If you happen to be an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch user and you have been wanting to be able to use the AllCast casting app on your mobile Apple device, your wait is finally over. The AllCast local media streaming service is now available on iOS and all mobile Apple operating system users can now beam pictures, music and video content from any of their Apple mobile devices straight to any television screen.

The AllCast service, which is now compatible with Google Chromecast, is capable of streaming to Roku devices, Google TV, Apple TV, both the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One video game consoles, as well as Panasonic, LG, Samsung and Smart TV hardware.

Koushik Dutta is the original developer of AllCast, a service that was previously called Aircast in the past. Dutta created the AllCast service in order to make the process of sharing local files that are stored on a handset a much simpler and easier one. Apple iOS mobile device users can now perform a slideshow of their pictures in high-definition right from any HD television screen. No longer will a group of people have to crowd around a small-screened iOS gadget to try and view the pictures and videos that are saved on it.

The AllCast streaming service was first introduced by Dutta in Autumn of 2013. Back then, Google Chromecast initially blocked the service and even when the December 2013 Android version of the AllCast app was finally released, it still did not have access to the Google Chromecast dongle device.

In early 2014, AllCast was supported by Google Chromecast, which meant that its users would be able to tap into their smartphone, tablet, and/or computer content and be capable of sharing that content with any of their friends and family located anywhere in the world.

In May of 2014, an even better updated and redesigned version of the AllCast service was launched by Dutta, and this new and improved version of the service promised improved syncing with other media-streaming gadgets.

Apple iOS users had been waiting for the infamous AllCast service to come to the Apple iOS mobile platform for over a year, and as of this past Tuesday, the wait is finally over.

Apple has shared some lists of the App Store’s best performing apps in 2014, on iTunes and other media sites. The lists highlighted the top apps of iPad Paid and Free, and iPhone Paid and Free.

Facebook Messenger ranked as the top free iPhone app of 2014, despite having a two-and-a-half rating. The bad rating is due in part to Facebook’s unpopular decision to force users to download the app by removing messenging capabilities in the official Facebook iOS app.

Other popular free iPhone apps of 2014 are:

1. Facebook Messenger
2. Snapchat
3. YouTube
4. Facebook
5. Instagram
6. Pandora Radio
7. Google Maps
8. Flipagram
9. Spotify Music
10. 2048

Heads Up! was the number one paid iPhone app in 2014. The popular party game was shot to fame after appearing multiple time on The Ellen Degeneres Show. The game, first launched in 2013, asks players to guess a word based on clues from friends.

Other popular paid iPhone apps of 2014 include:

1. Heads Up!
2. Minecraft – Pocket Edition
3. Afterlight
4. Plague Inc.
5. Sleep Cycle alarm clock
6. Facetune
7. Cut the Rope 2
8. Bloons TD 5
9. A Dark Room
10. 7 Minute Workout Challenge

The top paid iPad apps mostly comprised of games this year. Minecraft – Pocket Edition came in as number one. The app first launched in 2011, but has been updated more than 20 times since then bringing in new features, better graphics and bug fixes.

Other popular paid iPad apps include:

1. Minecraft – Pocket Edition
2. Cut the Rope 2
3. Heads Up!
4. The Room Two
5. Survivalcraft
6. Notability
7. Terraria
8. Plants vs. Zombies HD
9. Hide N Seek : Mini Game With Worldwide Multiplayer
10. Card Wars – Adventure Time

The official YouTube app was the App Store’s most popular free iPad app for 2014. The app allows users to watch videos on the YouTube servers, and was originally integrated in the iOS but removed in iOS 6.

Other popular free iPad apps are:

1. YouTube
2. Netflix
3. Calculator for iPad Free
4. Skype for iPad
5. Microsoft Word
6. Facebook Messenger
7. Facebook
8. Candy Crush Saga
9. Chrome
10. Clash of Clans

An unexpected iOS version may be in store; a pleasant surprise for iPhone and iPad users which still suffer from issues with WiFi, Bluetooth and battery.

Thus far, five versions of iOS 8 have been released and the next major update “iOS 8.2″ has been seen on video before its expected launch early next year.

MacRumours, the leading U.S.-based website for Mac and Apple related news, has detected iOS devices running “iOS 8.1.3″ visiting its website. It explains it as:

“The number of hits from iOS 8.1.3 remains low, numbering just a few dozen in total from Apple’s networks. A view of overall traffic from iOS 8.1.3 devices shows a clearer upward trend aside from a weekend dip, based on a much larger sample size. While there are more likely to be faked identifiers in the general pool of web visitors, the clear trend of increasing usage and visits coming from Apple’s own networks have historically been reliable indicators of Apple’s development work.”

Little is known on when iOS 8.1.3 will be released, but given the time of the year, it is unlikely to be pushed before next year. Considering that updates are numerical, it is safe to assume that iOS 8.1.3 will be released shortly as Apple has reported that iOS 8.2 might be due for release in late January/February.

iOS 8.2 has been seeded with developers for testing, but the same can not be said for iOS 8.1.3. This is not surprising because Apple rarely seeds minor point versions with developers, as they are pushed to address specific bugs and performance issues.

The new Watch API will be integrated within iOS 8.2, paving way for Apple Watch apps. A large release like this requires more testing and was seeded to developers.

Latest TV searches:

This holiday season the ever popular iPad seems to have slumped in its usual gift-giving demand. According to IDC data, the total iPad sales will gone down by an eighth (12.7%) this year. In the number of units sold, that is still an impressive 65 million units.

The drop in Apple’s tablets’ sales are in stark contrast with the growth of the tablet market by 7.2%. Yet compliant with the 52.3% drop in overall tablet growth in the saturated tablet market.

The slump in iPad sales, as well as, tablet sales is a cause of alarm for the US-based tech firm. Tablet manufacturers have had to deal with the unexpected long product life cycles of the devices, because of which consumers are not willing to replace their existing tablets.

With some recent moves by Apple it looks like interest in the Virtual Reality for this company is increasing, if we take in mind the latest work posting details released on Monday.

Namely, the company is searching for technical engineers in order to “create high performance apps that integrate with Virtual Reality systems,” regarding to the posting, as noticed by 9to5Mac.

Apple announced: “We are looking for a software engineer to develop UI and applications to create next generation software experiences. The individual must be able to take participate in collaborative and iterative UI design through the implementation phases & complete performance user experience code for product delivery.”

Their job posting, on Apple’s jobs website, also announces that they need applicants who are knowledgeable about 3D Graphics developing together with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality development.

Whether or not this suggest that Apple is looking to develop its individual VR accessory for iOS and Mac OS X products, or perhaps is trying to incorporate experiences for other systems, especially those suitable with iOS devices, stays to be revealed.

Previously this year they have been awarded a patent for Oculus Rift style Virtual Reality head-set, which in a few words was described as a “goggle system for providing a personal media viewing experience.”

But we should keep in mind that Virtual Reality is a new technology and there is a lot of space for development, and other companies like Samsung and Sony are making progress in this area, so it seems reasonable that Apple might at least get a foot in.
Apple is very careful not to disclose anything about their upcoming plans and projects so we will probably not get significant information, if anything, until they are ready for it.

A single job posting for a position of a Virtual Reality Engineer will of course not create a Virtual Reality Program, although it is an indication that Apple is looking forward to that course. The following year, Apple is going to step into the wearables market launching the Apple Watch. The results of this project will certainly produce some influence if they will step in to one more new market, the Virtual Reality, or not.
Apple is usually an old fashion company when it comes to stepping straight into new market sectors which means that this single job posting might not really grow into anything immediately.