Apple TV, which has recently taken the #1 spot of top-sellers in the TV and Video category on Amazon, is experiencing a surge in sales in recent months and developers like Firemint, Splitmo or Cerebral Gardens are taking notice.

“We are excited about how popular Apple TV has become as a way to enjoy content without paying high cable bills,” said Rob Witman, founder at Splitmo, makers of Air Show, a photo sharing and editing tool for iPad and iPhone via HDTVs. “And we are taking it a few steps further. We are focused on letting customers enhance their devices and use their HDTV and iPad for a shared video and entertainment experience. Companies like us see an opportunity to create very cool experiences to share on the big screen using platforms like Apple TV.” Apple has sold 5 million Apple TVs in fiscal 2012.

Also read: Air Show HD – Review

Cerebral Gardens is a developer that leverages AirPlay‘s dual screen capabilities with their popular app Party Doodles for iOS. “Apple’s AirPlay technology opens the door to all kinds of innovative app ideas that aren’t possible on other platforms,” said Dave Wood, president at Cerebral Gardens.  “Being able to wirelessly connect a big HD screen to a mobile device enables developers to create a much more immersive experience for their customers.”

Also read: Apple TV gaming: Party Doodles for iPad and Apple TV

Whether it’s multi-player games like Firemint’s Real Racing 2 HD, which offers a split-screen gaming experience from iPad to HDTV, or MetalStorm: Wingman from Z2Live that features seamless AirPlay compatibility, an ecosystem of games and tools is emerging around Apple TV.

Also read: Real Racing 2 HD First to Support Wireless Gaming over AirPlay on Apple TV 2

Witman says that Splitmo has a few additions to Air Show in the works like stickers, art and freehand (you can already share your HDTV-edited photos through the app on Facebook and Twitter). He say that Splitmo is also rolling out some “unique mobile to HDTV products” in the coming months that will add to the growing array of offerings that enhance the Apple TV experience for customers.

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Editing photos on your iPad, iPhone, iPod, and yes, even your Apple TV! It is no secret that we all love to take photos with our mobile devices leaving the only question to be: “How can I edit, and share, my pictures?” Well, Air Show HD hopes to be an answer to this question. And a few others. It is true that Apple has offered the ability to share and edit your photos since the release of iOS 5. That said, there is one thing that Apple has never addressed and that is in regard to the photos you may not want to share publically.

As of today, if you decide to set up a slideshow with your iOS device, on your Apple TV, you have little-to-no control over what photos you will be showing. The only power you are given is the ability to select what folder you will be viewing within the default photo gallery. Well, if you are anything like me, you may not want to show every photo within that location to others.

This is where Air Show steps in.

Air Show HD by Splitmo – Straight From The Source

• Show off your best pictures on your big screen TV using Air Show and an Apple TV. Zoom in, crop and caption your best pictures while Air Show automatically builds a slide show for you.
• Air Show allows you to search through your photos, adding them directly to the TV or the generated slide show. Air Show shows only the photos YOU want without your friends seeing potentially embarrassing pictures by accident.
• If you want to save more than 3 slide shows, Air Show provides unlimited slide shows as a one time in-app purchase.
• Full Retina support for the iPhone 4, 4s, 5 and the new iPad.

The GOOD:

1)  This application works AS ADEVERTISED. With every press of a button you are given clear directions on what you need to do, and how you need to do it. This enables all users, at every skill level, to be able to use this application. Air Show keeps it simple.

2)  The UI of Air Show makes navigation quite easy. The ability to drag and drop photos gives the feel of a more advanced program, like Photoshop, running on your iOS device. Though the functionality could be considered “advanced” the use of these features does not leave you feeling as if the app were overly complicated.

3)  The AirPlay function is insanely responsive. Though most of the credit for this feature may go to Apple, iOS, and the software development behind the two, Air Show HD has done a great job taking advantage of these features. You are given the ability to zoom in, and out, while the slideshow is streaming to the Apple TV. This is a feature that the default iOS gallery does not have functioning fully.

The BAD:

1)  At first glance, this application feels lacking. When I first launched it and started using it to stream slideshows, I felt it was missing some basic functions that iOS does very well by default, such as multiple transition animations. That said, the longer I played with Air Show, on my iPad 2, the more I began to see it for the benefits it offers. Not to mention, updates are prevalent in all apps. Surely there will be more to come from this app.

The UGLY TRUTH.

In the end, Air Show HD stands on its own against the latest features, and options, of the default iOS gallery and its’ ability to stream slideshows to your Apple TV. As of today it is missing quite a few features that I would want to see in order for this application to become a full time app that I would use on a regular basis. Again, that said, there are two things that make Air Show stand out as an application worth downloading to your device today:

• The Price Is Right!

Air Show is absolutely free, right now! The fact is that we all love finding free apps and taking them for a test-drive. So, I would encourage you to head over to iTunes and give Air Show a shot.

• Privacy Control

The simple fact that I can select photos from different locations and easily create a customized slide show, is a powerful feature in-and-of itself. If you have “private” photos mixed in with your collection,  this app is absolutely  worth trying. I was able to create a slide show of select wedding pictures, vacation shots, and some graphic art I had made, all the while forgoing some “more embarrassing” shots.

Grab a copy today.

Also read:

Air Show updated with music playlists and color captions support

The post Air Show HD – Review appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Air Show, an iOS app that lets users preview, select and edit images on their iPhone/iPad screen while simultaneously displaying the more polished view on an HDTV screen via Apple TV, has been recently updated to support iPhone 5 and iOS 6. Air Show now also lets you add color captions and soundtrack to your real-time photo presentation.

Air Show is simple to use and fast. It lets users do basic crop, zoom, rotate and highlight with a laser pointer — all literally in a couple of seconds as users are showing off images in real time for an audience. With Air Show, Apple TV owners can share their iPhone/iPad photos on an HDTV screen while using the handheld as an on-the-fly preview, slideshow builder and editing tool.

Unlike photo collage apps that can’t display content outside of the device, or slide-builder apps that require sitting down and building a presentation first, Air Show is about on-the-fly previewing and tweaking of images on the small screen of the iPhone or iPad while the audience enjoys the show on the big screen.

Air Show is free and available in the App Store. There will be some add-on features and online storage for additional image playlists that will cost extra for heavy users, but the free version is great for most casual users.

Check out the review of Air Show HD on What’s On iPhone.

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ESPN has finally updated its WatchESPN app with AirPlay support. The update includes AirPlay support for all channels (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN3) and support for AirPlay in background. This is a great news for sports fans and the owners of older iDevices that don’t support AirPlay mirroring feature.

The free WatchESPN iPhone, iPad and iPod touch app gives you 24/7 access to live streaming feeds from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU. The app features:

Live streaming access to the top events from the ESPN family of networks, including:
* NBA Regular Season and Playoffs
* Major League Baseball
* The Masters, US Open and The Open Championships
* College Football and Basketball
* Barclay’s Premier League, Spanish Primera Division and Euro 2012 Soccer
* All 4 Grand Slam tennis events
…and thousands more live events airing on the ESPN networks

Up-to-the-minute news, highlights and analysis with live streaming access to your favorite ESPN shows, including:
* SportsCenter
* PTI
* Mike & Mike
* SportsNation
* Baseball Tonight
…and every other ESPN original show

Note: Access to WatchESPN live video is determined by your TV provider and, in some instances, your internet service provider.

WatchESPN is a free download from the App Store.

Also read:
How to watch live sports on Apple TV
Watch live sports on Apple TV with SportsDevil XBMC video addon

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Splitmo, a company dedicated to creating mobile apps that leverage ‘dual screen’ technologies, has released its first app called Air Show (free in the App Store). Air Show is an iOS app that lets users preview, select and edit images on their iPhone/iPad screen while simultaneously displaying the more polished view on an HDTV screen.

Unlike photo collage apps that can’t display content outside of the device, or slide-builder apps that require sitting down and building a presentation first, Air Show is about on-the-fly previewing and tweaking of images on the small screen of the iPhone or iPad while the audience enjoys the show on the big screen.

Air Show is simple to use and fast. It lets users do basic crop, zoom, rotate and highlight with a laser pointer — all literally in a couple of seconds as users are showing off images in real time for an audience.

An iPad 2/3 or iPhone 4S is required to use the AirPlay functionality with Apple TV, but users who don’t have Apple TV can also use Air Show by connecting their iPad/iPhone to an HDTV with an HDMI cable.

Air Show is free and available in the App Store. There will be some add-on features and online storage for additional image playlists that will cost extra for heavy users, but the free version is great for most casual users.

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Movie trailers have always been sort of a side hobby for Apple. Now this hobby seems to be getting some attention, as Apple has released an app specifically for movie trailers.

When you first open iTunes Movie Trailers on either your iPhone or iPad, you’ll find the trailer layout very similar to the Apple TV’s graphic-based layout. Here you can scroll and search based on movie art, or simply search for whatever trailer you are looking to watch and then watch it on your device or on your TV, through AirPlay.

A nice calendar feature is included with this app. From here, you can see all upcoming theater releases, along with past releases. I can easily see movies that were released many months ago, and check movies that are expected in the somewhat-distant future (The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises are slated to hit theaters July of next year, for example).

Read the full review on Whatsoniphone.com

You may also want to read:
Real Racing 2 HD First to Support Wireless Gaming over AirPlay on Apple TV 2
AirPlay-Enabled Apps: Air Video (review)
AirPlay-Enabled Apps: Web Browser, Camera and Videos for Apple TV, TVOut Genie! (review)

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