Apple TV Top App Charts - United States

Apple TV Top App Charts - United States :

iheartapple2:

Finally a way to view top Apple TV apps without actually using the Apple TV.

Not sure this is necessary. But perhaps a sign of a new buy any app anywhere App Store?

via Tumblr http://bit.ly/1KKXacI

iheartapple2: How to Get the Most Out of Siri on Your New Apple...

iheartapple2:

How to Get the Most Out of Siri on Your New Apple TV

Seriously worth a read.

via Tumblr http://bit.ly/1meHxPa

staff: The perfect gift: It’s TUMBLR TV for the new Apple TV,...

staff:

The perfect gift: It’s TUMBLR TV for the new Apple TV, and it does exactly what you think it does. Here’s what it does: It shows millions of GIFs on your TV. It makes your living room a wonder to behold. Welcome to heaven. Have a good holiday!

To get TUMBLR TV for your TV, just search for “Tumblr” in the Apple TV App Store. To watch it on the web, click here.

Why?

Don’t get me wrong, I love the new TV. It’s absolutely the future of television, and apps are great. But what business does tumblr have being on the TV? This is stupid.

via Tumblr http://bit.ly/1Kk4dU6

Apple Said to Suspend Effort to Develop Live TV Service

Apple Said to Suspend Effort to Develop Live TV Service:

iheartapple2:

Apple TV is no different from any other streaming device without a live TV service. What a shame! I had such high hopes for this device.  

I still love my Apple TV - best streaming box on the market. TV streaming would be cool, but honestly basically everything I want to watch is streamable now, including sports.

via Tumblr http://bit.ly/1Rpa7LL

parislemon: iheartapple2: Watch the new Apple TV’s beautiful...

parislemon:

iheartapple2:

Watch the new Apple TV’s beautiful aerial screen savers ahead of release later this month. 

These are great.

Only Apple.

via Tumblr http://bit.ly/1le9aYp

Why Apple Needs to Re-think Disallowing Game Controller Requirement on Apple TV

The new Apple TV.

It's actually a really great set top box. It's probably the best one on the market, honestly. Putting an Apple powered App Store onto a streaming box was definitely a long time coming, and I'm so glad that it happened.

What's great about apps? Well, you know, apps.
No, seriously, developers being able to put their streaming services onto Apple TV without being blessed by Apple, or working out special deals, or sacrificing their first born children like they had to do before is great.

Also games - games are really great on Apple TV. In the week and a half that I've had it, I've played more than my fair share of Crossy Road, Asphalt 8, Oceanhorn, Xenowork, Galaxy on Fire, Breakneck and other games. They're excellent (you should definitely check them all out), and I want more. Game controllers, as well as the Siri remote work really well, and there's something about games being on my TV that makes them feel more serious - more real.

Games were a huge part of the Apple TV launch spiel. And they have a brilliant future. Taking mobile, casual games more seriously is a huge market that everyone has been trying to tap for a while now. Remember Ouya?

There's only one problem, though: there are games that I dreamed about playing since the rumors of an App Store on Apple TV started going around. Games like N.O.V.A, Dead Trigger, Modern Combat, Shadowgun, Lego Star Wars, Midnight Star, FIFA, Afterpulse, Minecraft, and others are excellent on iOS and would be amazing on a big screen with a controller.

Unfortunately, this is not currently possible, even though I'm sure the developers are interested. Apple requires that all apps on the Apple TV App Store be able to work with just the Siri remote. Apps can utilize game controllers, which is a really good choice, but they cannot require (or essentially require through nerfing usability without) a controller.

What this ends up meaning is that apps with more complicated control schemes, such as first person games, shooters, and 3D world based games are simply not possible. This is really unfortunate, because it means that great games on iOS that belong on the TV cannot be on Apple TV.

This would be one thing if nobody else was doing third party games on set top boxes, but Android TV is doing just that. They happen to have Modern Combat 4 in particular featured in their TV store. Apple TV is the best media streamer (unless you are 100% YouTube + Google Play or all Amazon streaming [but now that's Google and Amazon's fault, not Apple's]) but it can't be called the best mobile game on TV box on the market right now.

Yes, I understand that this adds complications to the App Store, and users are generally bad at complications. However, I still think this is something that could be dealt with for the better gaming end. Also, Apple could either pop up warnings before you purchase a game requiring a controller, or could only display controller games if you've connected a controller to the TV before.

Am I the only one bothered by this? Let me know what you think in the comments. And if any of you have connections at Apple, please send this feedback their way.

Update: Checking out Apple's TV App Store again reveals that Guitar Hero Live is actually able to require a "bluetooth accessory," which is of course their guitar controller. This can be shown is this poorly shot photo of my TV because I don't have a USB-C cable to use to take a screenshot. 

So, apparently, at least if you are a certain developer, or perhaps only if your controller is not a normal gamepad, you can require it for use of the app. But officially policy is still to not allow MFi controllers to be required to play a game. Hopefully this requirement gets lifted.

iheartapple2: Bring those beautiful new Apple TV screen savers...

iheartapple2:

Bring those beautiful new Apple TV screen savers to your Mac.

This is cool.

via Tumblr http://bit.ly/1N6Pb9h

Apple "Spring Forward" Event Reactions

My immediate reactions to the news of the Apple event that happened today, 3/9 happened over on Twitter, because that's where I was getting the news from (I had class during the event). I compiled them here for your perusing, including links to the tweets. Be sure to check out my full Twitter feed for all of my retweets as well.

Apple Watch is going to be important for the future of #Apple, smartwatches, and tech in general. #SpringForward
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

In typical fashion, Apple's defining a category: "Brands had no interest in smartwatch apps until the Apple Watch" http://t.co/A3mF6xsf0g
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

Apple Pay is spreading to Coca-Cola vending machines, and that's awesome: http://t.co/gRqmNnITpX
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

The new MacBook looks awesome and I want one in space grey: http://t.co/1V4BErFmSa
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

RT @sokane1: "TIL lots of people didn’t read this: "What the Tech World Doesn't Understand About Fashion” http://t.co/6DgdNMctkM"
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

The MacBook port fiasco strikes me as the same chirps we heard about the missing optical drive on the original Air. Who uses disks now?
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

To be fair, Apple's past dropping of I/O's have come earlier than others, but in every case they have been right in predicting market trends
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

We're 1, maybe 2 years away from basically only needing physical I/O for power. In the meantime, it's still very much a power user feature.
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

Let's not forget that Apple sells a laptop for people who *need* a portable notebook with more power and more ports - the 13" MacBook Pro
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

Even if you don't like Apple, you have to admit that ResearchKit is bold, innovative, and incredible. http://t.co/7j37fo8wCI
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

In case anyone cares, my Apple Watch will be the Sport variety and have a neon green band.
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

It's not that I think the others are too expensive, I just prefer my watches to have a matte finish, and I like the fluoroelastomer band.
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

I don't like the look of yellow of rose gold on myself. But I definitely see Edition being worth it to people who can afford it & like gold
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

I'm totally digging the drop in Apple TV pricing. Wonder whether it means a future update or if it's to better compete with Roku/Chromecast
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

Either way, Apple TV is now an even more compelling offer if you own even 1 Apple device. Or if you want HBO without a cable subscription.
— Erik Peterman (@InternetOfErik) March 9, 2015

Let me know what you thought of the event in the comments. Also, let me know if you like this kind of post, or if I should go back to longform writing.

Also, I will leave you with this:

Hashtag can’t innovate anymore, my ass
— Marco Arment (@marcoarment) March 9, 2015

Apple needs to overhaul Apple TV in 2015

Here it goes - I'm calling it:

This year, 2015, we have to see an update to Apple TV. This update must be both in hardware and in software. 

The hardware can come either in the form of an updated set top box, or our can be the long rumored full-on Apple Television we've been hoping for. What it looks like essentially doesn't matter. What matters is that it will have an A8 system on a chip and 1-2 GB of RAM minimum. The A8X from iPad Air 2 wouldn't be a bad thing, though. 

The software could definitely use a more modern face-lift, but that's not the most important thing for now. What we absolutely need to see is an App Store so that developers can take advantage of the space. What makes any product, but Apple products in particular, great is what they enable you to do with them. An app ecosystem open to developers is vital to this, and is the biggest reason we've seen iOS and Android take off in recent years. And yes, this App Store likely means games on Apple TV (because it certainly means the potential for games: and where there's potential, there are apps taking advantage of that potential). 

The only way around these upgrades is for Apple to do something like they are doing with CarPlay, where the device responsible for AirPlay-ing to Apple TV handles the processing, and Apple TV just acts as a wireless display adapter. Or, Apple could come up with some other crazy, Apple-style optimizations and blow our minds. Essentially, the hardware needs to get more powerful, the OS needs to get easier to run, or our iPhones/iPads/Macs need to be offloading the computing from the device.

But of course, it's possible none of these update will happen. The consequence for these updates not happening is that Apple TV will fail to remain relevant in the streaming/set-top-box world. Playing the AirPlay card to justify Apple TV's superiority has worked so far, but Android 5.0 has achieved this ability with Chromecast, so it's not as cut and dry of an argument as before. 

So, I'm calling it: we will see a major update to Apple TV this year, or it will fade into obscurity. Apple TV can no longer afford to be Apple's hobby device.

Do you think we'll see an Apple TV update this year? How will that manifest? Do you even care about Apple TV anymore? Do you even care about set-top boxes or streaming devices anymore? Let me know in the comments. 

Apple announcement thoughts

I wasn't particularly overwhelmed by the iPad/Mac announcement by Apple this month. I also was not underwhelmed, per-se. I suppose you could say, in the famous words of Jon from Front Page Tech, I was simply "whelmed."

I think iPad Air 2 is a logical upgrade from iPad Air, and it looks really nice in a lot of ways. I appreciate that Apple is really trying to save the tablet and define a role for it.

The iMac with Retina 5K display is super killer, and I think it was something that Apple had to announce. They've been catching a lot of flack recently for not improving the screens on iPhone to HD quality. While I will still argue that that spec doesn't matter, this was a little jab back that Apple can still build the best display in the industry.

I was most disappointed by what I didn't see, though, not what I did see. Apple missed a great opportunity today to nip the Nexus Player in the bud by at least announcing an Apple TV update with voice search and an open app ecosystem (with games). And they didn't take that opportunity. Voice search is hard, yes, but I think that their Siri system would be good enough for the task. Even just using Siri dictation to perform the search would be better than typing. Opening up the app ecosystem is something that Apple is going to have to do if they want to stay competitive in the TV space, though.

One reason for avoiding the game announcement could be that it will not rival console quality, and Apple is about experience, not features. The lack of app support is still surprising, though. Another issue that they could be working for is that the hardware in Apple TV boxes is pretty old compared to modern iOS devices, so the experience would be pretty poor, even if developers made significant optimizations.

In general, I guess, it just seemed to me that Apple gave us everything that we were expecting, and nothing more. And it doesn't look like there's anything else that might come of it. I'm excited by Google's announcements, though, because there's huge potential for more to come when developers get on board (if developers get on board).

But those are just my thoughts. Let me know what you think in the comments below.