Apple Releases tvOS 9.0.1 Update for Apple TV

Apple today released the first update to tvOS, the new operating system that runs on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 9.0.1 is a minor update that likely includes bug fixes and performance updates to address issues discovered since the launch of tvOS on October 30.

The new 9.0.1 update can be downloaded over-the-air through the Settings app on the Apple TV.

tvOS 9.0.1 comes as Apple is testing the first major update to the operating system, tvOS 9.1. Apple has thus far seeded one beta of tvOS 9.1 to developers, with release notes for that beta pointing towards improvements to networking and scrolling. tvOS 9.1 also appears to include support for Siri search for Apple Music.

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New Apple TV Hacked to Run Native tvOS Web Browser

Dutch developer jvanakker has hacked the new Apple TV to run a native tvOS web browser using a private API based on Apple’s UIWebView class, sharing the code on GitHub as a fork of developer Steven Troughton-Smith’s tvOSBrowser project. The demo video below shows Apple’s website running on the fourth-generation box.

The simplistic tvOS web browser allows you to scroll through pages with the Siri Remote, and pressing the center of the touch surface brings up a cursor for clicking. Pressing the Menu button returns you to the previous page, while the Play/Pause button allows you to input URLs in an address bar.

Apple does not allow Apple TV apps to have UIWebViews, so this web browser would not be approved on the tvOS App Store, but the project is a good proof of concept. Apple TV users interested in testing the web browser can sideload the app using Xcode and modify a tvOS file to build it successfully.

Earlier this week, it was discovered that tvOS also includes support for iOS-like folders.

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Apple TV App Store Gains Categories Section for Better App Discovery

Apple appears to have updated the tvOS App Store to add a new Categories section, which should make it easier for new Apple TV owners to discover apps on their devices. Like the iOS App Store, the new Categories section arranges apps into different sections based on purpose, like Games and Entertainment.

First noted by iDownloadBlog on an Apple TV running the new 9.1 tvOS beta, the new Categories section appears to be rolling out to Apple TV users now. We were able to get the Categories feature to show up on an Apple TV running tvOS 9.0 following several device restarts.

Shortly after the Apple TV was released, there were multiple complaints about the state of the tvOS App Store. At launch, the App Store displayed only a list of featured apps, leaving the rest to be discovered through searches. Apple has been improving the tvOS App Store over the past few days, with the Categories section joining a Top Charts section that was added to the App Store on Monday.

Apps that are displayed when selecting the “Entertainment” category

Game and app developers were previously concerned with app discovery on tvOS when the App Store was limited to featured apps, but the inclusion of the Top Charts and the Categories section will go a long way towards bolstering the discovery process.

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New Apple TV Gains Charts for Top Paid, Free and Grossing Apps

The new Apple TV launched on Friday with an all-new App Store, but early adopters were quick to realize that app discovery was limited to a single featured section and a manual search option — unlike the App Stores on iPhone, iPad and Mac, which have several genre-based categories and top charts for apps.

Apple has partially addressed this issue today by adding top charts to the tvOS App Store, listing the top paid apps, top free apps and top grossing apps. Confirming our previous report, games make up the majority of the top spots so far, while apps from content providers such as HBO, FOX and CBS are also popular.

Top Free Apps

1. Rayman Adventures

2. Crossy Road – Endless Arcade Hopper

3. HBO NOW

4. The Nat Geo TV

5. FOX NOW

6. SHOWTIME

7. HISTORY

8. CBS

9. CNNgo

10. Asphalt 8: Airborne

Top Paid Apps

1. Beat Sports

2. Simple X – for Plex

3. Galaxy on Fire – Manticore RISING

4. Does not Commute TV

5. Lumino City

6. Alto’s Adventure

7. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved

8. Battle Supremacy: Evolution

9. CARROT Weather: Talking Forecast Robot

10. Oceanhorn

Top Grossing Apps

1. Beat Sports

2. Galaxy on Fire – Manticore RISING

3. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved

4. Oceanhorn

5. Simple X – for Plex

6. Lumino City

7. Battle Supremacy: Evolution

8. Does not Commute TV

9. Transistor

10. CARROT Weather: Talking Forecast Robot

Restarting your Apple TV or force closing the App Store may be required to view the new Top Charts section. The category may still be rolling out to all users at this time.

Eric Slivka contributed to this report.

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Top Apple TV Apps Revealed With Games Topping the Lists

On Friday, Apple officially launched the fourth-generation Apple TV, which for the first time included an App Store.

While Apple includes a list of featured apps, there are currently no other methods for discoverability, and users can’t browse categories or Top Charts to find other Apple TV Apps that haven’t been explicitly featured.

Currently, the Apple TV App Store only shows what’s featured. If your game isn’t featured, it effectively doesn’t exist. There’s no way to browse genres, top lists don’t exist (this arguably might be a good thing), and finding something that isn’t featured requires typing its name in the search field. Siri search doesn’t work on apps (yet?) so the amount of friction to download a game like Highway Rider which didn’t make the feature cut is not only incredible but also has resulted in three sales. (Well, make that four, as I bought it.)

After some digging, SlideToPlay‘s Jeff Scott discovered that Apple was already publishing Apple TV top lists, even if they weren’t yet exposed anywhere. Scott has now compiled a realtime list of the top overall Apple TV apps as well as individual category lists for both free and paid apps.

At the time of this writing, the overall top 10 apps include:

Top 10 Paid

1 – Beat Sports (Apple TV Only)

2 – SimpleX – for Plex (Apple TV Only)

3 – Galaxy on Fire™ – Manticore RISING (Apple TV Only)

4 – Lumino City (+ Universal)

5 – Alto’s Adventure (+ Universal)

6 – Does not Commute TV (Apple TV Only)

7 – Battle Supremacy: Evolution (+ Universal)

8 – Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved (+ Universal)

9 – Shoot The Zombirds (+ Universal)

10 – Oceanhorn ™ (+ Universal)

Top 10 Free

1 – Rayman Adventures (Apple TV Only)

2 – Crossy Road – Endless Arcade Hopper (+ Universal)

3 – HBO NOW (+ Universal)

4 – The Nat Geo TV (+ Universal)

5 – FOX NOW (+ Universal)

6 – SHOWTIME (+ Universal)

7 – HISTORY (+ Universal)

8 – CNNgo (Apple TV Only)

9 – CBS (+ Universal)

10 – Asphalt 8: Airborne (+ Universal)

Games make up the majority of the top spots in the Top Paid listings, while media apps dominate the Top Free listings. At the moment, Jeff Scott reports there are presently 996 Apple TV apps in the App Store. The full list on SlideToPlay covers the top 200, as well as the breakdown within different categories.

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Apple TV 4 Deliveries Begin as Apple Releases Final tvOS Build and App Store Goes Live

Customers who pre-ordered the Apple TV and opted for one-day shipping have begun receiving their devices in New Zealand, where it is just after 9:00 a.m. local time. Deliveries will begin soon in Australia and countries in Asia, before expanding to Europe and the United States.

Those who pre-ordered their Apple TVs on Monday can expect to begin receiving them at the end of this week and the beginning of next week, as not choosing one-day shipping largely offered delivery estimates of November 2 to November 4.

Apple’s retail stores will also begin selling the Apple TV on Friday, October 30. The first customers in Australia should be able to pick up an Apple TV in the next few hours.

As customers begin receiving their Apple TVs, Apple has officially launched the tvOS operating system for the device to allow those with developer and review units to update to the publicly released version. Following the update to the official tvOS software, users are able to access the App Store and search function to locate and install apps on the device.

Install ALL the apps! pic.twitter.com/19iVyjFjZ7

— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) October 29, 2015

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The Apple TV is available for purchase from the Apple online store. It’s priced at $149 for 32GB storage and $199 for 64GB storage.

(Thanks, Scott!)

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Apple TV Apps: Alto’s Adventure, Crossy Road, Plex and More

With customers around the world beginning to receive their new Apple TVs over the coming days, developers have been busy readying the first apps and games for the set-top box. Below, we have rounded up some of the more interesting tvOS apps that are or will be available through the App Store on the new Apple TV. Some apps are still under review and may not be available immediately at launch.

Airbnb

Airbnb, a website for people to list, find and rent lodging in 190 countries, ranging from a New York City studio apartment to a Tokyo penthouse, has developed an app for the new Apple TV that lets travelers swipe through destinations and lodging choices using the Siri Remote. Airbnb for Apple TV focuses on immersive pictures with limited text. Listings can be synced with iPhone and iPad.

Alto’s Adventure

Snowman has announced that Alto’s Adventure, a beautiful endless runner snowboarding game featuring physics-based gameplay, procedurally generated terrain, fully dynamic lighting and weather effects, six unique snowboarders and more, will be available on the new Apple TV shortly following its launch. The game can be played with a Siri Remote or a third-party controller, and universally supports the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV for $2.99 on the App Store with iCloud syncing.

Crossy Road

Hipster Whale has brought its endless arcade hopper Crossy Road, an Apple Design Award Winner at WWDC 2015, to the new Apple TV. Choose from characters such as Chicken, Mallard, Emo Goose and Giddy Goat, and use the Siri Remote touchpad to dodge cars, leap across logs and jump past fast-moving trains. The popular game is also available on iTunes for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone.

Mr Jump

Mr Jump is a popular platformer runner game where you guide a hero named Mr. Jump as he jumps his way through several increasingly challenging levels in multiple worlds. The new Apple TV version of the game requires the Siri Remote to control your character. Mr Jump is free on the App Store with in-app purchases available.

Ookla

Here's a video preview of our tvOS Speedtest app that should be available shortly on the Apple TV App Store pic.twitter.com/qqrI7TOIX3

— Ookla (@Ookla) October 27, 2015

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsOokla has developed a version of its popular Speedtest tool for the new Apple TV, allowing users to test their Wi-Fi network’s download and upload speeds from their TV set. The app has a simplistic design that displays your internet service provider alongside a scrollable list of servers to choose from. Ookla plans on adopting a similar design for its iOS and Android apps in 2016. Read more