The Mac mini Guidebook A practical, hands-on book for everyoneincluding Windows usersmoving to Apples compact computer [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Airfoil

What: Allows any application to feed speakers attached to an AirPort Express Base Station

By: Rogue Amoeba Software

Cost: $25

Download: www.rogueamoeba.com

Apple equipped iTunes to transmit music from its own library to remote speakers attached to AirPort Express Base Stations. It can also transmit radio stations from its own quite limited directory of Internet stations.

That leaves a tremendous amount of audio that iTunes cannot transmit to AirPort Express. And for that orphan audio, we have Airfoil, a utility that allows any audio from your Mac mini to be transmitted to remote speakers attached to an AirPort Express Base Station. Airfoil allows you to select the application whose audio you want to transmit as well as the AirPort Express you want to transmit the audio to.

The figure shows Airfoil sending RealPlayer audio to an AirPort Express device.

Why I like it: For anyone whose listening interests run beyond iTunes, this is an essential utility. I use it to transmit Internet radio, such as the BBC and XM Radio online, to speakers in my bedroom and the home theater system.