The Apple TV, which has recently taken the number one spot of top-sellers in the TV and Video category on Amazon, is experiencing a surge in sales in recent months (Apple sold five million units in fiscal 2012) and developers like Splitmo, makers of Air Show, a photo sharing and editing tool for iPad and iPhone via HDTVs, are taking notice.
“We are excited about how popular Apple TV has become as a way to enjoy content without paying high cable bills,” says Rob Witman, founder at Splitmo. “And we are taking it a few steps further. We are focused on letting customers enhance their devices and use their HDTV and iPad for a shared video and entertainment experience. Companies like us see an opportunity to create very cool experiences to share on the big screen using platforms like Apple TV.”
Cerebral Gardens is a developer that leverages Air Play’s dual screen capabilities with their Party Doodles app for iOS.
“Apple’s AirPlay technology opens the door to all kinds of innovative app ideas that aren’t possible on other platforms,” says Dave Wood, president at Cerebral Gardens. “Being able to wirelessly connect a big HD screen to a mobile device enables developers to create a much more immersive experience for their customers.”
Whether it’s multi-player games like Firemint’s Real Racing 2 HD, which offers a split-screen gaming experience from iPad to HDTV, or MetalStorm: Wingman from Z2Live that features seamless Air Play compatibility, an ecosystem of games and tools is emerging around Apple TV.
Witman says that Splitmo has a few additions to Air Show in the works like stickers, art and freehand (you can already share your HDTV-edited photos through the app on Facebook and Twitter). Splitmo is also rolling out some mobile to HDTV products in the coming months that will add to the growing array of offerings that enhance the Apple TV experience for customers, he adds.
Splitmo is located in North Carolina and is privately held. For more information, visit www.splitmo.com .
