Today Squirrels introduced AirParrot 2, the next major version of their excellent screen-mirroring app for OS X (and Windows).

AirPlay is an Apple technology that Macs and iOS devices use to stream audio and video to the Apple TV, among other things. It works great and it’s the perfect way to watch all of your iTunes movies and TV shows on your big-screen TV instead of on your device. However, as with most Apple technologies, there are several areas where AirPlay falls short.

For instance, AirPlay doesn’t support audio or video transcoding, so you can only play iTunes-compatible media from your Mac to your Apple TV. But what about all those MKV and AVI files you’ve collected over the years? With AirPlay, you’re out of luck.

Newer Macs (from 2011 on) can find a way around this by screen-mirroring their desktops to the Apple TV using AirPlay. Screen-mirroring works great for sharing your desktop or giving a presentation but in my experience, it’s really not ideal for watching video. It doesn’t create a buffer, which makes it extremely prone to jittering issues, and it doesn’t allow you to control playback with an Apple remote, which makes it a lot less convenient to use. And if your Mac is more than three years old, screen-mirroring is probably not supported to begin with.

AirParrot 2 can solve all of these problems. It’s a small app that lets you do screen-mirroring from any decently-specced Mac: it only requires a Mac with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 1 GB of RAM. If you’re running Yosemite, chances are your Mac will be more than capable to handle it. AirParrot 2 also allows you to customize the audio and video transcoding quality to fine-tune performance for every Mac. This enables older Macs to enjoy the same features as the newer machines.

The Mirroring Preferences tab allows you to fine-tune performance for your particular machine

That’s already pretty sweet, but there’s more. AirParrot 2 introduces a new feature called Media Streaming that allows you to directly play media files on your Apple TV — or any other compatible receiver. This is a fantastic feature that essentially allows you to enjoy all the benefits of AirPlay with non-iTunes compatible files: you get buttery-smooth playback, playback control via Apple remote, lossless 5.1 surround sound, etc. It’s amazing.

You can adjust video transcoding quality in the Media Streaming Preferences tab

Now, in my experience, there were still a few bugs when using Media Streaming. This is completely normal in a major new version of any app, and it’s nothing critical. MKV files in particular were a little finicky to play and would cause the occasional crash. Then again, MKV files were always finicky to begin with, so I’m not sure how much AirParrot is to blame here. In any case, the app works great with AVI and other file types that I’ve tried, and I wouldn’t consider these issues a serious problem.

Besides, there’s a full-featured 7-day trial that you can download and install to make sure it works well on your Mac and with your own media files before committing to a purchase.

AirParrot 2’s Control Panel displays everything you need to use the app

AirParrot 2 is also remarkably easy to use. The control panel is accessed via its menu bar icon, and displays everything you need:

• In the FROM section, you can select which streaming mode you want to use: sharing your own display, an extended desktop mode, sharing windows from a specific app, sharing only audio or streaming media.

• In the TO section, you can select your destination device. AirParrot 2 is compatible with the second and third-generation Apple TV’s, but also with Chromecast devices, as well as AirPlay-compatible audio receivers. Just pick your device from the list — it should appear automatically — and you’re set.

In the case of Media Streaming, you can even drag your media file and drop it into AirParrot 2’s menu bar icon, and it will automatically pick it up and send it to your selected destination. I find this is a much more convenient way to open files and it makes me want to use the app more.

AirParrot is one of my favorite apps, and I use it almost every day. AirParrot 2 is a huge update, and it’s available today. You can purchase a single-computer license for $14.99, or a 5-computer license for $62.99. There’s also a special discount for owners of the previous version.

If you ask me, the Media Streaming feature alone is more than worth the price of admission. If you own a slightly older Mac and want to enjoy non-iTunes compatible media on your Apple TV, it really is a no-brainer.

Mind-blowingly great:

Via Coudal Partners.

Ross Miller, The Verge:

We’ve been combing through all of Apple’s publicly-released documentation and watching the WatchKit introduction video. This is everything we’ve learned about Apple Watch and how it works.

Interesting.

Jordan G. Teicher, Wired:

Before the electronic calculator, there was the mechanical calculator, a heavy device often about the size of a small computer that cost thousands in today’s dollars. They were indispensable tools used for the most complex business and engineering problems of the time. The machines that have survived are of little value now, and often in need of repairs.

Kevin Twomey captures their mechanical beauty in his series Low Tech. His images are as complex as the machines; Twomey takes several shots at different focus distances, then uses a program called Helicon Focus to stitch them together so every detail is perfectly clear and sharply focused. The photos reveal a crowded cacophony of rods, springs, and even motors.

Gorgeous.

Ben Brooks has a great article for those looking for an alternative to Adobe Lightroom:

I briefly thought about buying or subscribing just for Lightroom, but that seemed silly. So I kept thinking and I came across a new app in my Reading List: Flare 2.

I never gave Flare a go, it looked gimmicky to me when it came out — like Instagram for the Mac — but in truth it is exactly what I want. And probably just about what every normal photographer needs: a quick way to get your photos ready to share.

It’s dead simple.

What an unexpected and delightful surprise. But what’s this book about? Patrick explains:

I’m not sure what this book will mean to you, personally. All I know is that it could help.

Help what? I’m not entirely sure. In fact, I can’t even say for sure it will help everyone who reads it — though I certainly hope it will.

What I do know is that some part of this could help you in some area of life. It could help you in your job. It could help you in a relationship. It could help you get through a trying time or a creative struggle. Or, it could just let you know you are not alone — that there is at least one other person who has faced similar struggles and sought to help you with yours.

So, if you find yourself in the middle of a problem, a crossroads, or a barrier, read this book. It could help.

One of the things I most enjoy about Patrick’s writing is how he doesn’t pretend to know everything. Instead, by reading his words you get a very real look at a very real person. A person with struggles just like yours, and fears you perhaps thought nobody else had. Best of all, a person with a seemingly infinite capacity for empathy and selflessness.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, you can use coupon code FLASH30 for a 30% discount valid through today.

You’re nuts if you don’t buy it right now.

Federico Viticci:

In a blog post published today, Twitter announced that every tweet sent since 2006 is indexed and can be searched in the Twitter apps for the web and mobile devices.

This has been shared by everyone and their mother already, but in case you’ve managed to somehow miss it, here you go.

Jason Snell:

Apple today has apparently done a giant search-and-replace on the App Store to replace the word FREE with the word GET. This is apparently related to an EU ruling that it’s misleading to call apps with in-app purchases “free”.

Messy Nessy:

As part of Airbnb’s “Night At” campaign, the company giving away the chance to stay in this 366m², 116 window KLM airplane. Three dates are up for grabs this month to stay in the recently decommissioned aircraft that had crossed globe 3675 times and now sits beside the runway of Amsterdam’s bustling Schiphol airport. Beautifully decorated inside by Dutch design company TANK, to honour the plane’s retirement, the blue and white jet has been converted into a luxury loft that sleeps four (but conveniently has more than 8 bathrooms).

This is one of the weirdest — and strangely, one of the most interesting — things I’ve seen in a long time.

John Hodgman has decided to stop using Uber after one of its executives suggested they should dig up some dirt on several journalists — particularly Sarah Lacy from PandoDaily — to protect the company from negative press coverage:

I like Uber. I know some don’t. I don’t intend to blackmail them.

And I really don’t want to take that crummy car I was so glad to hang up on two years ago.

But I just can’t get into a car with those guys anymore.

Well said.

For a series of unrelated reasons, Uber is struggling to gain traction in Madrid. I admit I was curious to try it but after this, there’s no way I’m using the service.

It’s unfortunate, but companies like Uber listen only when customers speak with their wallets.