Hackers run full-screen iPad apps on Apple TV
03 Jan 2012
With a workaround developed by hackers, it is now possible to run full-screen versions of iOS apps for the iPad on a jailbroken Apple TV device.
The hack named mobileX by its developers Steve Troughton-Smith and a developer who goes by the appellation of ''The Mudkip'' published photos and video of the hack, for Apple's set-top box over the weekend.
According to Troughton-Smith, MobileX, a window manager for iOS replaces springboard with the added bonus of letting iPhone and iPad apps run on the Apple TV, in the video. He added "any apps just run and scale up to the 720p resolution adequately."
Industry experts say the hack is probably in its early stages and has to yet released to the public.
To get the utility up and running, the developers first performed the ''Season0nPass'' jailbreak on Apple TV though Apple had cautioned against running unauthorised code and apps on iOS which could void a device's warranty.
Since the Apple TV does not come with a full-featured input method such as a touchscreen, the pair therefore used a combination of Virtual Network Computing (VNC), Secure Shell (SSH) and the Apple Remote to control the device. They added MobileX had a built-in menu that allowed users to "quit apps, launch Safari, connect to Wi-Fi or show multiple apps side by side" from the Apple Remote.
