We’ve been so busy lately going through all the rumors on the upcoming Apple Television that we forgot to let you know that the Plex client for Apple TV 2 has been updated to version 0.10 (and later on to version 0.10.0.71 – beta 2). The new version brings some significant changes, like DirectPlay support and Full myPlex support, and supports Apple TV 4.3 and 4.4 firmware.

Highlights of the release:

• Full myPlex Support – view your myPlex queue or Friend’s shared server.
• Top Shelf is now configurable – You can choose which Plex Media Server, then the Section, and Recently Added or OnDeck – the posters are added to the shelf for easy selection.
• Badges! Grid and Bookshelf view now sport badges!
• DirectPlay Support – now works on the ATV client. Avoid transcoding! Save the Planet!
• Directories are now loaded asynchronously. That means that you will see a nice spinner while waiting for the directory to load.
• Memory leaks galore fixed – more stable, particularly on media playback.
• Many annoying bug fixes – more useable. The UI is becoming more consistent, reliable and snappy!
• Added settings for subtitle size and audio boost.
• Fixes capability settings on AAC. The ATV only supports 2 channels AAC.
• Fixes where you couldn’t disable DTS and AC3 support under 4.4.4.
• Tons of fixes to the main menu where categories should show up faster and more reliably.
• Correctly order Channel, Search and Queue in the main menu.

Installation

The installation has also been improved. You can now use plex-atv-installer on your Linux or OSX box.

Installing using the installer:

• Download the installer here: https://github.com/P…/zipball/master
• Unzip it
• Open Terminal.app and enter the plex-atv-installer directory
• update: if you have an older version installed, first run

./plex-atv-installer.py remove

• Run

./plex-atv-installer.py -b beta install

Note: if your Apple TV is not named ‘Apple-TV.local’ and if you have changed your login password on the atv you need to check the usage of Plex ATV Installer here: https://github.com/P…aster/README.md

• Done!

Installing manually:

• SSH into your ATV
• Run

wget http://nightlies.plexapp.com/plex-atv-plugin/repo/com.plexapp.repo.beta_1.0_iphoneos-arm.deb

• Run

dpkg -i com.plexapp.repo.beta_1.0_iphoneos-arm.deb

• Run

apt-get update

dpkg -r com.plex.client-plugin

• Run

apt-get install com.plex.client-plugin

• Run

killall AppleTV

• Done!

Known issues:

• Some high profile H264 MKV’s will not play back on ATV. There seem to be something that the transcoder does here that is not working out for the Apple TV.
• Badges in the bookcase doesn’t work correctly.
• The devs have seen, in some cases,  a serious issue with network connectivity disappearing from the atv. But they haven’t been able to say for certain it’s because of plex-atv, it might be the jailbreak for 4.4.4 instead.

Note: the current version is 0.10.0-720fd8d1 and it only works with Plex Media Server 0.9.5.2.

[via Plex forums]

You may also want to read:
IceFilms XBMC add-on for Apple TV is back, now supports RapidShare links
AppleTVHacks Best of 2011
How to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 using Seas0nPass – untethered (tutorial)
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Have you missed Gene Munster and his Apple TV-related “predictions” yet? Piper Jaffray analyst wrote a new note to clients claiming he has heard from “a major TV component supplier” that they had been contacted by Apple regarding “various capabilities of their television display components.” Munster sees this as “continued evidence that Apple is exploring production of a television.” Munster added that Apple had a series of meetings in January 2011 in Asia because the company “was investing in manufacturing facilities for LCD displays ranging from 3.5″ mobile displays to 50″ television displays.”

“In Sept-11 we met with a contact close to an Asian supplier who indicated that prototypes of an Apple Television are in the works,” Munster wrote.

Munster believes the hardware part could be ready for late 2012 lunch, but the content part – getting Hollywood on board – seems to still be a major problem. “The timeline and scope of a revamped content solution is more uncertain,” Piper Jaffray analyst wrote. “Without a revamped TV content solution, we do not think Apple enters the TV market,” he concluded.

Munster offers three scenarios on how might a revamped TV content solution look like (quotation from Munster’s note):

1. Apple could simply enable its television to manage a consumer’s live TV service from within a unified interface much like TiVo does, partnering with MSOs [i.e. the cable companies]. As Apple was developing the iPhone many investors expected the company to become an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Instead, the company partnered with AT&T (then Cingular) to bring the iPhone to market in the U.S. Similarly, Apple could choose to avoid the cost and effort of entering the live TV services business and simply partner with MSOs to deliver live, cable TV to the Apple Television. While this would be the easiest and most likely option, it would also be the least revolutionary. Technically, this option would function much like TiVo does today: partnering with MSOs and offering a unified DVR/guidance software interface to make search and discovery easier for the viewer. In some ways, a connected TV’s software is the biggest differentiator that Apple can bring to the table, so this option could still result in a new and fresh product for the television market. Apple could also supplement this with its iTunes Movie rental and purchase service directly on the television.

    2. Apple could offer access to live TV from network channels in combination with other web-based video services. One middle-of-the-road option could be for Apple to deliver live TV from network channels (either over the internet or over the air) to the Apple Television. Apple could then leverage a new App Store for the Apple Television to supplement the basic live TV features with Netflix, Hulu Plus, or any content provider that chooses to build an app for the television. In this instance, Apple would also likely continue to offer its iTunes movie and TV content through the iTunes store to the Apple Television.

    3. Apple could offer monthly subscriptions, on an a-la-carte basis, for live TV packages with content from content providers. Clearly the most challenging option, if Apple truly wanted to control the entire television experience – which, again, the company chose not to do when entering the smartphone market – it would have to become a virtual MSO (Multiple Services Provider) and offer monthly subscriptions for live TV services. Such an offering would be unlikely given existing licensing arrangements between content providers and service providers as well as the fact that it lies outside of Apple’s core competencies, even in media. That said, it would enable the company to control the entire experience and possibly deliver new features that are currently unavailable through existing television service providers and CE device makers.

[via Fortune; image by Guilherme M. Schasiepen]

You may also want to read:
IceFilms XBMC add-on for Apple TV is back, now supports RapidShare links
AppleTVHacks Best of 2011
Will record 1.4 mln Apple TV sales take Apple to iTV?
How to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 using Seas0nPass – untethered (tutorial)
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

The devs of IceFilms XBMC plugin for Apple TV haven’t given up after FBI took down Megaupload, the source of the most of IceFilms links, and they just released a new IceFilms 1.0.24 beta that supports RapidShare links. 2Shared links are still an option too. Going forward links will be posted to both 2Shared and Rapidshare so users will continue to see both in the sources section.

According to the developers, the new beta isn’t perfect but “it’s a development build and updates will be pushed through quickly.” There seems to be a bug with the tvshownextaired script but this should be fixed quickly as well.

The devs have disabled the metadata install pack from 1.0.24 so if you are doing a fresh install of this release you won’t be able to get metadata until the beta testing is done 1.1.0.

Things to know about RapidShare:
- Time limit on files varies to what appears to be server load, busier they are the longer you wait;
- No download limits, you can download as much as you want per day;
- Files stream and download just like Megaupload – still high quality AVI and HD scene releases.

To update to version 1.0.24 open XBMC, go to Videos -> Add-Ons -> Get More ->Icefilms -> Update. Some users report this didn’t work and they had to reinstall IceFilms. Here is how to install the new repository:

• Download IceFilms 1.0.24 zip
• Open XBMC, go to Settings > Addons > Install from zip file, browse to your downloads and select it. Repository installed!
• Now you can install Icefilms.info from within XBMC, by navigating to Settings > Addons > Get Add-ons > anarchintosh add-ons.

Here is a video of the new IceFilms in action:

[via hd420p]

You may also want to read:
AppleTVHacks Best of 2011
Will record 1.4 mln Apple TV sales take Apple to iTV?
How to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 using Seas0nPass – untethered (tutorial)
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Apple has sold record 1.4 million Apple TVs during the last holiday quarter but, interestingly, the company didn’t reveal this figures in yesterday’s press release in which it proudly details record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs. The record figures for Apple TV were revealed during the Q1 2012 earnings live call: asked about Apple’s strategy for the living room, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said “the Apple TV product is dealing very well,” and he gave the numbers: in the last fiscal year – ended in September 2011 – Apple sold 2.8 mln Apple TVs, and in December quarter – record 1.4 mln units.

However, Cook added that “if you dollarize it… we still classify it as a hobby,” but he also said that Apple continues to “add things to it.”

Apple’s CEO also admitted that he “couldn’t live without the Apple TV” and said:  “We continue to pull the strings to see where it takes us.”

Since the Apple TV 2 launch in September 2010, Apple has sold over 4.2 million of the set top boxes.

Apple has been long rumored to be working on an Apple TV set that, according to Gene Munster, could be introduced around WWDC 2012.

You may also want to read:
AppleTVHacks Best of 2011
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2
Apple TV 3 or Apple TV set?

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

aTV Flash (black) for the second generation Apple TV has just received its first update in 2012. Version 1.2 of aTV Flash (black) features a number of new things including: video zoom options, grid view watched icons, quick access to recently visited pages, improved support for subtitles, and a truckload of other improvements and bug fixes.

Main new features include:

• New zoom options: three new zoom options (Normal, Crop, and Stretch) allow you choose how videos are displayed. You can keep videos in their native format (widescreen or pillar box) or crop/stretch them to fill the entire screen.

• Grid View Watched Indicators: watched indicator icons allow you to quickly see which content is new (these can be disabled through the Media –> Settings).

• Recently Visited Pages: Couch Surfer now displays thumbnail images in the ‘top shelf’ area of the main menu, which allows you to quickly get back to recently viewed pages.

Here is the complete list of changes:
• Added video zoom options (available through Playback Menu)
• Added watched indicators to grid view
• Added ‘Recently Visited’ section to Browser top shelf
• Added support for MicroDVD .SUB files
• Added screensaver during pause
• Added file delete option
• Added activity indicator for metadata clearing
• Added ‘tune’ icon placeholder for audio files without metadata
• Added episode number to the fetched name the list view
• Added Reload Metadata’ option in contextual menu for folders
• Added ‘no items’ message to the ‘Unwatched’ filter of the list view
• Added gray ticket image caching
• Added loading screen when opening Manage Extras menu
• Improved scrubber bar logic
• Improved audio feedback for watched and pre-playback screens
• Improved poster loading for large folders
• Improved support for DVDs without menus
• Improved subtitle support for right-to-left languages (e.g. Hebrew)
• Improved installer device detection
• Resolved minor memory management issues
• Resolved issues with subtitles settings while playing a playlist
• Resolved issues with yellow subtitles displayed for movies converted with Handbrake
• Resolved conflicts with default audio player
• Resolved issues with passwords that contain @ symbols
• Resolved issues with metadata loading for files that contain ‘/’ in folder or file name
• Resolved buffer overflow in libafpclient observed when navigating folders with long names
• Resolved issues with installer Bonjour detection
• Resolved rare crashes during web browsing
• Changed metadata format to S.# / Ep.# for TV Shows
• Disabled metadata processing during movie playback
• Corrected audio feedback when pressing Menu while in grid view
• Minor UI improvements
• Other miscellaneous bug fixes

If you’re already running a version of aTV Flash (black) the new 1.2 version can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu. Links for the new version can also be found in your FireCore account under the Downloads tab.

If you’re not yet using aTV Flash (black) you can get started here.

You may also want to read:
AppleTVHacks Best of 2011
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2
FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.0 to supercharge the Apple TV 2

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

2011 was a good year for Apple TV. Although it seems that everyone is already waiting for Apple TV set (are you?), some hackers and developers have worked really hard through the whole 2011 on jailbreaks and software that supercharged our silver and black boxes. Various hacks, jailbreaks, plugins and add-ons convinced us the Apple TV is more than just a simple hobby device that only lets you buy movies on iTunes and listen to some odd radio stations.

It’s time to select the best of the best, to choose “AppleTVHacks Best of 2011”!

We are asking for your votes for the best Apple TV (both 1^st and 2^nd generation) hack/jailbreak/plugin/add-on/software of 2011.  We chose the nominees; the award is people’s choice. The winner will receive “AppleTVHacks Best of 2011 Award” and will be featured on our site.

Cast your vote for a chance to win the following fantastic prizes:

iPod nano 16 GB (6^th generation)

Apple TV 2 (newest version)

Kymera Magic Wand Remote Control (for Apple TV)

Oregon Scientific RM901A Rainbow Clock

Skin Sticker for Apple TV 2

Here are the nominees (in alphabetical order):

• AirPlay for Windows

AirPlay for Windows Media Center, Thomas Pleasance’s free addin, enables AirPlay streaming (video and pictures; music is not supported yet) to your Windows PC running Windows Media Player. Simple to install and use, works seamlessly.

• aTV Flash (black)

In 2011, FireCore’s aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV 2 has finally left beta. Version 1.0 came with all-new Media Player, WebKit based browser, Last.fm radio, Weather, RSS feeds and gives you fast access to plugins like nitoTV, Remote HD, XBMC and Plex client. The only drawback – it’s not free ($29.95).

Read: FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.0 to supercharge the Apple TV 2

• aTV Flash (for original Apple TV)

Luckily for the owners of the original Apple TV, in 2011, FireCore continued to develop the software for the old shiny Apple TV boxes. Released in November, version 4.4 of aTV Flash brought support for the new Remote HD features (iOS 5 AirPlay streaming, support for playing DRM protected media, support for doubleTwist + AirTwist add-on), as well as the support for Mac OS X Lion and NFS file streaming.

Read: aTV Flash 4.4 for original Apple TV now available

• Bluecop repository (Hulu on Apple TV)

Bluecop, a repository of XBMC video plug-ins, brings Hulu to Apple TV after fast and easy installation. It also features Amazon Prime, ESPN3, Free Cable, Cartoon Network, CBS, MTV, South Park Studios and The Daily Show plug-in addons.

Read: How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2

• greenpois0n rc6

Developed by Chronic Dev Team (with a contribution from nitoTV), greenpois0n RC6 allowed us to perform an untethered jailbreak on Apple TV 2 running iOS 4.2.1. The development has not been continued for further Apple TV software updates.

Read: How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 with greenpois0n rc6

• IceFilms

The most popular XBMC plugin gives you an instant access to the library of dozens of thousands movies and TV shows that can be streamed directly to your Apple TV.

• nitoTV

@nitotv, one of the first Apple TV developers, not only contributes to FireCore’s Seas0nPass but also continues his great work on developing his own plugin – nitoTV (recently updated to version 0.8.1-3). NitoTV features Weather and RSS functionality and lets you install other add-ons and software, like XBMC, RemoteHD, Overflow, openSSH, BT Stack, Rowmote Helper and more. NitoTV is also available for the original Apple TV.

• PwnageTool 4.3

PwnageTool 4.3, a custom IPSW creator and jailbreaking tool created by iPhone-Dev Team, supported untethered jailbreak on Apple TV 4.2.1 and Apple TV 4.3. The tool has not been updated to support Apple TV 4.4 firmware.

Read: Untethered iOS 4.3.1 Jailbreak for Apple TV 2 Released (updated)

• Remote HD

Remote HD, an Apple TV plugin that works with a dedicated iOS app, gives you complete access to your Apple TV. It works like an Apple Remote, but it can do a lot more – one of the greatest features is Remote View that brings your Apple TV’s display to your iPhone/iPad or iPod touch. In 2011, Remote HD added support for Apple TV 2 and brought AirPlay functionality as well as iOS 5 and iTunes DRM-encrypted video support to the first generation Apple TV.

Read: Remote HD now supports Apple TV 2
Remote HD 5.0 plugin keeps old Apple TV kicking with iOS 5 support

• Seas0nPass

Seas0nPass, a jailbreak tool designed by FireCore specifically and exclusively for the AppleTV 2, has been consequently updated during the whole year to jailbreak the newer and newer versions of Apple TV firmware. Both Mac and Windows, it also includes a simple tethered boot option when an untethered jailbreak is not yet available.

Read: How to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 using Seas0nPass – untethered (tutorial)

• Sn0wbreeze 2.5.1

Considered as the unofficial PwnageTool for Windows, sn0wbreeze works with Windows XP, Vista and 7. Version 2.5.1 supported untethered jailbreak for Apple TV 4.2.1. Further Apple TV software versions are not supported.

Read: How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.3 with sn0wbreeze (untethered)

• XBMC for Apple TV 2

In 2011, XBMC has finally been released for the Apple TV 2. XBMC supports a very complete spectrum of audio and video multimedia file formats and codecs right out-of-the-box. The 2011’s release also features full hardware decode for 720p/1080p movies as well as network files sharing. Add-ons like Icefilms, Bluecop and Navi-X make XBMC on Apple TV a must-have.

Read: XBMC for Apple TV 2 now available

Let the voting begin!

Here is how to participate:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Netflix has finally arrived in the UK and Ireland. For £5.99/€6.99 a month residents can now instantly watch unlimited films and TV programs streamed directly to their Apple TV. Also, starting today, people throughout the UK and Ireland can begin a free, one-month trial of Netflix.

At launch, Netflix is offering films and TV programs from All3Media, the BBC, CBS, Channel 4′s 4oD, Disney UK & Ireland, ITV, Lionsgate UK, MGM, Miramax, Momentum Pictures, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox and Viacom International Media Networks.

The service is integrated with Facebook, allowing members to connect their Facebook account to Netflix and share what they’re watching on both Netflix and their Facebook Timeline.

Get ready for new episodes of Top Gear on your Apple TV!

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?

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

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?

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Two weeks after iOS hacker and Chronic Dev-Team member Pod2g announced an untethered jailbreak for Apple TV 2 running 4.4.3 (and 4.4.4), FireCore made this jailbreak publicly available by releasing an updated version of Seas0nPass that supports an untethered jailbreak of the latest 4.4.4 (iOS 5.0.1) Apple TV software. Obviously, the new Seas0nPass uses Pod2g’s exploit.

All the most popular Apple TV 2 plugins, like NitoTV,  XBMC,  Plex (0.9.0 beta versions only), Remote HD,  Media Player,  Overflow, Couch Surfer, Last.fm, Rowmote, RSS Feeds and Weather are already supported on 4.4.4.

Here is a step by step tutorial on how to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 untethered using Seas0nPass:

Note: If you’re already running a tethered version of 4.4.4 you will need to re-jailbreak using Seas0nPass to take advantage of the new untethered version.

Pre-launch checklist

1. Download and install the latest version of iTunes (check for updates through Software Update located in Apple menu).
2. Download Seas0nPass for Mac [10.6 or later] or Windows [XP or later].
3. A micro USB cable will be required to complete the jailbreak.
4. Disconnect any iPods, iPhones, and iPads from your computer.

Jailbreaking

Step 1: Unzip the ‘Seas0nPass.zip’ file and launch Seas0nPass.

Step 2: Select the ‘Create IPSW’ button to start the jailbreak process.

Step 3: The latest Apple TV software will be downloaded and used to create a custom ‘jailbroken’ software file.

Step 4:When prompted, connect your Apple TV using a micro-USB cable (leave power disconnected).

Once the light on the front of the AppleTV begins to flash rapidly, point the remote at the AppleTV and hold both the MENU and PLAY/PAUSE buttons for 7 seven seconds.

Note: This step will require the silver (aluminum) AppleTV remote that was included with the ATV2. The older, white (plastic) remotes will not work.

Step 5: iTunes will open automatically and start the restore process.

Step 6: iTunes will confirm the restore when complete – your Apple TV is now jailbroken. Please proceed to the ‘tethered boot’ section below.

Note: To confirm the jailbreak was successful a (temporary) red FC logo will appear in the lower right corner of the screen – as shown below.

Done!

You may also want to read:
iOS apps running on Apple TV
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2
FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.0 to supercharge the Apple TV 2
How to install aTV Flash (black) 1.0 on Apple TV 2

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Little by little the apps are coming to the Apple TV. Hacker and iOS developer Steven Troughton-Smith and a hacker called TheMudKip have made it to run iPhone and iPad apps on an Apple TV 2, jailbroken with Seas0nPass. Using @TheMudkip’s MobileX window manager for iOS, and @chpwn’s MobileLaunchpad launcher to go with it, they managed to get multiple iOS apps running natively on Apple TV, without AirPlay. Later on, they even figured out a way to run iPad applications at a full 720p resolution.

Using a custom springboard, the software that powers the app launcher, also allowed for another new feature: side-by-side apps. This lets you see on the big screen all the applications running at a time, e.g. different chat applications.

“Nick had written this amazing window manager for the iPad that replaced the entire homescreen, allowing you to run multiple apps side by side, and I realized this could enable iOS apps on the Apple TV for the first time. We’ve spent the past 2 days modifying everything to work really well on the Apple TV screen size, etc, and getting apps to run,” Troughten-Smith told CNET.

Since the Apple TV doesn’t have a touch screen, the hackers are using a combination of VNC, SSH and the Apple Remote to launch and navigate apps. However, Troughton-Smith said he is working to make it Apple remote-only.

The hack isn’t publically available yet. For any enterprising hackers who want to make a UIKit Apple TV app, Troughton-Smith published an input library needed to get started (to add Apple TV IR input to an iOS app).

You may also want to read:
Apple TV 3 or Apple TV set?
FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.0 to supercharge the Apple TV 2
How to install aTV Flash (black) 1.0 on Apple TV 2

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!