than IR (since it would always be hidden behind your TV). This reduction in size and the plastic used would cut down the price to about $49, which would be the cheapest way ever to AirPlay.

It consists of two parts: the HDMI ‘dongle’ (the actual Apple TV) and a small remote control, both sold together in one box for aprox. 49 $/EUR.

Cult Of Mac’s Buster Heine speculates that if Apple TV Air ever comes to life, it’ll not be an Apple TV replacement, instead a low cost alternative to the costly future powerhouse Apple TVs. Well, that makes some sense.

I know, it is a long shot to speculate based on just a concept, but do let us know what you guys think.

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

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English Premier League official app on Apple TV? Wouldn’t it be great to be just two clicks away from fantastic games like yesterday’s City’s impressive victory against Liverpool? Daily Mail reports that Apple is considering bidding for the TV rights to show live Premier League football. The Mail claims that “the Premier League is seen as the type of premium content that will help establish Apple TV in the UK and boost iPad sales.” According to DM, the three certain bidders will be Sky (who paid £1.6billion for their current packages), ESPN and Al Jezeera. The Mail also suggests that Google could be interested in the EPL rights for its Google TV, which is due to launch in the UK and Europe this year.

Apple TV users are currently offered subscription services to NBA, NHL and MLB content (live and in HD) through dedicated apps. Available are live and on-demand games with an NBA League Pass Broadband, NHL GameCenter and MLB.TV subscriptions. If you don’t have a subscription you can still get team schedules and real-time scores, standings, and stats — both in-game and full-season — all free.

At the moment, you can watch Premier League matches live via XBMC plugin called LiveOnlineFooty. It’s a paid subscription service (3£ per month) but, unfortunately, they are not currently accepting any new registrations.

UPDATE: According to The Guardian, Apple has not even discussed bidding for the rights to show live Premier League football and is unlikely to do so. “Its model relies on taking a cut of the revenue from existing content producers by retailing its content through its App Store or iTunes service. Sky already shows its live matches on Apple devices through its SkyGo application, and the Premier League has a deal to sell packages of archive content through iTunes,” reports the newspaper. The Guardian said Google, which owns YouTube, “is considered a more likely bidder.”

You may also want to read:
How to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 using Seas0nPass – untethered (tutorial)
iOS apps running on Apple TV
Apple TV 3 or Apple TV set?

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