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'Airfoil Speakers Touch' Now Available in App Store

lukecro said:
One problem I'm anticipating: Since we can't run background apps on non-jailbroken iPhones/Touches, then I'm guessing that this means we won't be able to run the Airfoil Speakers app at the same time as the iTunes Remote app or the VLC Remote app. This is a real shame, since having full Remote control capabilities would make Airfoil Speakers much more convenient for multi-room audio-streaming usage.
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Just wondering: Why aren't more people using ROWMOTE instead of iTunes Remote, or VLC Remote? It's clearly far superior and it's also a great app launcher. 😕
 
IEatApples said:
Just wondering: Why aren't more people using ROWMOTE instead of iTunes Remote, or VLC Remote? It's clearly far superior and it's also a great app launcher. 😕
Click to expand...

Well, actually, now I feel a bit silly for paying 99 cents for VLC Remote. It's a good app, but the 99-cent Rowmote does indeed look like the superior app; I didn't realize it could control VLC, Eye TV, and Airfoil Video, etc., in addition to iTunes and Front Row. I'll have to give it a whirl!

(Question: Does Rowmote provide as much control over VLC and VLC Playlists as the VLC remote does? Regardless, it looks like I''ll want Rowmote for controlling Eye TV and Airfoil Video, but I'm wondering it'll also serve as a full replacement to VLC Remote, or if its VLC options are more limited.)

Still, even with Rowmote, I'd think that iTunes Remote (http://www.apple.com/itunes/remote/) is worth the download -- it's FREE and the interface is excellent, IMHO. It's no good for anything other than controlling iTunes, but as an iTunes controller it's great; more robust functionality than Rowmote in this specific area, from what I've seen so far (album covers, playlists, Genius, etc.). But I'll have to try out Rowmote some more before being sure. 😎
 
lukecro said:
Well, actually, now I feel a bit silly for paying 99 cents for VLC Remote. It's a good app, but the 99-cent Rowmote does indeed look like the superior app; I didn't realize it could control VLC, Eye TV, and Airfoil Video, etc., in addition to iTunes and Front Row. I'll have to give it a whirl!

(Question: Does Rowmote provide as much control over VLC and VLC Playlists as the VLC remote does? Regardless, it looks like I''ll want Rowmote for controlling Eye TV and Airfoil Video, but I'm wondering it'll also serve as a full replacement to VLC Remote, or if its VLC options are more limited.)

Still, even with Rowmote, I'd think that iTunes Remote (http://www.apple.com/itunes/remote/) is worth the download -- it's FREE and the interface is excellent, IMHO. It's no good for anything other than controlling iTunes, but as an iTunes controller it's great; more robust functionality than Rowmote in this specific area, from what I've seen so far (album covers, playlists, Genius, etc.). But I'll have to try out Rowmote some more before being sure. 😎
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Well, I tried using Rowmote with VLC but it didn't really work…*I could control the sound level and I could choose previous & next, but the pause/play button didn't do much. 🙁 (I believe/hope updates will fix this "soon").

I agree that iTunes Remote is good, and I'm using it as well. 😉

I actually have all these apps to make my "remote controlled environment" complete:

*Air Mouse - To control the mouse.

*iTunes Remote - control iTunes.

*Keynote Remote - control Keynote.

*Rowmote - To control & launch: Front Row, QuickTime (with Full Screen Toggle), iTunes, DVD Player, EyeTV, Keynote, PowerPoint, iPhoto, (VLC), Plex, Finder, etc… 🙂😉

*Jaadu VNC - EVERYTHING! 😀
 
I started using Airfoil Speakers for iPhone. It works great. I can finally listen to a local station with a weak signal in my area by streaming the content through their site.
 
IEatApples said:
Well, I tried using Rowmote with VLC but it didn't really work…*I could control the sound level and I could choose previous & next, but the pause/play button didn't do much. 🙁 (I believe/hope updates will fix this "soon").

I agree that iTunes Remote is good, and I'm using it as well. 😉

I actually have all these apps to make my "remote controlled environment" complete:

*Air Mouse - To control the mouse.

*iTunes Remote - control iTunes.

*Keynote Remote - control Keynote.

*Rowmote - To control & launch: Front Row, QuickTime (with Full Screen Toggle), iTunes, DVD Player, EyeTV, Keynote, PowerPoint, iPhoto, (VLC), Plex, Finder, etc… 🙂😉

*Jaadu VNC - EVERYTHING! 😀
Click to expand...

Yeah, after using Rowmote for the last few hours, I've come to the same conclusion -- it's handy for launching the available apps and for some very basic playback/navigation functionality, but outside of it's core purpose (being a virtual replica of the real Apple Remote) it can be a bit buggy. e.g., when I tried to use it with VLC I was able to play and pause videos, but there was a lag -- and if I tried to do much else, Rowmote would do some very unexpected things, like jumping me through different desktop "Spaces" in OS X when I was just trying to fast-forward a video in VLC. Still, I like the direction they're taking the app -- it's just not as good as I'd hoped.

So, I'll continue to use VLC Remote and iTunes Remote -- but now I'll also keep Rowmote in the arsenal.

I hadn't seen Jaadu VNC before. Thank's for pointing that out. It looks amazing! I've been using the free Mocha VNC Lite, and it's good for the basics -- but it looks like Jaadu takes VNC to the next level. Advanced multi-gesture touchpad support and a VNC client rolled into one?! Sweet. $24.99 is steep, but I'm tempted to try it.

Re: Air Mouse. Do you prefer it to Snatch? I'd read that Snatch was a bit better than Air Mouse for touch-pad-like mouse control. And I've been having fun with the free SnatchTest app and thinking about upgrading to the full version. Although, I was planning on using it more as a remote than as a mouse replacement, so maybe Jaadu VNC is the better app for this as well.

But, oh, how I do digress. This thread is about the new Airfoil Speakers app for the iPhone/Touch. . . . Which I've been testing for the better part of the day. And let me say: It's awesome. Has worked perfectly so far -- syncs with videos, pipes music to every room in my house, etc . . . Haven't found a glitch so far. 😀

The only drawback is, as I'd expected, the lack of built-in remote control within the Airfoil Speakers interface on the iPhone/Touch. Which wouldn't be a problem at all if we could run it as a background app, but as it is it's a little disappointing -- because once you load the app up, there's basically nothing else you can do with your iPhone without having your audio cut off...

It's a very cool trick that Airfoil turns your iPhone into an Airport Express-style streaming audio player; and it does this in an elegant way that takes very little time to set up and I'm using it happily as I type . . . But being able to run it as a background app and/or integrating some remote-control functionality would really make this app a lot cooler.

Tip: Make sure you check your iPhone/Touch "on" in the "Automatically transmit to" section of Airfoil's preferences on your main computer. This will allow you to switch between apps on your iPhone and then automatically have your music/video audio still streaming to your device as soon as you open up the Airfoil Speakers app on your iPhone. If you instead go with the default of "off" for the "Automatically transmit" preference, then you'll have to walk back to your computer and select your iPhone from your Airfoil output options every single time you close/reopen the app on your iPhone.
 
Thanks- I installed airfoli and paid for the license key.

Finally I can listen to BBC Radio's listen Again on my iphone.

I had to select safari in the applications but it works brilliantly. I have my iphone in our logitech speaker base up stairs so we can listen to say The BBC Radio 1 Chris Moyles Show in the morning here in Australia.

Is there any way of setting up a timer on my imac which will start the listen again at a set time so we can use it as a radio alarm clock?????

I agree it needs to be two way so you have some remote control functionality on the iphone but maybe in a later release.

Also i would like to see an alarm clock and sleep timer function so you can use it to wake up and fall asleep to.

BBC Radio is easily the best in the world (well certainly better than US and Australian radio of which I have first hand experience- its dire)
Now hear all these shows when you want anywhere in the world on your iphone and 100 commercial free !!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/

I reccommend Chris Moyles Radio 1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chrismoyles/

Jeremy Vine Radio 2
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/jeremy-vine/


Steve Wright Radio 2
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/steve-wright-in-the-afternoon/

Jo Whiley Radio 1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/jowhiley/

Edith Bowman Radio 1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/edithbowman/

Steve Lamacq Radio 1 and 2 (hear all the new stiff here first before the rest of the world)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007b38j
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/innewmusicwetrust/stevelamacq/
 
one way to listen to listen again at a set time say to wake up at 6-30 am to Chris Moyles wherever you are.

Download alarm clock pro, its not free but there is a 15 day trial.

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/audio/alarmclockpro.html

Configure it to open a web page at the time you want (select all in the hrsmm and date to set every day)

say 6-30AM
then choose the event and choose open a web page. Go to set up and type the URL of the web page to open.

If you go to the BBC listen again consoles book mark it it can open as a web page so you can see its url

Chris Moyles latest show is

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00jrnlr (if you open it his show will play but you need realplayer installed)

so copy that in to the URL.

Then start Airfoil and automatically detect your iphone when you start the iphone airfoil speaker app.

Before you go to bed start airfoil and it will start to stream from your PC or Mac. You won't hear anything but you need to open the connection.

Put your iphone in your speaker dock or make sure its charging. The constant streaming will drain your battery.

Go to bed

At 6-30 am the chris moyles show will open and start playing and stream it to your iphone..

I experimented with it and this works.

I just don't know if they will change the listen again to latest show URL each day though-Ill find out tommorrow.

Just why the Beeb don't allow it on the iphone (the iplayer) outside the UK for Radio only though is beyond me
 
So once this is all setup how do I listen to music from my home mac to my iPhone 3G when I'm away from home? Do you have to be connected to a wifi signal or does it work over the cellular network like Simplify?
 
lukecro said:
I hadn't seen Jaadu VNC before. Thank's for pointing that out. It looks amazing! I've been using the free Mocha VNC Lite, and it's good for the basics -- but it looks like Jaadu takes VNC to the next level. Advanced multi-gesture touchpad support and a VNC client rolled into one?! Sweet. $24.99 is steep, but I'm tempted to try it.

Re: Air Mouse. Do you prefer it to Snatch? I'd read that Snatch was a bit better than Air Mouse for touch-pad-like mouse control. And I've been having fun with the free SnatchTest app and thinking about upgrading to the full version. Although, I was planning on using it more as a remote than as a mouse replacement, so maybe Jaadu VNC is the better app for this as well.
Click to expand...
Well, Jaadu is amazing, and there's hardly any latency, you can even watch video (though a bit choppy) through it! 🙂

Damn! Now I have to buy Snatch! 😀 And yes, it looks better then Air Mouse. 😎

+ I guess I'll have to buy Airfoil as well… 🙄 (merde) 😉
 
lukecro said:
But, oh, how I do digress. This thread is about the new Airfoil Speakers app for the iPhone/Touch. . . . Which I've been testing for the better part of the day. And let me say: It's awesome. Has worked perfectly so far -- syncs with videos, pipes music to every room in my house, etc . . . Haven't found a glitch so far. 😀

The only drawback is, as I'd expected, the lack of built-in remote control within the Airfoil Speakers interface on the iPhone/Touch. Which wouldn't be a problem at all if we could run it as a background app, but as it is it's a little disappointing -- because once you load the app up, there's basically nothing else you can do with your iPhone without having your audio cut off...

It's a very cool trick that Airfoil turns your iPhone into an Airport Express-style streaming audio player; and it does this in an elegant way that takes very little time to set up and I'm using it happily as I type . . . But being able to run it as a background app and/or integrating some remote-control functionality would really make this app a lot cooler.
Click to expand...
Ok, I bought Airfoil & downloaded it (Airfoil Speakers Touch) for my iPhone, but I can't say I'm very impressed, or even happy with it. There are NO controls! NONE! 🙁

Sure, I guess it's good as an "extra Airport Express", but all it does is receive sound!?

@lukecro: What do you mean by: "syncs with videos"? All I got was the sound from the video, and no way to control anything, not even volume! 😕
 
hotpace1 said:
So once this is all setup how do I listen to music from my home mac to my iPhone 3G when I'm away from home? Do you have to be connected to a wifi signal or does it work over the cellular network like Simplify?
Click to expand...

that's the thing... you have to be on your local wifi for this to work, so once you leave home....it won't work over 3G or other wi fi's

cool app, but i live in a one bedroom apartment...not much use for me

i want something like simplify that is just overall better in performance (than simplify).
 
quigleybc said:
that's the thing... you have to be on your local wifi for this to work, so once you leave home....it won't work over 3G or other wi fi's

cool app, but i live in a one bedroom apartment...not much use for me

i want something like simplify that is just overall better in performance (than simplify).
Click to expand...

Totally don't see the excitement in this app then unless you live in Buckingham Palace or something!
 
Nice working little app. Understandably there is latency which leaves it not very practical for audio applications. But if you want a quick way to hear a track through an iphone or something it works. I was just using it with reason fine.
 
I am not sure if its the app or my wifi connection but I get alot of annoying buffer errors (although Simplify never has done this - same computer). Weird!?! But it does allow me to listen to streaming music from Rhapsody though. I so wish there was a Rhapsody app for the iPhone, but I know it will never come because of their agreement with Verizon. That stinks too, unless Apple adds subscription based music to Itunes.
 
Not exactly on topic, but I'll chime in with the others to praise Jaadu. Awesome app. Well worth the price!

Getting on my home Mac when I'm out and about is a great option for certain emergencies (need to email myself a client file, for instance). And it's the ultimate remote control (with screen display turned off) when I'm at home.
 
IEatApples said:
Ok, I bought Airfoil & downloaded it (Airfoil Speakers Touch) for my iPhone, but I can't say I'm very impressed, or even happy with it. There are NO controls! NONE! 🙁

Sure, I guess it's good as an "extra Airport Express", but all it does is receive sound!?

@lukecro: What do you mean by: "syncs with videos"? All I got was the sound from the video, and no way to control anything, not even volume! 😕
Click to expand...

Sorry, I wasn't clear: I mean that by using Airfoil Video Player (and/or tweaking the audio lag in VLC by clicking the F and G keys on your keyboard), you can exactly sync the audio tracks of your videos (playing over wifi via Airfoil) with the video picture that's playing on your main computer. Regrettably, Airfoil can't send the video picture itself. But since they've mostly solved the syncing problem that wifi audio often has (where the lag/buffer in the wifi broadcast causes the wireless audio to go out of sync with the video that's playing on the source computer), it opens up some cool uses for Airfoil Speakers, such as the ability to use your iPhone/Touch as a wireless speaker/headphone setup. e.g., Watch a movie your computer with the audio going through your iPhone instead of external speakers so that you won't disturb other people in your house -- just like plugging headphones directly into your computer, except now you're mobile and can wander around your room or house, lie in bed without having to get an extension cord for your headphones, etc. Or plug the iPhone/Touch/Airport Express into your external stereo system to create some ad hoc surround-sound for your computer.
 
michael.lauden said:
really? like what? besides listening to a movie quietly in the living room while your spouse is sleeping - i can't think of another use... there are pandora apps and such...
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Pandora doesn't help you stream YOUR OWN music. And if you've got 400GB in your iTunes library, you can't sync that to even the 160gb iPod classic. It also lets you listen to internet streams including those you can't listen to natively on the iPhone, such as SiriusXM.

This is GREAT for extending whole-house audio. Take a look at what Airfoil (the desktop app) allows and you'll get the idea. Now not just other Macs and PCs can be remote speakers, but also the iPhone and iTouch.

Now you can carry a portable device and headphones to listen to your whole house audio. Or even carry it outside while you do your yardwork.
 
I think Airfoil is great. I use it to listen to Pandora thru speakers around the apartment. When I listen to my own music, I use iTunes and Airport and play thru the speakers that way. But I'm not really sure what I would do with this app. All I can think of is be mobile and listen to Pandora thru headphones. Am I not getting it?
 
have only downloaded the trial of airfoil so far but am impressed.

tested with spotify and works great! free music piped all over the house!

mac in dining room - airport express in lounge - 1st gen ipod touch connected to stereo in kitchen - iphone roaming!
 
Grasbak said:
have only downloaded the trial of airfoil so far but am impressed.

tested with spotify and works great! free music piped all over the house!

mac in dining room - airport express in lounge - 1st gen ipod touch connected to stereo in kitchen - iphone roaming!
Click to expand...


How are you connecting the touch to the stereo in kitchen?
 
This is awesome! Now I can use any stereo I want like i could with the airport express! I was hoping for something like this. I love Airfoil.
 
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