On the show this week: the UK’s £100m investment in fibre broadband goes under the spotlight, the Government reveals its plans for the ICT curriculum, Dell apologises for dishing out dodgy graphics card advice and Ofcom demands ISPs open up about traffic management. Plus, Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus – the first smartphone with Google’s latest Android OS – makes a play for Hot Hardware of the week.
PC Pro Podcast 186
On the podcast this week: Ultrabooks, anti-piracy laws and Microsoft’s new close-up Kinect. We also discuss the RAW vs. JPEG controversy and Samsung’s anti-Apple advert. Hot hardware candidate is Sony’s dual-screen Tablet P.
Airplay receiver for Windows
Quite possibly one of the greatest pieces of Freeware I have every found. Shairport4w is a simple executable that runs and turns your PC in to an AirPlay receiver – allowing you to play music through your PC speakers directly from your iPad, iPhone, iPod or iTunes on another PC.
Download and save locally
Extract the .exe file and run! Its that simple!! (NB. the first time it runs it may ask to modify your firewall to allow the airplay content through to it).
If you want the program to run every time your PC starts, simply add it in to your startup folder in the Start Menu.
I have tested it on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. If you run this sucessfully on other set-ups please comment to let others know what it works on.
Apple’s AirPlay feature makes it easy to share and stream your iTunes library to iOS devices, but it lacks the option to stream media in the opposite direction. Shairport4w is a free application that makes it possible to transform your Windows based computer into an AirPort receiver so you can stream media from one machine to another.
The application can be used in conjunction with any computer or device that includes a version of iTunes or iOS that supports AirPlay, and the process of configuring your computer to be a media access point can be completed in just a moment.
Shairport4w is based on the recent Shairport app, but has been designed specifically with Windows users in mind. The program can be used in a variety of ways, but the most obvious benefit is that it makes it possible to have a single iTunes library that can be played anywhere in the home. As the app is portable, it can also be used in other ways.
If you have an extensive music library on your iOS device, you can pop a copy of Shairport44w on a USB drive and take it with you to parties or when visiting friends. Run the app under Windows and your music collection can be played back through computer speakers, and playback controlled from your iPhone or iPod while you sit on the sofa.