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

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

With friends like AirParrot, who needs a jailbreak for the Apple TV 3? You are able to stream movies, watch TV, run XBMC, play music, and watch home videos – all on your Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3, without any hacking whatsoever. AirParrot is a fantastic little package that enables your Macs running 10.6.8 and up and your Windows machines running XP and up to AirPlay its screen to Apple’s little hockey puck. Yes people, Windows machines! Now we can take full advantage of these Apple TV’s, especially those 3rd generation units that are still, patiently, awaiting a jailbreak.

Now, obviously Windows and Macs have been missing out on the AirPlay fun over these past few years. That is until Apple recently added this exact functionality – AirPlay Mirroring - to its latest OS release Mountain Lion. That said AirPlay Mirroring is only available on certain machines and what about those of us who do not intend to upgrade or own Windows machines? Well, AirParrot is here as a digital savior to us all.

The GOOD

1)  Unlike so many applications out there, AirParrot works right when you install it. There was not a set up, no trying to adjust a million little settings that are far outside my realm of understanding. I just clicked the download link, installed, and was streaming my Mac to the Apple TV in a matter of moments!

2)  I love that fact that the audio streams to the Apple TV as well. You can actually choose where your sound is going: computer speakers or the Apple TV connected television (with dolby digital surround sound perhaps). This program can really make you forget you are using a computer, and with the help of a iOS remote you can forego the mouse and keyboard all together.

3)  I was able to stream video, in fullscreen, without stutters and/or freezes. This has not always been the case with this application. The AirParrot team has done some fantastic updates to get us where we are today.

4)  When you do decide to play with the settings, they are easy to understand. Everything was very self explanatory.

The BAD?

1)  There was only one thing I found wrong with my time using this program, and it was easily fixed. When I first installed AirParrot I attempted to stream a movie right away. This caused my television screen to stutter and everything began to slow way down. I then checked the settings and saw that I was streaming in 1080p to my Apple TV 2. Once I adjusted the picture quality I was sending to the television, everything smoothed out and I was watching The Daily Show in no time. Shout out to #JonStewart!

The UGLY TRUTH

In the end, AirParrot is a great option for work or entertainment, the home or office, the shed or your bathroom. It opens up a world of possibilities to your laptops and desktop computers. For me, I am all things XBMC and and therefore I am all things media, so my interest was in streaming movies, shows, and music and AirParrot handled it all. I then ran PowerPoint, Keynote, Chrome, and even iMovie: AirParrot knocked it out of the park. You haven’t lived until you have edited a movie on a 55 inch screen.

If you are one of the millions of owners of an Apple TV 3, I cannot see why you would not download and install AirParrot today. Load it on the computer in the other room, download a free iOS, or Android, or Windows 7 (soon to be 8) remote control for your computer, sit in the living room, and watch TV as if it your device had a glorious jailbreak. I did it, and so can you.

AirParrot is available from here with a single machine license for $9.99 USD and a 5-machine license for $29.99 USD. 10 minutes trial version is also available.

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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)

You may also want to read:
Source unveils design and features of Apple HDTV
How to control your Apple TV with any third-party remote control
FireCore: Work is underway on Apple TV 3 jailbreak and Apple TV 2 5.0 untethered jailbreak
How to install IceFilms on your jailbroken Apple TV

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!