As new devices enter the mix, finding ways to conduct effective usability tests of our applications and websites on them becomes a challenge. In some cases, the best option is to just use a camcorder to focus on the screen even though it’s not as direct screen sharing and screen capturing utilities.
Thankfully, the latest generation of iOS devices have the ability to do screen sharing via Apple’s AirPlay mirroring. While AirPlay mirroring is primarily designed to project the screen onto a television via an AppleTV, a couple applications have came onto the market that allows for a Mac to be used as the AirPlay server.
Below is a very quick video I put together to look it over and how well it works with my screen capture app (Specflow).
If you’re looking for a way to test iPad or iPhone applications or how a website looks on such, I highly recommend checking out utilities like Reflection in order to allow easy screen capturing and audio input of tests in your usability lab.
James Eggers 