On the heels of the iOS 5 update for Apple’s lineup of mobile devices, Apple also quietly rolled out an update for the Apple TV. Version 4.4 of the Apple TV operating system offers AirPlay mirroring, the ability to wirelessly mirror content displayed on the iPad 2 or iPhone 4S and view the images or other type of media on a high definition television. Users will also be able to view other applications on the big screen including games like Angry Birds, social media apps like Facebook and general Web browsing through Safari. The update also includes compatibility with the iCloud and owners of the Apple TV can browse through photos on the television via the new Photo Stream application.
The 4.4 update also improves on the Netflix application and offers subtitles for hearing-impaired viewers when available in the content. Apple TV owners now have access to live National Hockey League games as well as highlights and scores of recent games. This adds to Apple’s stable of growing sports applications as the company added access to professional baseball and basketball in version 4.2 of the software. Another inclusion within version 4.4 is free access to the Wall Street Journal. Users can check out financial analysis, recent news and business commentary. Finally, Apple has included three new slideshows for the Apple TV (Photo Wall, Flip-up, and Shifting Tiles) and improved navigation to the Trailers section.
Beyond content, Apple has included a barrage of security updates for the media streaming device. One improvement halts the ability to intercept user credentials or other sensitive information over the network and another fix makes sure a maliciously crafted TIFF image doesn’t crash the Apple TV. Other changes includes more security against remote attackers and halting the ability to decrypt part of a SSL connection. This update brings more new content than the previous update which simply added access to Vimeo.
