Clever iPhone 4S tricks: Look at your own ear (Updated)

Have you ever wanted to look in your own ear? Or at the nape of your neck? Or behind furniture? If you own an iPhone 4S and an Apple TV, you can wirelessly beam the picture from your camera to your large screen TV.

Just enable AirPlay. Double-click the Home button, swipe to the right twice, select your Apple TV as your AirPlay destination and enable Mirroring.

Then, click Home and run the camera app. You'll be able to see what the camera sees because its preview mirrors to your home TV, even when your arm is stuck behind a dresser. You can also point the iPhone camera (front or back) at your ear, your nose, or your back -- letting you see through your phone by watching your TV.

You may want to use a flashlight along with your phone as you explore darker parts of your house, like under your couch when looking for spare change or that missing remote.

Update: TUAW reader Sam W suggests mounting the iPhone onto a remote controlled truck for full-house surveillance.

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Have you ever wanted to look in your own ear? Or at the nape of your neck? Or behind furniture? If you own an iPhone 4S and an Apple...

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debuspa

What a clever idea with endless posibilities.
I do have slingbox installed, which enabled me to stream my home TV programs to my iphone. Now with Erica's suggestion and a fast internet I can stream the content directly to AppleTV. Thanks.

December 12 2011 at 5:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

John Weidman

The option to select mirroring doesn't come up when I select AirPlay. I wonder why?

December 12 2011 at 8:53 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to John Weidman's comment

ostiarius

Try updating the software on your Apple TV

December 12 2011 at 5:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

CardFire

I couldn't find the options and then discovered the AppleTV still had 1.0 OS. After running Software Update, it worked like a charm.

December 15 2011 at 2:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

wilstev

So you can't do airplay mirroring with the video camera and light on? Or it's just not recommended due to battery drain?

December 11 2011 at 10:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Joe Stoner

Ten to one odds that the first person who thought of this wasn't pointing the camera at his ear.

December 11 2011 at 10:05 PM Report abuse Permalink +7 rate up rate down Reply

MasterMacNikon

Just made it work on my iPhone 4. Wheeee!

December 11 2011 at 8:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

vterm

i am not sure why, but this does't work for me!!
My AppleTV and my iPhone 4S do share the same subnet...
Any ideas?

December 11 2011 at 6:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to vterm's comment

ostiarius

What version of iOS does the Apple TV have?

December 11 2011 at 11:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Phil Leavers

Surely it won't be long before someone adds Airplay to a Torch/Flashlight app? Then you wouldn't need an additional light source. Can't imagine it would do much good for your battery life though....

December 11 2011 at 5:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Phil Leavers's comment

Sam

For extra points, put the Camera app into video mode and switch the flash on. Built-in light source!

December 12 2011 at 3:28 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply