Last week’s WWDC keynote turned out to be disappointing for us since Apple TV 4 failed to make the stage. It was initially expected that the new Apple TV 4 with slimmer profile, its own SDK, new Xcode based firmware, support for Siri and more, would be announced at the WWDC. But just few days before the event NYT, BuzzFeed and Re/Code reported that the Apple TV had been cut off from the keynote and that turned out to be true.

Three days before WWDC 2015 keynote, in a podcast interview with John Gruber [episode 122, 13-19 mins], Mark Gurman, who earlier vouched for Apple TV 4’s WWDC announcement, said that the Apple TV SDK has already been cooked into iOS 9 and that even with Apple’s maximum efforts, we could pick up some references in the firmware:

I even spoke to someone very reliable after those reports came out, who said that the SDK ‘n all that they are preparing for Monday still has (or as of that day, still had) the TV Kit stuff intertwined in there. So when the developers pull this thing apart, I won’t be surprised to see some references to that on Monday afternoon or whenever people get their hands on it.

Either Apple has released an earlier version of iOS 9 as the first beta or they have done an excellent job of cleaning it up, because no reports of references to the Apple TV SDK has been made till now. However, it seems Apple left one clue in the new developer program which indicates third-party app support on Apple TV.

Apple TV apps are coming pic.twitter.com/wOR98JOY6e

— Ouriel Ohayon (@OurielOhayon) June 9, 2015

At WWDC, Apple announced that they are merging the Developer Programs for watchOS, Mac OS X and iOS, so that a single subscription of $99 allows developers to make apps for all Apple devices. And as a part of the merging process, Apple reallotted the maximum number of devices that can be registered for beta testing of apps. Consequently, Apple TV picked up a massive 100 device limit on par with that of iPhones and iPads, for beta testing of app.

This might be reserved for the mere testing of Apple TV beta softwares, but 100 seems to be a bit overdo for such a purpose. And that is why, analysts think that Apple TV apps are coming soon, meaning Apple TV 4 is coming sooner.

The Verge’s Chris Welch:

What’s notable about these latest changes is that Apple TV is being mentioned more explicitly, and not only that, it’s receiving the same number of test slots that developers get for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch — all products that run thousands of third-party applications.

In the interview, Gurman also says that he now expects the Apple TV 4 to be launched in September, along with the next iPhones.

Read more on the next Apple TV.

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WWDC 2014 is over, and noticeably absent from last week’s keynote and sessions was any mention of the Apple TV. For a billion dollar product, this silence from Apple means one of two things: it could mean the business isn’t important, or more likely, it could mean that there are big things coming that aren’t ready for public consumption. Taking the assumption for the moment that a mere billion dollars is important to Apple, let’s review the announcements made last week and see how they may apply to the Apple TV product line.

(Reading between the lines of Apple’s announcements is often very telling. For example, prior to the iPhone 5 announcement, at WWDC Apple announced “auto layout” for iOS apps. On its own, it was a well-received feature, but in light of different screen sizes of the rumored new iPhone models, that feature took on a whole new perspective.)

Announcements last week that show promise:

Metal

Possibly the most interesting announcement for future Apple TV potential is the announcement of Metal. Metal is a set of developer API’s that allow “bare metal” access to the full graphics capabilities of the underlying hardware.

The game demos that were shown were fairly incredible for an iPad, and showed the hardware that Apple ships is getting closer and closer to “console-level” graphics capabilities. Granted, the demo was shown on an iPad Air, which greatly out-performs the current Apple TV products, but the Apple TV is overdue for a hardware refresh.

With most consumer televisions supporting 1080 resolution, an Apple TV with equivalent hardware specs as the iPad Air would outperform the Air. Not until TV’s reach 4k resolution does a television surpass the Air’s resolution.

HomeKit

There was a fair amount of unsubstantiated rumor and buzz around HomeKit prior to the announcement, with some proclaiming that Apple would “own” the home automation market. Instead, what Apple did is much more powerful – they have created an underlying architecture and set of API’s that enable developers to standardize the interaction of their devices and integrate different vendors seamlessly.

The ability to control home alarms, thermostats, and lights is very powerful. Having the ability to leverage this information in your home from the largest screen you own would hopefully be an area of expansion as this technology is adopted, and combined with Siri would be an even more powerful offering.

Siri

There are a couple of interesting tidbits surrounding Siri. Obviously, expansions in supported languages and overall capabilities is always interesting, but also fairly expected. Song recognition would be a feature that could be interesting for home use, and the ability to purchase content via iTunes store lays even more groundwork.

But there is one feature that would be essential to have Siri become a core part of Apple TV. The announced “always on” feature is the one. “Hey Siri, let’s watch some football” would seem to be a very Apple-ish way of approaching the living room. It will be interesting to see if this feature moves to the TV.

Continuity and indoor location API’s

This announcement has the most “start into my crystal ball to see the future” around it. With Continuity, Apple is likely using Bluetooth LE (think iBeacon) capabilities in their devices to determine when you are typing an email on your iPad and walk up to your Mac, and transfer the document and state of one device to another.

Obviously this is a “cool” technology, but if you apply it to the Apple TV, the feature takes on a whole new perspective. Apple could expand this capability to allow you to transfer the viewing of a YouTube or iTunes video directly to the Apple TV rather than AirPlay it.

But even more interesting is the overall concept of location-awareness. If the Apple TV knew that your iPhone was in the room, when you launched the “Remote” app on your iPhone, it would pick the appropriate Apple TV rather than making you select.

AirPlay could default to the nearest device. Content on the TV could automatically be selected based on the current user. Age restrictions could be automatic based on the devices in range. Many, many possibilities.

Photos

Apple has “upgraded” their photos support from iOS devices, allowing photos to be hidden, storing all photos in the cloud, and streamlining the uploading and editing of cloud-based photos. As photos are already supported on the Apple TV using the current iCloud services, we can safely assume that the new capabilities will likely be supported as well.

Family Sharing that allows family members to share purchases from iTunes (music, movies, tv shows) and the App Store (games!), as well as a family calendar and photos looks very promising, too.

And let’s not forget that in iOS 8, AirPlay will use peer-to-peer to connect to the Apple TV, letting us share the content from the iOS device on the big screen much easier and faster.

Another WWDC, another year, and no Apple TV public API support. Yet Apple has continued to lay more and more groundwork so that if, and hopefully when, they do open up the Apple TV to developers, it will be with a set of mature and extensive capabilities.

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

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Usually well informed John Gruber of Daring Fireball gives his predictions for today’s WWDC keynote:

An updated Apple TV seems like a possibility, even though there don’t seem to be any rumors to that effect. I say maybe because I’m hoping that whatever form the next major release of Apple TV takes, that it will be a developer platform with an App Store of its own. That would make sense for a WWDC introduction.

Right, an Apple TV SDK rather than a new tiny black box.

WWDC 2014 keynote begins today at 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern/7 PM CET. We’ll be following it live reporting on all Apple TV-related announcements.

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Remember that Add Site hack described by the iOS hacker David Schuetz, last fall? It was a quick trick in 5.x that enabled an Add site button on your home-screen which could be pointed to a media server and the content viewed in an Apple TV styled menu. As it turned out, the hack was revealed a bit a too late, as Apple had already patched it then in the 6.0 update. You can read more about the hack here. After a long research, Schuetz has finally found a way to make ‘Add Site’ work under Apple TV 6.x (details below), what made him wonder: Is this a prelude to wider availability of Apple TV app development? 

[…] If Apple were to open up Apple TV to general development (and they’ve certainly been fielding a lot of new applications lately), then they certainly couldn’t have done that without some kind of control in place.

That’s what I’m kind of hoping: That we’ll see, in the near future, an official way for “everyday” Apple developers to build Apple TV apps, and to distribute them via a new “Channel Store.” Maybe this will even be unveiled with the next major Apple TV update (currently rumored for April).

If Apple wanted, they could’ve completely closed down this bridge, but apparently they didn’t. Instead they made a security booth in the route which opens only to Apple’s approval. Also it is worth noting that this hack was patched even before getting exposed by the hacker. So Apple didn’t patch it to prevent its misuse but was an event already in its roadmap.

As Schuetz suggests, this might be a clue to what we can expect from Apple TV in the future. Any developer could register with Apple, upload a set of videos and start his own channel. In fact, he says that he wouldn’t be surprised to see this feature in the next Apple TV itself. With circulating rumors of a completely revamped iOS-based Apple TV 4 with a new interface, games and its own App Store, we couldn’t help but agree with him.

How to get Add Site hack working under Apple TV 6.x

After Apple patched the hack in the 6.0 software update, everyone was busy trying to find a way around this patch and to get back the Add Site button. It was found that if you add the profile in 5.3 and then update to 6.0, the profile setting would indeed be preserved. However Apple seems to check for additional icons on home-screen and hide them automatically, thereby making the provision unusable.

Schuetz is back to the rescue. He has done a deep exploration into the patch and here is the conclusion:

So the only way to make ‘Add Site’ work under Apple TV 6.x (ignoring any unfortunately-still-speculative jailbreaks) is to:

1. Retrieve the target Apple TV’s unique device identifier (udid)
2. Using your app’s Merchant ID, create the string “”
3. Get Apple to sign that string with the appropriate private key
4. Include that signature in a configuration profile that enables the Add Site application
5. Get Apple to sign the profile
6. Install the profile on the Apple TV from step 1

If you’re a developer or a coding nerd, you can see the details here.

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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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Recently, there has been a lot of hacks to get more favourite channels to your Apple TV. Looks like they are all going to be unnecessary soon as the media giant, Time Warner, will be finding itself tied to your tiny box of joy.

Recently, Time Warners’ HBO Go was introduced directly into the Apple TV but, as it turns out, Apple has bigger plans.

As reported by Bloomberg, Apple is in the last stages of locking a deal with Time Warner to bring all their cable channels to Apple TV. And to lead the negotiations, Apple has hired Hulu‘s Senior Vice President, Pete Distad. According to the source, the tie-up will be announced officially in the coming months, once everything is in place.

Reading together from all the recent rumours, here’s what we expect. A completely redesigned iOS for Apple TV with a new SDK for developers. Partnerships with multiple media & entertainment companies. A standalone Apple television may also be released to join the party. In short, we might have a completely new way of watching TV shows in a couple of months.

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Channel checks indicate Apple has a product event in March that is Apple-TV related (possibly an iTV SDK introduction. We think a Sep/Oct iTV launch is being targeted.

Apparently, Misek is modeling Apple to sell an estimated 2 million of its revamped Apple TVs during the third quarter of this year but told investors if this release happens in October rather than September, he may need to be pushed back his estimates a full quarter.

We expect a price point of $1,500+ for a 42” to 55” model and also expect a below corporate average [gross margin]. Apple is likely to largely rely on leveraging content via partnerships with existing pay-TV operators.

Apple is clearly poised to dominate this market if the content delivery system is there. The unique eye for design, integrated software, and expansive AppStore could make an Apple iTV the must have item of 2014.

Apple Insider went on to point out that, “a good deal of the speculation from the investor side has to do with a desire on their part for Apple to diversify its offerings.” With all the concern in the market regarding Apple’s ability to continue their growth without new products, this iTV news could be just the thing to get Apple back on its feet. I say that realizing that they are already a dominant force in the market but their is no denying that companies like Samsung and Google are hot on their heals.

Update: After The Loop’s Jim Dalyrmple, who has proven to be reliable when commenting on Apple’s plans for media events, has published his one word response on the situation saying “Nope” to an Apple TV event taking place in March, Apple Insider has reached out to Peter Misek, who “maintained a high level of confidence regarding his hardware predictions.”

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Facebook’s got the world’s biggest archive of photos, with 250 million posted each day, and allows for high-resolution uploads that’d look great blown up on a big screen. Imagine the photos from your news feed turned into a slideshow on your Apple television. Or the videos shared by friends streamed back-to-back. Even simple text status updates and their comments shown full-screen could be a pleasant laid-back experience. It could update reverse chronologically in real-time so you could leave it on to always see the latest content.

And while Facebook is struggling to make money on small mobile screens, Facebook TV could be a more natural place for display ads. Advertisers have been demanding a bigger, flashier ad formats that Facebook TV could host. We’re so used to watching commercials on TV that a glossy still ad every 10 minutes or 10 photos, or the occasional fifteen-second pre-roll might not seem out of place.

BGR reported on Friday that Apple will introduce an Apple TV SDK and Apple TV App Store at WWDC 2012.

Apple will kick off WWDC with its keynote presentation today at 10 a.m. PST. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on WWDC 2012.

[source: TechCrunch]

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Is the Apple TV about to get its own App Store? According to BGR, Apple will introduce an Apple TV SDK at WWDC 2012. Apple TV software development kit would allow third-party developers to make apps for Apple’s set-top box.

BGR reported last month that Apple is planning to unveil a brand new version of the Apple TV operating system at WWDC. A “trusted source” has told BGR that the new OS will be much more feature-complete than the current Apple TV OS and that it’s apparently the one that the long rumored Apple TV set will run.

At this year’s D10 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook made clear that Apple TV is no longer a “hobby” project for the company: ”This is an area of intense interest for us,” Cook said, referring to the TV business. We’re going to keep pulling this string and see where it takes us.”

China Business News reported in May that Foxconn has already started a pilot production of the new Apple “smart TV”.

Apple will kick off WWDC with its keynote presentation today at 10 a.m. PST. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on WWDC 2012.

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