Apple TV 2G Hacked to Support Wiimote and Bluetooth Keyboard

Remember when jailbroken Apple TV 2G was hacked to run it's first app, a weather widget? Well, here's another developer and hacker by the alias Tom Cool has successfully hacked the 2nd Generation Apple TV to support the use of the Nintendo Wiimote.

Image via Flickr

This would allow WiiMote to communicate over Bluetooth to the Apple TV and bring us a pure Wii-style gaming on the Apple TV 2G. Check the video in action:

Also Mathias Ringwald in collaboration with the iPhone developer Optimo and the creator of Cydia, Saurik have successfully ported the bluetooth stack software BTstack from the iPhone to the Apple TV 2. Check this video of the bluetooth keyboard in action:

Cool, eh? What do you think? How about a hacked Apple TV to support video Airplay? [via TUAW, iClarified]

Plex Arrives to Jailbroken Apple TV

Some hackers could port Plex client successfully on the new iOS based Apple TV. So from now on, after installing Plex on your jailbroken Apple TV, you can technically play any Plex content on your Apple TV (i.e. you can stream media from Plex server to your jailbroken Apple TV 2G.). To be able to do so, you need a jailbroken Apple TV, so you can use our guide posted here to jailbreak Apple TV 2G using PwnageTool then follow the instructions below as written on the forums.

Known Issues
The Software so far is nothing more than a proof of concept, which isn't tested at all. However there are some known issues:
- "Local Servers" screen does only update when you press the up or down button on your remote
- Larger Sections timeout while they are loaded and do never show up
- Only Video playback is working (no music files, no images, no App-Management)
The following explains how you can install (and later on update) the plugin on your (Jailbroken) ATV. Use the software at your own risk and don't blame anyone except yourself if your ATV blows up in the process. Consider this the last warning!!!

Prepare the Media Server
Before you install the actual plugin you need to prepare the Plex Media Server (it needed some tweaks before it would talk to the ATV). Since those changes are considered ‘beta’, you need to tell your PMS to download beta plug-ins, by enetering the following URL in a Safari running on the same machine as the media server: http://localhost:324…s/set?AS_BETA=1
After that start Plex and check for updates in the PlexOnline section.

Enable a higher Quality (optional)
This part is optional, but if you feel like experimenting a lot, you might want to install a testing built of ffmpeg, that enables higher bitrates for the (currently) highest available quality (which is the only quality your ATV will use). This will also increase the image quality on other iOS devices, however you will need a potent Mac for the encoding! So If you still feel like installing use the following two commands in a Terminal on the Mac running your Media Server:

curl http://ambertation.de/downloads/PLEX/ffmpeg > ~/Downloads
/ffmpeg
cp ~/Downloads/ffmpeg ~/Library/Application\ Support/Plex/Plex
\ Media\ Server.app/Contents/Resources/

If you not use this, the plugin will still work, but the image-quality might not be on par with what you expect.

Install the Plugin
First off: you need to Jailbreak your Apple TV. I suggest you use the Pawnage method. For the sake of the following instruction I assume thet the IP-Address of your ATV is 169.10.11.12, and that you can log in using ssh.

- Start your ATV and log in to your ATV using ssh
ssh root@169.10.11.12

It will ask you for your password, which (if you did not change the default) is alpine. (I strongly suggest you change the password using the passwd command!!!)

- In that ssh session, you need to add new cydia sources using

echo "deb http://apt.awkwardtv.org ./" > /etc/apt
/sources.list.d/awkwardtv.list
echo "deb http://www.ambertation.de ./downloads
/PLEX/" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plex.list

- Now update your cydia database using
apt-get update

- Install the plugins (and its dependencies like beigelist by DHowett) with
apt-get install plex-client-plugin

- Restart the GUI and hope that it comes back
killall Lowtide

- If the UI does not come up again, you probably have to restore your ATV!

Here's the video in action:

[via Redmondpie, 9to5mac]

HOW TO: Install Your First App on Jailbroken Apple TV 2G

The other day we told you about the first ever app jailbroken Apple TV 2G app which is called nitoTV. The app currently works as a weather widget and RSS reader. MuscleNerd of iPhone Dev Team has posted on his Twitter account the links to full guides to install nitoTV on jailbroken Apple TV 2G. Check the guide after the jump.

STEP 1: Use PwnageTool to jailbreak your Apple TV, by following the step by step guide posted here.

STEP 2: Once jailbroken, open Terminal and SSH into your Apple TV2, the default password is "alpine"

STEP 3: Type "passwd" and enter a new password (if you haven't already)

STEP 4: Type: echo "deb http://apt.awkwardtv.org ./" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/awkwardtv.list

STEP 5: Type: apt-get update

STEP 6: Type: apt-get install com.nito.nitoTV

STEP 7: Type: killall Lowtide

That's it, now you can enjoy your first ever jailbroken app installed on your Apple TV 2G. Let's wait for more to come!

You Can Install Apps on New Apple TV But You Can't Launch Them

As noticed by Gizmodo, iPhone developer Steven Troughton-Smith has discovered that the new Apple TV which was launched a month ago, allows app installation after modification of the apps required to identify them as compatible with Apple TV. Unfortunately, you can't launch them, you will need a launcher for that.

So hackers and jailbreakers must find out a way to launch them, but after the launch of Google TV's site today, Apple will do soon because they don't have any other choices but to put apps in their TV. For your information, SHAtter exploit already works on Apple TV and could jailbreak it, but still no apps! As usual we will keep you informed about any updates for this one!

You may also like:

• Make FaceTime Calls From Your iPhone 4 to Windows, Mac and Vise Versa with iMovicha
• Twitter CEO Ev Williams is Stepping Down to Focus On Product
• Windows Phone 7 Launch in NYC on October 11th; T-Mobile There Too

Put Apple TV into DFU Mode [How to Guide]

DFU mode (Device Firmware Update) is a special mode where the device can still interface with iTunes. In DFU mode the screen will be totally black. StealthBravo has sent a tweet showing how to put the Apple TV in DFU mode. You will be in dire need of this guide when the jailbreak tool is released, especially the new jailbreak would be throw a custom firmware, as the SHAtter exploit loaded on the PwnageTool to jailbreak the Apple TV 2G.

Requirements:

• microUSB cable.

Apple TV's Micro-USB port

Steps to put Apple TV into DFU mode:

Step 1: Plugin your Apple TV to computer with microUSB.

Step 2: Hold menu + down button together for 6 secs to reboot.

Step 3: Once your Apple TV reboots immediately hold menu + play together until a message appears in iTunes telling you an Apple TV in recovery mode has been detected. [via Twitter]

You may also like:

• Put your iPhone into DFU Mode [How to Guide]
• Why Apple Should Stop Its War Against Jailbreak?
• Apple Bumper May Damage Your iPhone 4.

Apple Updated Remote App for Apple TV

As we expect exactly, Apple has just updated their Remote app, which allows iOS devices to control iTunes and Apple TV using their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad over your Wi-Fi network. From anywhere in your home change a song, pick a playlist or browse through your entire library. With a flick of your finger, you can even control every aspect of the Apple TV user interface.

Features

• Control iTunes and Apple TV, from anywhere in your home
• Pause, rewind, fast forward, shuffle, and adjust the volume from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad
• View album, movie, and TV show artwork
• Create and update Genius playlists
• Create and edit playlists in iTunes
• Search your entire iTunes library
• Control iTunes to send music to AirPlay speakers
• Control the volume on each speaker independently
• Control Apple TV with simple finger gestures
• Enter text with the keyboard
• Even control Shared Libraries on iTunes and the new Apple TV

The app hadn't been updated for nearly a year, but has finally received a 2.0 update that brings support for the iPad, Retina display and new Apple TV

What's New In Version 2.0

• Designed for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
• Optimized for Retina displays and large screen real estate on iPad
• Support for Shared Libraries on iTunes and new Apple TV

Download for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch for free [iTunes Link]

You may also like:

• SHAtter Exploit Will Also Jailbreak the New Apple TV.
• Google Voice Official App for iPhone has been Approved by Apple.
• Jailbreak iPod Touch 4G with SHAtter Exploit [Video]