Apple TV

The Apple TV has been updated to software version 5.1.2, with fixes for a number of security bugs, but the big news in this update is the Hulu Plus app, Which has been completely redesigned.

Earlier this year Apple updated the Apple TV with new internals. There was no press release and no public statement of any kind, just a slightly updated model trickling its way into inventory. Well, MacRumors got their hands on one, took it apart and found what looks to be an even smaller version of the Apple A5 system-on-a-chip. Eric Slivka reports:

Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels has shared how he's deployed and continues to manage over 40 Apple TVs in education:

Apple has posted a recruitment ad on its own site for a Software Engineering Manager specifically for the Apple TV team. It appears that Apple may be getting ready to move the Apple TV from the hobby stage into a full blown can’t do without living room necessity. According to the ad, Apple is seeking someone to deliver the next generation features for Apple TV.

Earlier this week, Nat Brown, one of the original Xbox team members at Microsoft, wrote a piece on the present and future of gaming, and Apple's potential to shape it. From iLike.code:

Earlier today a financial analyst "reported" that Apple would be holding an Apple TV SDK event sometime in March. We didn't link to it because financial analysts have a lousy track record when it comes to Apple predictions, and whomever they're writing for, it's not media and it's not customers, and I couldn't think of a timely enough way to poke fun at it. However, Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, who has an excellent track record on sorting accurate rumors from nonsensical rubbish, has weighed in.

No spoilers, tap/click on over.

HBO Go has been updated to version 2.0, bringing support for Apple's AirPlay feature to the app. HBO Go users can now stream video from any device running iOS 6 to any Apple TV that’s been updated to software version 5.1.1 or later.

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For some users, mainly power users who have all manner of content and workflows crafted, converted, and made convoluted, an Apple TV just isn't computer enough to run their home media empire. For them, a full-on Mac, often a Mac Mini with handy HDMI port, is a far better and more flexible solution. But there's a lot more to setting up a Mac media server than just plugging in cables and pressing play. Luckily, there's also Shawn Blanc: