How to set and up and use Sonos for Android

Set up your Sonos system and get music pumping through every room in your house!

Sonos is a wireless smart speaker system to which you can connect up to 32 components, so that your entire home is literally full with music. Once you’ve done a little browsing, you’ll find you can get the first speakers to build out your system for about $200 each. Once you’ve got ’em, it’s time to get them set up!

The first step is downloading the Sonos Controller app from the Google Play Store and then you’re on your way to easily (albeit sometimes painstakingly) setting up your music atmosphere!

• How to download the Sonos Controller app for Android
• How to set up your Sonos speaker(s) using the Sonos Controller app for Android
• How to connect to an existing Sonos system using the Sonos app for Android
• How to set up music streaming services using the Sonos Controller app for Android
• How to control your music service using the Sonos app for Android
• How to control your own music with the Sonos app for Android
• How to find and play music using the Sonos app for Android
• How to factory reset your Sonos speaker

How to download the Sonos Controller app for Android

This will be the easiest and most painless part of the Sonos setup process. You can find the Sonos Controller app in the Google Play Store.

Launch the Google Play store app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the search bar.

Type “Sonos” into the search field.

Tap the search button. It looks like a magnifying glass.
Tap the result by Sonos, Inc.

Tap Install.

Tap Accept.

Tap Open once the Sonos Controller app has downloaded.

Boom! You’re ready to becoming the music maestro you were always destined to be. Now, you just have to set up your speaker!

How to set up your Sonos speaker(s) using the Sonos Controller app for Android

Now that you have the Controller app, you need something to control. Let’s set up your Play speaker!

Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap Set up a new Sonos system.

Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the welcome screen.

Tap Standard Setup to start the wireless setup process. You can choose Boost Setup, but that’s only if you want to create a dedicated Sonos wireless network. Let’s just stick with the basics.
Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the Standard Setup screen.

Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the Connect to Power screen, after plugging in your Sonos speaker.

Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen, after you have seen the green light flashing on your Sonos speaker. The indicator or the mute/play/pause button may be flashing. If you don’t see the green flashing light, tap I’m unsure about the light; however, it may then prompt you to create a wired setup, which is kind of a pain in the ol’ hind-end.
Tap the dropdown menu on the “Player Setup” page, to choose your speaker model.

Tap your speaker model in the menu.

Tap Set up this player.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.

Tap Next on the Wireless Setup screen.
Type your Wi-Fi password into the field.

Tap Done on the bottom right of your keyboard.

Tap Continue.
Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Tap the dropdown menu to choose where you will use your Play speaker.

Tap the room in which you’ll be using your speaker.
Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.

Finish the setup process.

• Tap Add another player if you have another speaker you’d like to set up. Just follow the same steps.

• Tap Not now to continue on to registration.

  

Tap Next on the Sonos Registration screen.
Enter your email address and choose whether or not you’d like to receive information from Sonos.

Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.

Tap the dropdown menu to set your location.
Choose your location from the menu.

Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Enter your zip or postal code.
Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.

Tap the check box to choose whether or not you’d like to send your usage data to Sonos.

Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.
Tap Next on the Registration Complete page.

Tap Set up music services to set up a streaming music service for which you have a subscription. Otherwise, tap Skip to Sonos menu.

Now, your Sonos is set up and ready to go. The music service setup process continues straight from here, but you can always do so later.

How to connect to an existing Sonos system using the Sonos app for Android

If you’ve never connected to a Sonos system before, but there’s an existing one to which you’d like to connect, then we have you covered.

This will be the easiest thing you have to do today, since you just have to make sure your Wi-Fi is on and then follow these short steps.

Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap Connect to an existing system.
Tap Next on the welcome screen.

Tap Done once the connection has been established.

Quick and painless. Boom.

The next section will detail the music service setup process, so follow me if you want to jam!

How to set up music streaming services using the Sonos Controller app for Android

Sonos supports myriad music streaming services, including Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, and TONS of others.

It’s super easy to add your subscribed services to your Sonos system, so let us not delay!

Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button on the top left of the screen. It looks like ☰.

Tap Add Music Services.

Tap the music service that you’d like to add.
Tap Add to Sonos.

Sign in to the music service according to the on-screen instructions.

That’s all there is to it! You’ve got your favorite streaming services wirelessly hooked up so that, so long as you’re connected to your wireless network, you can stream all the music your streaming services have to offer!

How to control your music services using the Sonos app for Android

Now you’re ready to dive in! Let’s learn ya how to control your music service music from the Sonos app.

Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button on the top left of the screen. It looks like ☰.
Tap the service you’d like use.

Use the music service like you would on any other device. You can use standard media controls to play, pause, skip, etc.

When it comes to volume, play, pause, skip, etc., you can control the Sonos app the way you would any built-in music app.

How to control your own music with the Sonos app for Android

If you already have your phone loaded up with all your own tunes, then you can add those to your Sonos queue.

Here’s how:

Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the menu button on the top left of the screen. It looks like ☰.

Tap On this Mobile Device.

Choose from where you’d like to play audio:

• Tap Artists to find the artist of your choice.
• Tap Albums to search for the album of your choice.
• Tap Genres to search music from a particular genre.
• Tap Songs to search for a particular song.
• Tap Playlists to search for a particular playlist that you’ve created.
• Tap Podcasts to select podcasts which you have downloaded.

Tap the item you’d like to play.
Choose when you would like to play the song, album, or playlist.

• Tap Play Now to play the song, album, or playlist immediately.
• Tap Play Next to play your choice after the current song.
• Tap Add to Queue to add the song to the bottom of the queue.
• Tap Replace Queue to do just that.
• Tap More to Browse the Artist or View All Songs on Album.

You can use standard media controls to play, pause, skip, etc.

How to find and play music using the Sonos app for Android

You’ve got a song in your head and you have to hear it NOW. You can search through every music service to which you’re subscribed, as well as the music on your mobile device, using the search function.

Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
Tap the search button on the top right of the screen. It looks like a magnifying glass.

Choose a genre to search under:

• Artists
• Songs
• Albums
• Playlists
• Stations
• Genres
• Composers
• Hosts

• Podcasts & Shows

  

Type your query into the field.
Tap the result you’d like to play.

Choose when to play it.

That’s really all there is to it. You search up music via the Sonos app just like you would any other music app.

The best part is that Sonos will search everything you have available, so it won’t just search the music on your Android device; it’ll search all the music services to which you subscribe as well!

How to factory reset your Sonos speaker

Turn it off.
Unplug it.
Plug your speaker back in, while simultaneously holding the play/pause button (on older models, it’s the mute button).
Hold the button until the light starts flashing orange.

Google’s Mode watchbands for Android Wear make it easier to swap styles

Google has launched a new line of watchbands called Mode.

The idea behind Mode is pretty straightforward: Google wanted to offer different styles of watch straps that are easy to snap on or swap out whenever your little heart desires. The first collection of Mode bands are from Hadley-Roma and cost $49.99 for silicon bands and $59.99 for leather bands.

Google has published a video to promote Mode, and it indicates there will be many varieties sold on the Google Store, Amazon, and Best Buy. It also shows how the Mode system works on a Moto 360 and ZenWatch 2. Each band seems to have a toggle that lets you easily attach/detach from lugs.

Mode appears to simplify the standard lug system. Just attach the pins to your watch, and then push the toggle up or down to open and close. Mode is universal and will work with any Android Wear watch. They also come in different widths, including 16mm, 18mm, 20mm, and 22mm.

Also, you can expect third-party companies to soon offer Mode-branded watchbands. Google has announced plans to let anyone use the Mode system “as long as they source the MODE mechanism from Google authorized vendors, pass reliability testing and follow our brand guidelines.”

The new Mode watchbands from Hadley-Roma will be available in the Google Store and on Amazon. There’s also a dedicate website just for Mode, where you can find links to but the watchbands.

HTC has a new mid-range phone in Europe: the 5-inch One S9

HTC has quietly unveiled a new smartphone, to everyone’s surprise.

The unexpected phone is called the HTC One S9, and it was first discovered on the Taiwanese company’s German site. It is definitely a One-branded device in not only name but also design, as it features an all-metal enclosure similar to the One M9, while on the front we can see a One A9-like glass panel.

It appears to be a mid-range device that is currently only sold online. There’s a 5-inch 1080p screen, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 4-megapixel front-facing camera, 2GB of RAM paired with a Helio X10 SoC from MediaTek (clocked at 2GHz), 16GB of storage with expandable microSD, 2840mAh battery, and stereo BoomSound speakers.

There doesn’t seem to be a fingerprint scanner whatsoever. Still, it’s a decently-specced phone that comes with Android Marshmallow right out of the box.

Unfortunately, the One S9 may be a Europe-only phone. It’s priced at €499 ($565) and should available in gold, silver, and black colours.

How to shoot #food like a pro: Top tips for food photography

Taking photos of your food might be a cliché, but it has become almost as popular as taking photos of your own pouting face on social media.

Instagram has over 178 million #food photographs and you only have to glance at Twitter in the evening to see that someone you know is eating something that looks fantastic. 

Of course, taking photos of food might be a bit of fun for many, but there are those who get paid to shoot food professionally. 

Hugh Johnson is one such professional, photographing food for the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Yotam Ottolenghi and Thomasina Miers. To celebrate the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, we had a food photography master class with Hugh Johnson, to pick up some food photography top tips.

We tested these tips using the palm-sized interchangeable lens Sony A7R II full frame camera, giving plenty of manual control. Of course, it also helps when you’re shooting food that looks delicious on the plate. 

1. Use the light around you

Photography is about light and to take the best possible picture, you need to think about where the light is coming from. A common error is over-lighting, making the light too harsh, with direct lighting making highlights blow out.

For great results, try shooting from a 45-degree angle, with the light source on the other side. This avoids casting your shadow on the food. Try moving the food or yourself for an ideal position, or try using something like a white napkin as a reflector if you think things need a lift. 

If you’re struggling with direct light, try making a shade. You don’t need bright light, you just need to use the light in the best way.

Peter Dench/Sony

2. Use a range of apertures

Using a wide aperture means more light can get into the camera. Something like f/2.0 will let in loads of light, giving you a sharp food photo while blurring the background for that bokeh effect.

Closing the aperture (f/5.0 or higher) will draw more into focus but requires a longer exposure. This will let you have the food in focus and more of the background too. You’ll need a steady hand or tripod for longer exposures. If hand-shooting, try tucking your elbows into your body for a more support, breathe out, then take the shot.

Of course, if you’re using your phone, just try to keep it as steady as possible.

3. Shoot as quickly as possible

Your food looks the best the moment it is served, so move fast to get your photos as soon as you can. The longer you leave it, the more likely it is that sauces will separate, fats will congeal or leaves may start to wilt.

If things are looking a little flat, you could try spraying it with a little water from a hand sprayer, remembering not to drown your food. This will add a refreshed sheen to the highlights.

Pocket-lint

4. Rearrange your food

Don’t be afraid to rearrange the food. An ill-placed element of the dish might get in the way, so move it, twist it, make it look interesting, adding depth and texture. Try turning the plate for a different view, to expose new highlights that are interesting. 

Don’t be afraid to cut into food, but be ready to shoot: an oozing egg or juice from a steak looks really appealing, but miss the moment and you’re left with a mess. You could also try the bold addition of pepper, to add more texture, or something delicate, like a single mint leaf to the top of a creamy dessert, to add a point of interest.

5. Set the scene for your food photos

A common mistake is making things too complicated. The star of the show is the food, so don’t clutter it with too many accessories. However, a fork might make things more intimate, and two forks suggests sharing. 

An out-of-focus folk catching the light, or a glass with ice in, is a familiar hint that there’s more happening around the table. If you’re preparing the food, use a patterned plate to avoid the blandness of pure white. This will also help the balance the contrast in the photo.

Hugh Johnson/Sony

6. Vary the view

Although shooting from 45- degrees is a great way to get the best reflection of light off your food, try changing what’s in frame. 

It doesn’t have to be centred, it doesn’t have to be the whole dish, it could be that only that big juicy raspberry is in focus, or the light passing though that decorative leaf, leaving the rest to your imagination.

The Sony World Photography Awards are the world’s biggest photography awards, aiming to celebrate the best of contemporary photography. Winning and shortlisted photographers will be exhibited at Somerset House from 22 April to 8 May.

HTC’s Vive X program will invest $100 million in VR startups

HTC is aiming to jump-start VR development with its new Vive X fund, an accelerator that will support and promote startups working in the new medium. Vive X is backed by a $100 million investment fund (mostly from HTC), and it’ll kick off in Beijing next month (with San Francisco and Taipei to follow). As with most accelerator programs, it’ll offer mentorship, work space and, naturally, some investment capital to a selected group of startups. After a few months, the chosen companies will show off their projects at celebratory demo days (again, something common to this type of program).

While the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are both capable pieces of kit, they both suffer from a lack of truly great VR content. That’s basically what HTC is hoping to fix with Vive X (Facebook and Oculus are also pouring cash into VR developers). With its first Beijing program, HTC says it’s specifically focusing on companies that have already been successful in the VR world. It’s not just going to be about games, either. The company says it’s also looking into companies that are building tools and accessories for VR.

Source: HTC

The FBI won’t say how its iPhone hack works

The Wall Street Journal reports that the FBI has declined to share details with Apple regarding the method with which it broke into the infamous San Bernardino iPhone — namely because it doesn’t really know how it was done either. The FBI and Apple have been publicly battling over this phone for months now, after the federal agency sought a court order (while leveraging a 227-year-old statute to do so) that would have compelled Apple to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s work phone.

The FBI has since dropped its suit after spending $1.3 million on that mysterious “third party solution” bypassing the iPhone 5’s lock screen. Apple has since sought to have the FBI share the methodology behind the hack, which brings us to today’s news in which the FBI basically issued the legal equivalent of ¯_(ツ)_/¯.

Via: CNBC

Source: The Wall Street Journal

DARPA is developing smarter, faster armored vehicles

In response to ever-more dastardly IED technologies, America’s personnel carriers have become lot more resilient over the past few decades. However the ability for armored transports like the MRAP to take a direct blast comes at the cost of their speed, maneuverability, fuel economy, development and construction costs. That’s why DARPA has just awarded contracts to eight institutions for their help in developing a next-generation people mover that’s lighter, faster, smarter and more nimble than today’s trucks.

As you can see in the video above, these concept vehicles look nothing like what’s on today’s battlefields. They’re light enough to be carried in a Chinook’s exterior sling, utilize a high-riding four-wheel independent suspension that maximizes ground clearance. In fact, as the video points out, these vehicles could be able to access up to 95 percent of terrain, making them virtually unstoppable while rendering conventional interdiction techniques, like blowing bridges, utterly useless.

What’s more, DARPA envisions the GXV-T as being able to autonomously identify and avoid incoming threats, rather than simply take the brunt of an attack, by actively repositioning its deflecting armor. The agency also wants to integrate semi-autonomous driver assists, similar to what you’d see in a modern airliner’s cockpit, as well as 360 degree high-definition video and data feeds to give the crews greater situational awareness. And, of course, the GXV-T will leverage multiple levels of stealth technology to minimize its various energy signatures.

Both the US Army and Marine Corps have expressed interest in the vehicle, though there is no timetable yet for its development.

Source: DARPA

German city designs traffic lights for oblivious pedestrians

The German city of Augsburg has taken a novel approach to dealing with pedestrians too buried in their smartphone screens to notice traffic signals. By embedding flashing red LEDs in the sidewalks at busy pedestrian crossings, the city has moved those signals right into their line of sight.

While some Augsburgers saw the new lights as a waste of taxpayer dollars, city officials decided to install the lights after a 15-year-old girl was struck and killed by a commuter train. The local newspaper reported the girl was listening to headphones and looking at her smartphone when she walked onto the train tracks.

Helping pedestrians multi-task safely as they absentmindedly navigate the city isn’t entirely new. in 2014, the China’s Chongqing City experimented with a 165-foot long dedicated walking lane for smartphone users. In Taiwan, officials also considered distracted walking tickets for people tapping away at their phones in the country’s chaotic roadways.

Stateside, the problem might be even worse. The US Department of Transportation has identified a connection between rising pedestrian deaths and increased smartphone use, while a University of Washington study concluded that one in three Americans is busy texting, emailing, checking Facebook or otherwise lost in their phone around dangerous intersections.

Intel explains its strategy for moving beyond the PC

When Intel slashed thousands of jobs as part of its big attempt to expand beyond the PC, it left a lot of people wondering: just what is this strategy, and why is it so vital? As of today, you have a better (if imperfect) explanation. CEO Brian Krzanich has outlined that strategy in a lengthy editorial. He believes that the cloud is the most important thing forming the “smart, connected world,” and that everything revolves around it. That means fostering 5G data access, connecting the internet of things and pushing for technology that improves computing power in devices and data centers, such as ever-denser processors and extra-fast 3D memory.

To some extent, Krzanich is trying to explain what Intel has already been doing, rather than where the chip giant is going next. It’s no secret that Intel has been promoting the internet of things for years, and shrinking processor technology has been the core of its business for decades. All the same, the manifesto shows just how much Intel’s priorities have shifted away from conventional computing. While computers are still big factors, the company is well aware that it can’t depend on a sagging PC market to maintain its fortunes.

Source: Intel

Waze hack lets creeps track your driving

Waze’s community-centric navigation is supposed to help you avoid obstacles that other apps might miss, but that same technology is also creating some serious privacy issues. UC Santa Barbara researchers have found an exploit that would let an intruder track your driving in real time. After reverse-engineering Waze’s server code, the researchers found that they could create thousands of ghost drivers that monitor the real drivers around them — they can even create virtual traffic jams. The trick only works when you have the app in the foreground (Waze turned off background location sharing in January) and breaks when you turn on the invisibility mode, but that’s not going to be much comfort to drivers running the app non-stop during their commutes.

The team has been in touch with Waze about this issue for a while, and the Google-owned firm says it already tackled “some” of the concerns through some privacy protections. For instance, there’s a “cloaking” system that’s supposed to mask your actual location. However, it doesn’t appear to be all that effective — in a Fusion test, the UCSB group could trace a writer’s journey in detail. Moreover, this exploit isn’t limited to Waze. You could wreck a dating app by creating legions of robotic romantics, among other examples.

Waze is aware of the remaining flaws and hopes to fix them. Right now, one of the best options may simply be to put a limit on data requests so that one computer can’t create a fleet of fake cars. And there isn’t that much risk that you’ll be tracked, since any would-be snoop will need a general idea of where you go to get started. If you’re at all concerned that someone might want to study your movements, though, you’ll want to either use that invisible mode religiously or use another app to get from A to B.

Source: Fusion