FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.5 with several updates

FireCore announced today that it has released a new version of its popular Apple TV app, aTV Flash (black). The update brings the software to version 1.5, and includes several new additions.

Among the new features is NFS streaming and a revamped media player. And of course there is a laundry list of bug fixes and performance improvements. Full changelog after the break…
■Revamped player with improved performance (AppleTV 4.4 and later)
■Added NFS streaming
■Added Catalan, Czech, Korean and Traditional Chinese translations
■Added support for localized TV show pattern: TV Show/Season #/S##E##.extension
■Added manual subtitle time correction (-10.0s to +10.0s)
■Added support for embedded .FLAC cover art
■Added support for .AC3, .DTS and .MOD files
■Improved .EYETV file handling
■Improved audio synchronization in slow and unstable networks
■Improved slideshow operation with small images
■Improved movie folders detection logic to ignore hidden files
■Improved metadata fetching to support movies split into multiple files (dvd#, cd#, disk#)
■Improved zoom mode operation for non-square pixels
■Improved DVD menu handling
■Improved .OGG file handling (now correctly treated as audio)
■Improved error handling for connection issues
■Improved buffering logic
■Improved installation routine
■Other minor UI improvements
■Resolved format detection that was causing rare playback issues
■Resolved issue with volume level resetting during rw/fw
■Resolved floating crashes usually observed when using SMB with Windows 7 shares
■Resolved conflicts with XBMC related to SMB
■Resolved issues with metadata fetching for ‘Show.Name.###.extension’ pattern
■Resolved crashes observed in folders with signifcant number of files
■Resolved playback error on DVD and ISO files observed when file path contains ‘?’ character
■Resolved crashes when working with long file paths
■Resolved rare issue with incorrect pre-playback screen layout
■Other miscellaneous bug fixes
If you already own aTV Flash (black), you can install the update by going into the app on your Apple TV and selecting Maintenance > Manage Extras. Otherwise, you can download the software from FireCore’s website. Remember, you’ll need to be jailbroken.

Verizon to activate LTE in dozens of new markets this week

Did you recently purchase a new Verizon-flavored LTE iPad? Well if so, you’ll be happy to know that the carrier is about to start a massive rollout that will make its high-speed 4G network available to dozens of new markets.

This morning, Verizon announced a number of new expansions and additions to its already vast LTE network. Want to know if your city was included? Keep reading for a full list of the carrier’s new 4G markets…
■Georgia – LaGrange, Macon, Brunswick
■New York – Cattaraugus-Allegany Counties
■Kansas – Dodge City, Great Bend, Garden City, Hays, Wichita
■South Dakota – Pierre
■Florida – Ocala
■Utah – Provo-Orem, Salt Lake City-Ogden
■Southern Illinois
■Iowa – East and Southeast of Des Moines
■Missouri – St. Louis, Southwest
■Ohio – Columbus, Cleveland
■Idaho – Boise-Nampa
■Colorado – Ft. Collins-Loveland
Verizon expects LTE to be active in a majority of these areas by April 19th. And the remaining markets soon after.

The carrier commands a staggering lead over its competition in the LTE space, as its 4G network now covers more than 2/3 of the US population.

Apple hires United Continental CFO Zane Rowe as new VP of Sales

According to a report from AllThingsD, Apple has just hired United Continental’s CFO (Chief Financial Officer) Zane Rowe as its new Vice President of Sales. United Continental is the holding company for United Airlines, one of the world’s largest airlines.

It’s always interesting when Apple adds a member to its exclusive leadership team. The group of executives is in charge of running the world’s largest company (by market cap), and ensuring it stays on top…
Apple confirmed the hiring in a statement to the site:

“We are thrilled that Zane Rowe will be joining us as one of our vice presidents of sales,” Apple spokesman Steve Dowling told AllThingsD. “He built a great team at United and we think he is going to do a fantastic job at Apple.”

Going from CFO to VP of sales is a pretty drastic change in daily duties. But we’re guessing that all of the perks that come with being a high-ranking executive at Apple are more than worth it.

The case for a four-inch iPhone with 16:9 display

There’s no shortage of iPhone mockups these days, a tell-tale indication of the launch date drawing near (we’re looking towards a Fall launch). We already told you about one possible iPhone mockup and shared an interesting theory regarding the argument for a four-inch iPhone.

The problem is, the vast majority of artists’ renditions depict an iPhone with a blown up display that, however, features the same 4:3 aspect ratio as all prior models.

So, how about a four-incher with a 16:9 aspect ratio display?
The above mockup, credited to Dan Provost (via MacStories), depicts a 16:9 iPhone with a four-inch display.

The image above shows the current iPhone, a mockup of the alleged 16:9 phone, and a mockup with a bigger 3:2 screen at 300dpi, which measures 3.84” diagonally. I estimated that the physical size of the phone would need to increase slightly, getting taller in the 16:9 version and wider in the 3:2 version. I don’t think either of these size increases are deal breakers. The 3:2 version is actually still narrower than the iPhone 3GS.

The big issue with changing the aspect ratio: apps.

Because Apple definitely would not reduce the iPhone 4/4S’s 326 pixel-per-inch count on a larger canvas, elongating the 4:3 inch to a 16:9 aspect ratio would increase the number of pixels, meaning all existing apps would not scale up properly to fill up the entire screen.

The easiest and the least user-friendly solution would entail letterboxing the app’s user interface.

Provost has an interesting take on the dilemma:

I think Apple should keep the 3:2 aspect ratio and increase the physical size until it reaches the 300dpi retina boiling point, maintaining the 960×640 pixel count.

Doing this would let Apple brand a four-inch iPhone with a 16:9 display under the Retina moniker whilst keeping the existing 960-by-640 pixel resolution for app compatibility.

Bumping up the screen to a 16:9 aspect ratio and retaining a 326 pixels-per-inch density would increase total number of pixels available. Apple could use those extra pixels for additional user interface elements.

Think widgets, a souped up multitasking bar, bigger Dock icons and even – why not – touch controls like the navigation buttons found on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Another good example are banner notifications which normally appear subtly at the top of the display, overlaid on top of the running app. The additional pixels would let Apple render banner notifications unobtrusively, right above the running app.

Those are all valid points and if Apple chooses to take the 16:9 route, they’re definitely not going to make everyone’s life harder by requiring that developers update their apps just to cater for an extra few hundred pixels.

Apple is all about simplicity. I’m convinced they’d rather keep apps running at the 960-by-480 pixel resolution and use the extra pixels to tweak the iPhone’s user interface and provide some unique software features not found on 3:2 iPhones – just like Siri has remained an iPhone 4S exclusive, even though it’s just software that we know runs well on non-A5 devices.

There seems to be a consensus out there that Apple should increase the screen size of a next-generation iPhone to a four-inch(ish) canvas.

I’m not a proponent of blowing up the iPhone’s display just because the Android camp has been doing it in the absence of any meaningful and major differentiator.

But I sure would prefer my iPhone with a 16:9 aspect ratio display.

How about you?