Air Video

Breaking down the top 10 best social, productivity, video, music, and other apps and games for your new iPhone

Did you or someone you know just get a brand new iPhone or iPod touch, and are wondering which are the top 10 very best, most must-have apps and games you absolutely need to jump into the App Store and download now, now, now? Well, you're in luck -- whether you want to show off the beautiful Retina display, test the power of the dual-core Apple A5 processor, need to get things done, or just want to have some fun, TiPb's top 10 have got your back! As part of our ongoing iPhone new users guide, here are our top 10 favorite, most highly recommended iPhone apps to get you started!

Last night I sat down with my iPhone running iOS 4.3, tapped on the freshly updated version of Air Video, connected to my Mac Pro running the beta version of Air Video server, cued up some AVI and MKV files, and streamed them flawlessly to my Apple TV via iOS 4.3's AirPlay. My iPhone wasn't Jailbroken. My Apple TV wasn't Jailbroken. But with a huge geeky grin plastered on my face I was finally watching all those old home videos and DVD rips that were never before supported, in any way, by Apple and their luddite Hollywood licensors.

iOS 4.3 might be a minor update in many ways but it's also a game changer for Apple and iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users. It turns every one of those devices into a media server (AirPlay) and viewing client (Home Sharing or apps like Air Video) at the same time. And it cuts the tether of iTunes and the shackles of sync to do it.

That an iPad or iPhone had to be the intermediary was cumbersome, that the setup required an on-PC server component was complex, but it was all doable and once done it just worked. If you want to try it out, follow on after the break.

TiPb checks out the best, most must-have apps to load up as soon as you get your new iPad

Just get a new iPad and curious which are the best, most must-have apps and games you need to install first? Want to really show off that 9.7-inch screen or take advantage of multitasking? Well read on for TiPb's top 10 most recommended, most must-have iPad apps to get your started.

Air Video, a fantastic app that can transcode and stream video content from your Windows PC or Mac straight to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, has just been updated to include support for multitasking and Retina display. 

Your Windows PC or Mac needs a small piece of software installed to communicate with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad but once setup you can stream native iOS video content (MP4 and M4V) instantly to your device (rather than having to sync it over first via iTunes). Air Video will convert non-supported video formats (AVI, MKV, etc) and either store them for later streaming or stream them on the fly so you can watch now rather than waiting for later.