AirServer, an AirPlay receiver that enables you to stream audio, videos, photos, and photo slideshows to your Mac, Windows PC or iOS device, has been just updated to version 4.4 that adds desktop mirroring support for Mountain Lion. The new version of AirServer also adds support for high resolution mirroring from iOS 6 and Mountain Lion, support for fast user switching and some optimizations for MacBook Pro Retina.

Also known as “the game console for Mac/PC”, AirServer lets you mirror multiple iOS devices simultaneously in multiplayer split-screen mode so you can play iOS games against your friends.

AirServer comes with an impressive frame rate of 70+ FPS and features on-the-fly video post processing which means that the entire post processing happens in the GPU of the Mac and there is no loss in frame-rates. Picture quality setting are customizable and give you control over the sharpening, brightness, contrast, saturation and hue.

AirServer is the first software that can mirror your iPhone/iPad to your Windows PC.

AirServer also supports AirPlay streaming to Mac from Android devices running doubleTwist+AirTwist.

Read our review of AirServer to find out more about this great piece of software.

AirServer is sold at $14.99 for Mac version or $7.99 for Windows version (there is also free 7 day trial) and you can get it from here.

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!

Looking for the ability to use that nifty AirPlay Mirroring feature on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch but do not own an Apple TV? Well, today may be the best day of your life thus far because AirServer is here! Affectionately known, by their team, as “the game console for Mac/PC” this piece of software is much, much more! Now, in case some of you missed what I just said: iOS AirPlay Mirroring is now on Windows machines! Did you catch that? Because there will be a test at the end of this review.

AirPlay Mirroring for PC is here!

Let’s Start with Windows. This release is in its early stages, which is good news. The team is committed to rolling out FREE updates to its Windows version as they continue to work increasing its stability and its features. It is not, currently, up to snuff against its MAC counterpart but it is mirroring on Windows, and it does work! According to the team over at AirServer:

That’s right. AirServer is the first and only software that can Mirror your iPhone/iPad to your Windows PC. This is a pre-release version and doesn’t yet have sound or some of the eye candy features of full-blown AirServer. But it does have Mirroring. And Mirroring will enable you to take your iPhone 4S and display the screen pixel perfect on your PC. Over the coming weeks we’ll be adding free updates to the PC version to bring it up to speed with the Mac version. Exciting times ahead.

The game console for MAC has arrived!

Now let’s talk MAC! The functionality of this software is exceedingly impressive and it has come a long way! According to their team, “in this release, AirServer for Mac has been enhanced specifically for gaming. The picture is crisper, the aspect ratio can be changed to suit your taste.” Upon installation you are give the ability, via the preferences option, to mirror your iOS device directly to your MAC. This alone is cool, but not the impressive part. AirServer comes with the ability to:

Audio

• Allow AirPlay to control your MACs volume
• Adjust the Audio Buffer Size
• Select what device you want to use for audio output

Video

• Choose what display you would like to use for mirroring
• Edit the quality of the image (sharpness, contrast, etc.)
• Adjust the aspect ratio for your comfort (Full Screen for example)

Mirroring

• Optimize for differing resolutions and/or devices
• Optimize for slow networks
• Optimize for FaceTime HD Camera (any Mac Mini users out there?)

All these features alone add up to be an amazing software release that is well worth your time, money, and attention.  BUT WAIT! There’s more. How about split screen mode for some competitive game play? Oh yes they did! I was shocked to find that I was able to connect multiple devices at once to my MAC. Regarding he split screen feature, the AirServer team says:

You can now Mirror multiple iOS devices simultaneously in multiplayer split-screen mode. This means that if you have two iPhones in the room running Temple Run you can turn this into temple race on the big screen. A classroom full of Fruit Ninjas becomes that Bruce Lee fight scene in The Fist of Fury. And with over 30,000 iOS games running on tens of millions devices the possibilities with AirServer are endless.

With every connection, the screen simply self adjusts to give the best view possible. I was able to play against my friends in Tiny Wings, Temple Run, and Angry Birds! It is an amazing little extra to have! I would buy this software for that feature alone. I kid you not.

More Than a Console

Though they have titled this product as a “game console”, I have found it to be far more. The mirroring functionality opens up a world of possibilities that does not end at games.  I found that I was able to use my iOS devices as a digital white board… PowerPoint/Keynote presenter (wireless), iBook reader, web-surfer, and so much more! The possibilities here are somewhat endless. The question is how creative can you get?

The Bad?

The title of this section is a bit misleading. In the end, I found nothing bad with this release, however, I had three “hick-ups” that I would be remiss to exclude them. In a total of three hours of use, on the MAC version, I had the following issues:

• 2 connection drop outs when playing First-Person-Shooter games, such as Modern Combat 3 & Archetype.
• Lagging audio every time I played First-Person-Shooter games, such as Modern Combat 3 & Archetype.
• Problem playing embedded videos over AirPlay in Full-Screen.

AirServer is sold at $14.99 for MAC version or $7.99 for Windows version (there is also free 7 day trial) and you can get it from here.

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

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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!

It was reported last week, by AppleInsider and the guys over at Cult of Mac, that the Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted at Valve’s headquarters located in Bellevue, Washington. You may recognize Valve for their gaming platform Steam, and their work in creating games such as Half-Life, Team Fortress and the wildly successful Portal.

It is far too easy, and fun, to begin speculating at what this could mean. We all know that Tim Cook doesn’t spend his time visiting companies like this for no reason. So what could it mean? For me, it seems like a perfect fit. Get involved with a company to that already has a digital gaming platform integrated for mac, PC and platform games alike.

According to sources to Cult of Mac:

Apple is working on a television set with an iTunes-integrated touch screen remote and Siri-like voice command technology. The TV set will be coming before the end of 2012. Furthermore, Apple’s television set will come with an Apple-branded, Kinect-like video game console. The interface will rely heavily on motion and touch controls.

Simply put, we are one, well designed, physical remote away from Apple taking over the gaming sector. There I said it! I have been a long time lover of iPad mirroring iOS games to my Apple TV 2. The limitation has always been controls. If Apple integrates either Kinect –like features or and external remote. I may be sold!

Update: Valve co-founder Gabe Newell has said that Tim Cook never visited his company, but, according to Cult of Mac sources, Apple is still working on a Kinect-like video game console:

The company’s plans are always subject to change, but gaming for the upcoming television is definitely on the table right now.

[via: Cult of Mac]

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

You may also want to read:
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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!

At the event held today in San Francisco, Apple announced the new, third-generation Apple TV. It supports full 1080p video playback, comes with a simpler, redesigned, icon-based user interface and runs on Apple single-core A5 chip (as opposed to A4 in Apple TV 2 and A5X in iPad 3).

The updated Apple TV features 1080p programming including iTunes movies and TV shows, Netflix, Vimeo, photos and live sports from MLB, NBA and NHL in HD. Apple has expanded its iTunes in the Cloud functionality in iCloud, giving users the ability to access purchased movies and TV shows right from iCloud on the Apple TV. With iCloud, you can now buy movies and TV shows on Apple TV and watch them on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC.

Apple also announced that second generation Apple TV users can install the new Apple TV user interface via a free software update, available today. Still, third generation Apple TV is required to play 1080p video.

Following the new Apple TV unveiling, Netflix has announced that, starting today, users can sign-up for Netflix directly on the Apple TV and pay via an iTunes account. Also, with the new third generation Apple TV, users will be able to watch movies and television streaming on Netflix in 1080p high definition and with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

The new Apple TV will be available next week (Friday, March 16th) for $99. Pre-orders start today.

You may also want to read:
All you need to know about the new, third-generation Apple TV (updated)
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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!

While the whole world is already waiting for a long-rumored Apple TV set, and while the Cupertino-based company is struggling to cut content-delivery deals with media companies, tomorrow Apple will probably only reveal an updated, third-generation Apple TV set-top box – just a foretaste of what Apple’s reinvented TV will be like.

The new Apple TV (Apple TV 3?) is said to include Bluetooth 4.0 capability and a faster processor required to stream rumored upcoming 1080p iTunes content. But hey, you won’t revolutionize the TV with Bluetooth and a faster chip! So, what are the game-changing features Apple has added to its updated set-top box to conquer the TV market?

Here is a full list of what we can expect from the new Apple TV:

• It will be controlled by iPad 3: Forbes’ contributor Anthony Wing Kosner thinks the iPad3 could be the “World’s Greatest Remote Control” for the Apple TV, with features like multi-channel previewing, multi-angle selection, unified media viewing and social media integration;
• It will include Bluetooth 4.0 technology: 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman speculates that low-power Bluetooth 4.0 technology could bring a bunch of new input devices to Apple TV: Bluetooth remote with a built-in noise-canceling microphone to take Siri commands or some sort of touchscreen game controller – like a standalone version of the iOS Remote app. With the FM Radio chip in the new Apple TV, Apple could theoretically include radio streaming support;
• It will include faster processor: possibly a variation of the dual-core A5 chip;
• It will run the Hulu Plus app natively: 9to5mac has gotten word that “inside Apple there are Apple TVs running the Hulu Plus app natively. The app is feature complete and ready to roll out to Apple TV users on current builds”;
• It will integrate Siri: According to Globe and Mail, Rogers and Bell, Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, already have the product in their labs: it reportedly integrates Siri, Apple’s voice-recognition software, to help viewers make programming choices;
• It will be controlled by hand gestures: the same sources claim the new Apple TV can be controlled by hand gestures;
• It will have apps (channels-as-apps): The Guardian’s Jean-Louis Gassée believes that “to gain acceptance, the Apple TV ecosystem will have to offer a library of entertainment apps tailored for TV”, just like MLB.tv app for Apple TV;
• It will become a game console: Developer Michael Gile predicts that “Apple TV will be the most successful game console in history.” He revealed that he’s working on porting Wolfenstein 3D and Quake over to the Apple TV’s system;
• It will support iCloud: According to WSJ, it’s possible Apple will allow you to record live TV and save the shows to iCloud;
• It will be available on March 7^th or 8^th: Today, MacRumor discovered that the current model is not available in 98 percent of Apple stores in the US. While trying to order Apple TV 2, MacTrust discovered that the earliest shipping date for the stock was 8 March 2012. According to The Verge, at all of the stores where the device is out of stock, availability is listed as starting on or after March 7^th.

The Verge has more news on the forthcoming Apple TV:

We’re told that it will have 1080p capabilities, and will work in conjunction with the iPad and other Apple devices to deliver new video streaming / mirroring functionality (which will also fall inline with new Mountain Lion features).

Apple will update both the new Apple TV and the iPad 3 not with the rumored, quad-core A6 system-on-a-chip, but rather the A5X, a dual-core SoC said to have a more powerful GPU. From what we’re hearing, it’s basically an A5 on steroids.

Update #2: 9to5Mac reports they’ve gotten some pricing information on the new Apple TV model:

The Apple TV J33 model, MD199LL/A – J33 BEST -USA, will come in at the same $99 price point (and similar prices globally).

You may also want to read:
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New Apple TV will be announced on March 7th
Giveaway: Win a free copy of AirParrot for Apple TV 2
AirPlay Mirror your Mac’s screen to Apple TV with AirParrot

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!