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Latest Apple TV Update Addresses Download, Resolution Issues

Apple released iOS 4.2.1 for Apple TV 2nd gen last night, which is labelled as “4.1.1” in the device’s built-in software update checker tool. The OS was a 267MB download on Apple’s servers, and that lead us to think that it was mainly aimed at fixing a few bugs found in the previous build.

According to a support document on Apple’s website, the 4.1.1 update fixes issues related to resolution and download of movies and TV shows.

TV resolution fix: Addresses an issue that causes some high-definition TVs to incorrectly display at 480p.

Download fix: Addresses an issue that may cause a movie or TV show to be re-downloaded.

As we reported last night, the 4.1.1 update doesn’t seem to provide a fix for the “color issues” with certain Sony and Philips televisions.

Toshiba Denies Rumors Of Apple’s Interest In Toshiba Mobile Display

Yesterday we reported that, according to the Nikkei business daily, Toshiba was building a $1.19 billion factory “mainly to supply to Apple Inc’s iPhones”. That’s quite a statement, as it would imply that Cupertino is somehow interested in expanding its mobile display supply chain.

Digitimes has posted a follow-up to the story:

Toshiba has denied rumors that Apple will invest in the new production plant of its small- to medium-size panel subsidiary, Toshiba Mobile Display (TMD).

Panel makers indicated that the rumors could make sense because of limited capacity for LTPS in the market, as well as the possibility to develop AMOLED solutions by leveraging the LTPS production line.

Expect more to come up in the next weeks.

Apple Releases iOS 4.2.1 For Apple TV

As reported by MacRumors, a few minutes ago Apple released a software update for the Apple TV. The build is 8C154 and it’s labelled as iOS 4.2.1 for Apple TV second generation. This is a direct link to the update, courtesy of iOS E Lite. As you can see, it’s a 267MB download.

The update is also available through the Apple TV’s built-in software update checker. A changelog for the new OS hasn’t been provided yet, nor is the update online on Apple’s download website.

In spite of the update file being registered as “iOS 4.2.1” on Apple’s servers, the Apple TV reports “4.1.1” as the new installed OS. The same happened on November 22 when Apple released iOS 4.2.1 for iPhone and iPad and announced the availability of iOS 4.2 for the new Apple TV, although the built-in updater tool reported 4.1 as being installed.

According to early reports on Apple’s discussion boards, the update hasn’t fixed the color issues reported by several Philips and Sony TV owners.

Read more

OK Go’s New Video Takin’ It To The Streets

On November 17, OK Go took to the streets of Los Angeles for a GPS parade with hundreds of loyal fans and an app called  The Pulse of the City. Why? Because OK Go loves high-concept music videos and for this one they wanted and outdoor concert & to spell out their name (see header image) ON the streets.

The Pulse of the City app allows users to visualize their tracks via GPS, so OK Go “wrote” their name across the LA cityscape while performing a concert along an eight-mile route in the shape of the band’s name. (video and road visual of the parade after the break) Read more

Microsoft Update for Office 2011 Improves Stability

For students and busy bees sporting Microsoft Office 2011, a 110.5 MB update just hit the pipes. Microsoft’s AutoUpdater should catch the latest update, which improves stability when opening Microsoft documents from third party applications, and fixes issues that caused Outlook to previously crash. You can find a direct link to the update at Microsoft’s Download Center, and you can find more information pertaining to the December 13th update at Microsoft Support.

Toshiba Is Building A $1 Billion Factory To Make Apple Displays

Reuters is reporting that, according to the Nikkei business daily, Toshiba will build a $1.19 billion factory (that’s 100 billion yen) to make LCD panels, “mainly to supply to Apple Inc’s iPhones”.

The company’s wholly owned unit, Toshiba Mobile Display Co, will construct the facility in Ishikawa prefecture and the plant will churn out low-temperature polysilicon LCD panels, which allow for high-resolution images, the paper said.

Work on the plant will start by early next year, with the production due to begin in the second half of 2011, Nikkei said.

Could this mean that Apple is moving away from its current suppliers of LCD panels, or are they simply looking for other ways of getting the panels into the production chain? Reuters is reporting that Toshiba will “mainly” supply to Apple, which lead us to think that the manufacturer will also make displays for, say, Android or Windows Phone 7 devices.

So is Apple looking for exclusivity or just more manufacturers?

“iTunes 12 Days Of Christmas” Website Goes Live In Europe

Just like every year since 2008, Apple is having a special Christmas promotion on the iTunes Store. Ever day from December 26th to January 6th, users will be able to download a “fantastic selection of songs, music videos, apps, books, TV episodes and a film” completely for free on iTunes. This year’s “iTunes 12 Days Of Christmas” website went live in Europe a few hours.

You can check out the UK version (which was unavailable until today) here. Read more

aTV Flash Beta 2 for Apple TV Available, Adds 4.1 Support

ATV Flash is an excellent application for jailbroken Apple TVs that adds a browser, Last.fm integration and extends the media playback capabilities of Apple’s tiny black device. The latest update to the app, beta 2, which was released yesterday, adds a number of improvements and fixes and introduces support for iOS 4.2.1 – known as 4.1 for Apple TV owners.

The developers say that aTV Flash is perfectly compatible with the latest OS, even if a untethered jailbreak still isn’t available for iOS 4.2.1 / 4.1. If you don’t want to jailbreak your Apple TV with the current tethered redsn0w jailbreak, feel free to wait for the Dev Team to ship a better solution as, anyway, support for the latest software update is built into aTV Flash beta 2.

aTV Flash is available here. Check out the full changelog below. Read more