Apple TV Update Takes Over an Hour

I updated my Apple TV this morning. It was just as well I wasn't planning on watching anything because it took over an hour! So long in fact I thought it had crashed. Mine is an ATV 3 on WiFi

Plex on AppleTV with PlexConnect

Non-jail broken AppleTV using PlexConnect. Sources:

https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect/wiki/Install-Guide

https://langui.sh/2013/08/27/appletv-ssl-plexconnect/

The process is simple but fiddly

1. Create certificates:
1. openssl req -new -nodes -newkey rsa:2048 -out ~/Desktop/trailers.pem -keyout ~/Desktop/trailers.key -x509 -days 7300 -subj "/C=US/CN=trailers.apple.com"
   
2. openssl x509 -in ~/Desktop/trailers.pem -outform der -out ~/Desktop/trailers.cer && cat ~/Desktop/trailers.key >> ~/Desktop/trailers.pem
2. Prepare your Apple TV
1. Download iPhone Configurator
2. Create a configuration profile with the cert file
3. Install it on your Apple TV
3. Install Plex connect
1. Download and install Python 
2. Download PlexConnect (download ZIP)
3. Move extracted PlexConnect files to a place on disk (e.g. Applications) (read install notes here)
4. Copy the certificate files to PlexConnect-master/assets/certificates/
5. Run PlexConneect:
   sudo ./Applications/PlexConnect-master/PlexConnect.py
4. Connect your AppleTV to your Plex server by changing it's DNS to the IP of your Plex server.
5. Load  Traiileers app. You might need to go to settings and select your PlexServer

Windows 8.1 Installation

Today I installed Windows 8.1. These are my impressions.

Where is it?

I'm an I.T. professional and well used to installing updates. I knew it had been published and that my system qualified for the update but I was expecting it to appear via Windows updates. How naive! Microsoft decided to make it a store app... forcing me once more into my Windows machine's schizophrenic 'tablet' mode as I call it. Don't misunderstand me: I quite like Windows 8, the clean lines and lack of clutter but I do find the different modes and the lack of synchronicity between the two (e.g. control panel items are different/lacking in metro) rather strange. Anyway it's in the store (start menu, type the word "store" in the search box).

Reboot... several times

The joy of Windows updates. I remember the Vista fiasco vividly (several GB of updates over the first few months of release) and it looks like Microsoft is following suit with this baby: a hefty 3.6 GB will have some people's domestic broadband limits straining. Anyway, once it does finish you get this:

Luckily for me I've taken to running Windows as a virtual machine on a Mac. That way when it needs to restart several times when installing updates or crashing I can continue to get on with my work! Not that Macs never need restarting but I just find the latter more reliable.

Wait for it...

Yep, so not only does it want to interrupt me, but also it's going to take an undisclosed amount of time to "Apply PC settings" whatever that banal phrase actually means. I don't understand why it doesn't say "Installing updates" as thats obviously the point of the whole exercise.

We're in!

The wait is over, we finally have it... how exciti... oh now I have to sign into a MS account now to use my local computer... how dull, and possibly inappropriate: do I really want my XBox profile linking to my work machine? Probably not.

I looked for the 'skip this step' button but didn't notice one...

In Conclusion

Having finally installed it I do like it: 

• Start menu shortcut on the taskbar: I use a lot of machines via VNC, Logmein, Android and the "just swipe from the right" doesn't work on those, neither is there a Windows key to activate the start menu.
• Improved search on Start menu is noticeable.
• Seems faster, more snappy.

How to: Set up Raspberrypi XBMC Without Keyboard, Mouse or Wired Ethernet

Get an XBMC client running on Raspberrypi without attaching a keyboard, mouse, or wired ethernet.

Pre-requisits

• Raspberrypi
• Micro USB power source (5v)
• HDMI cable
• SD card (recommend at least 5GB)

Setup

1. Install: information here: http://www.raspbmc.com/
   Really easy on Mac OS
   NB: Configure the wifi during your install (or  you will need to use a WiFi extender eg. TP-LINK in extender mode via wired ethernet port.)
2. Enable remote control via Android
   Connect via SSH:
1. SSH to Raspbmc
2. edit the gui settings to allow android remote:
   sudo vi ~/.xbmc/userdata/guisettings.xml
1. Search for esallinterfaces
   /esallinterfaces[Enter]
2. Set it to true
   <esallinterfaces>true</esallinterfaces>
3. :wq to save and exit the file.
3. Install XBMC remote for Android or iPhone.
   It might say connection refused. ignore that and go to settings: 
1. Set the IP address to your raspberry pi (use a network scanner like Fing to find it)
2. Select 80 as the port
3. Username and password blank unless you've changed them
4. Use as remote (ignore connection refused).

SSH to Raspbmc

1. Use: Terminal on Mac/Linux, Putty on Windows, Juice SSH on Android.
2. Find IP of Raspbmc: look on your router, or use Fing on android
3. ssh pi@[ip address]
4. password raspberry

Optional

• Quartz interface: Like Apple TV http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=101319
• SSH to raspbmc
• wget --no-check-certificate https://github.com/pecinko/quartz/archive/master.zip
• On Raspbmc: Addons, install from zip, Home folder select 
• Settings->Appearance->settings
• Airplay: enable in System > Network > “Allow XBMC to receive AirPlay content”
• Allow UPnP remote control in Rasbmc: Go to System, Settings, Services, UPnP and select Allow control of XBMC via UPnP

Further information

• http://www.raspbmc.com/
• http://www.raspbmc.com/wiki/user/frequently-asked-questions/

Many thanks to these posts:
http://mymediaexperience.com/raspberry-pi-xbmc-with-raspbmc/
http://lifehacker.com/5929913/build-a-xbmc-media-center-with-a-35-raspberry-pi