With the successful launch of the iPhone 3GS last spring and a new version of OS X and a new crop of iPods expected this fall, one player in Apple’s lineup seems to have gone missing, namely Apple TV. On Apple’s financial conference call, the device that Steve Jobs once described as “a hobby” was not mentioned once. I hope Apple hasn’t given up on this category as there’s a lot of value and function in Apple TV that has yet to make it into other products in this space.
An update has been released for the Apple TV media streamer, adding AirTunes streaming, more remote control flexibility and playlist compatibility. Firmware version 2.3, detailed here, consists of four main improvements, key among which is the ability to stream music from the media device to either other Apple TV units or Airport Express speakers.
Apple has quietly updated both iTunes and AppleTV overnight, introducing mainly bug-fixes for both products but also adding Genius intelligent playlist creation to their set-top box. The iTunes update, which takes the app to v8.0.1, cures a particularly annoying bug whereby high-definition episodes of TV shows were replaced with standard-definition copies.
SlashGear Japan
