Apple today released tvOS 9.2 beta for Apple TV 4 that adds Podcasts app, support for Bluetooth keyboards, folders for grouping apps, new Siri languages and a new app switcher.

Pairing Bluetooth keyboards for text entry was available for both 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TV, and it was highly requested feature for the Apple TV 4. With tvOS 9.2 users will be able to easily pair most of Bluetooth keyboards with their 4th gen. Apple TV.

The new beta also adds folders for grouping apps on the Apple TV home screen. As 9to5Mac notes, “pressing the Play/Pause button now brings up a series of options and controls for further management, including quick moves to folders or deletes.”

Siri now includes support for French Canadian (in Canada only) and US Spanish (in the US only). UK English, Australian English, and US English are now available in the UK, Australian, and US Storefronts when English is set as the tvOS language.

tvOS 9.2 also supports an updated app switcher UI and MapKit, allowing developers to implement maps into their tvOS apps.

Here are the official release notes:

tvOS 9.2 includes new features, bug fixes, and improvements in the OS and SDK.
New features and enhancements include:
– Bluetooth Keyboard support
– Folders support for grouping apps on Home screen
– MapKit support
– Siri support for US Spanish (in US only) and French Canadian (in Canada only)
– Siri support for UK English, Australian English and US English available across the UK, Australian and US Storefronts when English is set as the system language
– Updated App Switcher UI

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

The post Apple releases tvOS 9.2 beta with Podcasts app, folders and support for Bluetooth keyboards appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

It’s September 19, so iOS 6 should be with us any minute now. Once you install it on each of your iDevices, don’t forget to check out the newest version of AirServer (for Mac or PC) which has already been re-engineered for iOS 6. The new AirServer includes 1080p HD mirroring, content streaming and better support for video-on-demand apps like Netflix. The PC version hits version 1.0 and is now feature complete, with audio, movie and photo streaming.

Full HD support

AirServer has been enhanced for iOS 6 and now lets you stream content or Mirror your display in full 1080p HD. According to the developers, this enhancement is “twice as crisp as before and makes all the difference when viewing content on your iMac or HDTV via AirServer.”

Big screen browsing with Safari

iOS 6 with AirServer brings even better web browsing to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. With AirServer you can view the web full-screen on your Mac, HDTV or projector. Zooming-in to read illegible text becomes a thing of the past thanks to AirServer.

Facebook

Now that Facebook has been fully integrated into iOS 6 you’ll be able to share, post and stay up-to-date in a myriad of new ways. Combined with the new update of AirServer this means you’ll be able to stream all your social interactions to the big screen to share with others around you.

Maps

Apple has designed Maps from the ground up and is purely vector based, so graphics and text are incredibly detailed – even in full-zoom. With AirServer you’ll be able to stream the new Maps application from your iOS device onto your Mac or HDTV. Great when you need to debate the route with your friends before you even hit the road.

AirServer is sold at $14.99 for Mac and Windows version (there is also free 7 day trial) and you can get it from here. The new AirServer is a free update for existing users.

The post AirServer re-engineered for iOS 6 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

First we have Camera for Apple TV. Obviously, it’s an app that displays the live view of your iPhone’s camera on the big screen, though there is a bit of delay. I have trouble seeing what this $2 app can do for the average user, besides providing young children with entertainment. Sure you could display something for others to look at, but couldn’t you also show them the item? They are, after all, probably in the same room as you.

Next we have Web Browser for Apple TV. This basic web browser will show up on your Apple TV2, but you will have to look past some small quirks. The app, like the previous one, has some delay. Your atv will not display smooth scrolling or fullscreen web browsing. Your phone’s screen, when in portrait mode, appears only in the center of your TV screen, with each side being a huge, black bar. You can flip your phone into landscape mode, but then the edges of the browser become slightly cutoff and the text then becomes pixelated. The app ends up feeling more like a screenshot of a browser beamed to your TV than a full Apple TV web browser. Also, if you go to the mobile YouTube site and watch a video, the video will not show up on your TV! It will play on your phone and give you the option to stream audio, not video, to your Apple TV 2, but the actual video won’t show up on your television.

Third is an app called Videos for Apple TV. Here I thought you would load your personal videos to your iPhone and then stream them, but I realized that this is achievable with the iPod app. So what does this app do? It comes with four videos (fireplace, fish tank, lava lamp, and waterfall) that you can stream to create an ambiance in your house. The videos, which are each several hours long and contain sound, are high quality and definitely worth 50¢ apiece if you are one who enjoys the ambiance offered by tranquil videos.

These three apps, all made by TapMedia Publishing and sold for $2 each, are nice. However, due to AirPlay, the apps may not work as well as the developer wishes they did. The creator should include universal app support as all of these apps could be supported by the iPad, with the exception of Camera for Apple TV on the original iPad. Also, it would be nice if the developer offered a deluxe app for perhaps $5 and combined many of their AirPlay capable apps into one suite.

This deluxe suite I imagine is a little like the app TVOut Genie!, by JwalSoft Inc. This $3 app includes several “widgets,” each of which can be viewed through AirPlay or through Apple’s $40 adapter. Widgets available include documents, web browser, maps, text editor, photo browser, Facebook, and camera. Documents are importable through iTunes, Mail, Mobile Safari, and some other third-party apps. You can then put your documents on display. There is also a Maps widget, which recently received satellite and hybrid view options. The text editor is a bit plain, but it gets the job done. Facebook photos can also be streamed to your Apple TV. All of these widgets, plus ones like the previously-mentioned ones, are available. For only $3, this app is a bargain and it offers a lot to love.

Some of these are niche apps, but they’re pretty inexpensive and worth a try. Again, these don’t all work flawlessly, but if you’re bored with your Apple TV and don’t want to jailbreak or don’t know how to (well, you obviously know where to find out how to), try these apps out.

The post AirPlay-Enabled Apps: Web Browser, Camera and Videos for Apple TV, TVOut Genie! (review) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.