The new Apple TV has a lot of promise, thanks to its ability to run third-party apps. As more developers wrap their heads around how to write (and play)Apple TV gaming apps, it could become a more compelling purchase. One such developer is Happy Labs, which makes a few such Apple TV apps, including Happy Swordplay ($2.99).
By Conner Carey
So you bought an Apple TV; now what? There are countless streaming network subscriptions, but what if you want to play a movie or song from your iTunes library? Welcome to Home Sharing. Using Wi-Fi and your Apple ID to connect your devices, Home Sharing makes it easy to watch the videos you own (or made) right on your TV screen.
By Jim Karpen
Everyone who has wondered how to get Starz without cable can now rejoice. The premium cable channel is now available as a standalone service, joining similar offerings from HBO and Showtime that launched last year. The service is less expensive, at $8.99 a month, compared to $10.99 for Showtime and $14.99 for HBO. In addition, it allows you not only to stream movies and shows but also download them — which makes it unique among the premium services. Note, however, that Starz doesn't stream its programming live, instead making all of its content on-demand.
By Jim Karpen
The fourth-generation Apple TV has been quite popular, and it's likely that in some households it's being used by multiple individuals, each with their own iTunes account. Fortunately, this new model lets you add each person's Apple ID. Then when someone wants to use the Apple TV to access their media, it's simply a matter of switching accounts.
One of the things that confused me on the Apple TV was when the music I was listening to kept playing even after I closed the app and began navigating to other apps. I would then navigate back to the Music app and stop it from playing. As you might expect, there is a simpler way to do this.
You can use Siri to control Apple TV settings on your 4th generation Apple TV, and this is especially useful if you want to reduce a movie's background sounds. This feature of Apple TV not only makes the dialog more audible, but also reduces the chances that you'll disturb your neighbors.
By Conner Carey
We all sat around the table as Tim Cook made his closing remarks saying, “this can’t be the end. It’s only been an hour. Is that it?” Beginning at 10 a.m Pacific Time, the Apple Spring Event was exactly what the rumors predicted with a couple unexpected features. Tim Cook began by addressing the ongoing controversy between Apple and the FBI stating, “we did not expect to be in this position, at odds with our government,” but, “We will not shrink from this responsibility.”
As we move further into the era of cord-cutting, with streaming replacing cable TV, some of the options can get a bit confusing. HBO, for example, offers both HBO Go and HBO Now. Showtime has both a Showtime app and a Showtime Anytime app. Amazon Prime is also a popular service for streaming movies and shows, and we'll look at that option as well. In general, these services are trying to make themselves available on as many devices as possible.
By Todd Bernhard
One of the best featutes of the new Apple TV is the Siri Remote. Navigating through apps and content is a lot easier when you can talk to your TV via the remote. Plus the remote has gyroscopic sensors so it can double as a game controller. But it's also quite small and, if you have a black couch like I do, it's easy to lose. If that happens, you'll want a replacement, but you might be shocked to learn that it costs $79. That's more than the previous generation Apple TV.
By Jim Karpen
I've been using my new Apple TV for several days now and have found the interface to be quite intuitive. However, I quickly discovered there are a lot of tips and tricks that make it even better. Here's a comprehensive roundup.
Now that Apple's September event is over and I've had a chance to catch a deep breath and take a step back from Apple's infamous "reality distortion" field, I can share some more perspective on Apple's new TV set-top box and what it really means (and doesn't mean) for modern gaming.
If you’ve followed my Game Centered column, you’re likely already familiar with SteelSeries. The company makes some of the best gaming peripherals available for Apple devices and is a brand that I’ve included in my articles numerous times before, with good reason. Whether you are a casual Crossy Road player looking for an affordable but excellent pair of headphones, or a Vainglory gamer on the pro-circuit looking for a high-end pair of headphones, SteelSeries has you covered. The company also specializes in designing game controllers for the iPhone and the iPad, and now it's unveiled its latest controller, the Nimbus, designed specifically to deliver a console-type gaming experience on the new Apple TV. On the day of the Nimbus’ announcement, we interviewed the SteelSeries CEO Ehtisham Rabanni about the controller and his thoughts on the future of gaming.
