Apple TV: New Shared Photo Streams & Simpler account switching

With Monday’s software update the Apple TV is looking like an increasingly necessary part of the company’s overall vision for how iOS users access and share their content from all their Apple devices.

Joining the major rollouts of iOS 6 and the OS X Mountain Lion update last week is new software for Apple TV. Starting Monday, the set-top box is getting some small but important new software features, and some that also better link the device to Apple’s iOS and iCloud platforms.
Here are some of the highlights of the update for second- and third-generation Apple TVs:

• Shared Photo Streams — a new feature of iOS 6 — lets users share photos and albums from their device and invite others to comment on them
• Airplay-enabled speakers and other devices can now play audio from Apple TV
• Subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Easy iTunes account switching
• When viewing movie trailers you can see local theater showtimes (U.S. only)
• Ability to reorder onscreen icons

It’s nice that Apple is bringing a brand new feature of iOS 6 like Shared Photo Streams to Apple TV so soon after it launched last Wednesday. As has been the case throughout this year, it’s getting harder and harder to convincingly label the Apple TV a hobby.