#touchplay

The Shelby iOS app version 1.5 is in the App Store, free to download, and it has TouchPlay.

TouchPlay, for those that haven't heard, is a Shelby-original feature that allows you to wirelessly stream video with its social context to your Apple TV from your iPad 2 or iPhone 4S. And, to top it off, you can control the whole experience with a gesture remote.

>>The future is now

When you try out TouchPlay, it feels like the future*. You're driving your TV's display from your pencil-thin mobile device on your lap, and your phone or tablet turns into the coolest remote ever.

I may be a little biased, since I'm the iOS dev for Shelby, but it seems like this is the way the world should work. I never want to hook up my laptop to my TV via an HDMI cable again. And frankly, I shudder at the idea of hooking up a laptop via a VGA cable to some conference room's projector.

Apps, whether they're iOS apps or Android or web or computer, are going to need to figure out how to fill and control additional screens with useful information and a cool experience.

We took some inspiration from the gaming world (folks like Real Racing 2 have been doing this for a while), but other apps need to get on board with this approach also. It's awesome for games and video, and it would be awesome for group messaging, TweetDeck, music browsing, flight searches, etc. as well.

>>The reason to buy an *existing* Apple TV and hope for a *real* Apple TV

The existing Apple TV is cool. It's a great little device that has an awesome Netflix implementation and makes it easy to buy iTunes store content and get it on your TV.

But Airplay Mirroring and TouchPlay are the first hints of the device's real capabilities. I can't wait for a *real* Apple TV to show up, with Airplay Mirroring built into it, and with Apple and other 3rd-party apps designed to take advantage of an Apple TV screen when it's there.

I was never that excited about the current Apple TV 2G until now. iOS 5 and Airplay Mirroring have a world of potential, and with Gigabit WiFi coming and hopefully the rumors of a *real* Apple TV bearing fruit, I'm more excited than ever for the next-generation living room experience.

TouchPlay is really cool. It's our new toy, and we love it. Try it out, show your friends, send us suggestions for how to make it even more awesome.

This is only the beginning of the next-gen living room, and it's exciting to help shape it.

//Mark

Next week, team Shelby is headed to CES.  I know what you're thinking, why would a tiny startup head to one of the biggest consumer electronics shows in the world, especially when Apple has already won CES?

It all started when we won a booth at CES this past summer as part of a competition here in NYC.  Ever since releasing our iPad app this past October, we've been obsessed with making the Shelby experience on tablet as compelling and addictive as our web app. That's why we didn't stop at simply integrating standard AirPlay functions. We decided to take advantage of iOS Mirroring functionality (something that many iOS apps treat as an afterthought) and build something even more compelling. Next week at CES, we'll be showcasing an awesome new experience for our iPad users, something we're calling TouchPlay. 

To activate TouchPlay, turn on AirPlay with Mirroring in your iPad settings and when you launch the Shelby app, you'll be greeted with gorgeous full screen video on your TV that has that familiar Shelby look and feel.  We've also added a gesture remote, which turns your iPad into a no-look controller so you can kick back and fully enjoy what you're watching. Check out this quick filmed-at-2AM demo of what it looks like below:

We're really excited about what's possible with Apple's Mirroring technology and where we think more companies will be focusing attention as Apple gets closer to releasing a full-fledged TV experience.  The marriage of the iPad and the TV is creating some amazing opportunities for dual-screen viewing and interaction; this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Can't wait to get your hands on this new feature? You won't have to wait long, look for it in the App store soon.  

-Chris