Apple TV

I have been using my Apple TV for the past couple of weeks, since I received it as a Christmas present. It is the latest product I have in, what has been called, my Apple family, This is a quick review for those of you who may be considering getting one.

On the face of it, the product is really good. Providing you have a wireless broadband connection in your house, it can be extremely useful. You can use it to access online video sites like YouTube and if you have a Flickr account, you can also run a complex slideshow of your work or some of the people you have friended on the site.

In term of your own home videos and music, it is important to know that in order to view these your computer must be on and connected to the home network. You must also have home sharing active and your iTunes software active. If you want to view actual movies, the best way is to purchase them on iTunes at the iTunes store, you can also acquire digital versions from DVDs, where they advertise an iTunes version as being available with the purchase of the DVD. Some BluRay formats now come as triple play formats (this includes BluRay, DVD and iTunes version). It is not possible (at the moment, and probably due to copyright laws) to directly transfer DVDs directly to iTunes. There are plenty of software titles that can transfer DVD to AVI and there are also titles online that can convert AVI to MP4.

What else can you do with the Apple TV? Well if you have an iPhone or iPad, you can use an app called remote. This app was originally developed so that you can control the iTunes software from your chosen device. The advantage of using this app with your Apple TV is that the controller can interfere with any Apple computer or laptop within its range, where as the app is designed to be device specific. The iPhone or iPad’s virtual keyboard can come in handy for password protection functions and with the iPad, you can select a movie or music file by scrolling through the selection.

I will be looking at options that will allow the Apple TV to be used more efficiently in a business environment. I have some thoughts, and will share these with all those who read these blogs. My overall opinion of the Apple TV is its a fantastic tool, and can improve your TV viewing options. I am sure that the future of movie and music purchases will be online, and this device is all set for them.

Snowed in and still able to use my iPad

I’ve now been snowed in Cornwall for 3 days, and if it wasn’t for my iPad I would not have efficiently been able to remotely manage my business. Today I have managed to rearrange customer’s appointments, I have been able to monitor the progress of some of my students and I am now writing this blog.

Granted, I could’ve done this using my iPhone, but the keyboard on the iPad is more manageable and it’s slightly more frustrating dealing with the smaller screen on the iPhone.

It does help to have an Internet connection, though. I own the iPad wifi, and as well as working on it, I have been able to keep up to date on current affair through the news apps, listen to some music and watch some episodes I added before our trip.

For me the iPad has been a lifesaver and has enabled me to achieve some of the things I would’ve needed a laptop for, without the weight or inconvenience.