Also out: Apple TV Software Beta 4 (with new UI), Xcode 6 Beta 5 and more

Yosemite Beta 5 update download

As correctly estimated, Apple today unleashed new iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite betas to its registered iOS and Mac developers. While our team is combing through release notes and updating a running list of changes, please send us your very own submissions to tips@iDownloadBlog.com (do include screenshots as well).

In the meantime, additional updates have surfaced on Apple’s Dev Center, including matching new betas of the upcoming Apple TV software featuring a brand spanking new user interface, updated Xcode developer tools and more.

Read on for the full reveal…

Apple TV Software Beta 4

Also released today alongside the new iOS 8 and Yosemite betas, a fourth beta of the forthcoming iOS 7-based software for the Apple TV set-top box is now available in Dev Center. Apple says the pre-release software comes with support for Family Sharing and can be used for testing AirPlay and HomeKit with developers’ iOS apps.

More importantly, Beta 4 has finally overhauled the Apple TV’s interface!

Apple TV Software Beta 4 (teaser 001)
Image via Daniel Perez..

Looks pretty sweet, wouldn’t you agree?

The software is available for both third-generation Apple TV and the third-generation Rev A Apple TV devices. Note that installing Apple TV betas requires connecting the device to your Mac or PC via a micro USB cable because you’ll need to apply the beta in desktop iTunes, a process detailed in this Apple doc.

Registering your Apple TV UDID

Step 1: Disconnect the power and HDMI cables from Apple TV. Note: If you do not disconnect the power cable before connecting the micro-USB cable, you will not see Apple TV in the iTunes Source list.

Step 2: Connect one end of a micro-USB cable to the back of your Apple TV, and the other end to one of your computer’s USB ports.

Step 3: Open iTunes on your computer.

Step 4: Select your Apple TV in the Source list, and then option-click Restore.

Step 5: Navigate to the Apple TV Software image and click ‘Continue’.

Also, you must first register your device UDID in the iOS Developer Program Portal, here’s how.

Installing Apple TV beta software

Step 1: Plug your Apple TV into an AC power outlet and wait for the power LED to turn solid.

Step 2: Connect one end of a micro-USB cable to the back of your Apple TV, and the other end to one of your computer’s USB ports.

Step 3: Launch Xcode.

Step 4: Navigate to the Xcode Organizer window and copy the UDID from the Identifier field.

Step 4: Enter the UDID for your Apple TV into the devices section of the iOS Provisioning Portal.

This applies to iPhones, iPads and iPod touches as well.

Xcode 6 Beta 5
Next, Xcode has been bumped up to build number 6A279r.

Xcode is Apple’s development environment for writing Mac, iPhone and iPad apps and it includes the Xcode IDE, iOS Simulator and all required tools and frameworks for building OS X and iOS apps. This edition of Xcode includes the latest iOS 8 Beta 5 SDK and the OS X Yosemite v10.10 SDK.

This Apple doc details everything that’s new in Xcode 6 Beta 5 (membership required).

Changelog for the iOS 8 Beta 5 (build number 12A4345d) is right here.

Apple Configurator 1.7 Beta 4

Apple Configurator is a nifty little OS X Yosemite utility that helps you configure and restore groups of iOS devices, as well as install iOS updates or sync new content and settings to iOS devices over USB. Note that OS X Yosemite and Xcode 6 beta are required for this latest beta release of Apple Configurator.

Key highlights include:

  • Support for new configuration profile payloads and settings introduced in iOS 8
  • New Restrictions
  • Allow Handoff
  • Allow iCloud sync for managed apps
  • Allow backup of enterprise books
  • Allow notes and highlights sync for enterprise books
  • New Supervised-only Restrictions
  • Allow Erase all Contents and Settings Allow configuring Restrictions
  • Allow internet results in Spotlight
  • Content Filter: Plug-in filter type
  • Domains: unmarked email and managed web domains Email & Exchange: Per-message S/MIME switch
  • VPN: IKEv2 connection type and Always-on VPN

The full release notes are available here (membership required).

The Apple Configurator User Guide can be read here, or from Yosemite’s Help menu. Last but not least, Apple’s new Swift programming language has seen some improvements as well.

No new betas of Find My Friends, Find My iPhone, Pages, Keynote and Numbers have been released today.

Image top of post via Matthew Miller.