Sky Kids app now has offline viewing to help with school holidays travelling
Sky Kids for Android and iOS now offers offline viewing. You can download the shows and films available on the application to keep children entertained over school holiday trips and beyond.
Customers with either a Sky Go Extra, Sky Multiscreen or Sky Q subscription can download programmes for their kids to watch when there is no internet connection.
These include series from Nick Jr, Boomerang and Cartoon Network, including Top Cat, Paw Patrol and Adventure Time.
Of course, parents with the above accounts can already download children’s programming on the Sky Go application itself, but Sky Kids puts all that content in a neat and handy place. It also presents it in a format that youngsters will appreciate and find easier to navigate.
- Sky Kids app ‘Buddies’ bring TV and on demand fun to the little ones
- Sky Q features coming to Sky+, here’s what to expect in Homepage refresh
In addition to offline viewing, the Sky Kids app now also includes a Sleep Mode feature. The app can be set to turn off when it has been used for a set amount of time. It will warn a child five minutes before closing down.
The app is available on Google Play and the iTunes App Store and will work over 3G and 4G connections, as well as Wi-Fi. It can be used by any Sky customer with a Sky Family or Variety bundle. However, downloads are only available to those with Sky Go Extra, Sky Multiscreen as well.
Sky Q customers can use all features of the app.
At internetmatters.org parents can find all the advice they will need to keep their children safe online. Designed specifically for parents, the site offers a wealth of up-to-date, unbiased information and advice about how to deal with online safety. Parents can learn about the latest issues and technologies, get great tips on how to talk about online safety with their children and get the best advice on dealing with issues and taking action. Created with experts, Internet Matters provides detailed information, but also signposts to best-in-class resources from individual expert organisations. Our goal is to ensure parents can always access the information that they need, in a format that is clear and concise.
Microsoft gives Groove for iOS and Android a facelift
Microsoft’s Groove apps for iOS and Android weren’t quite as good as the Windows version, but this update was designed to change that. The company has given its music apps for both platforms a facelift that makes them look more like their Windows counterpart. It also bundled a handful of new features with it. The apps now have an Explore view listing the most popular songs, and they now take on a higher resolution when scaled up on big phones. Microsoft also promises faster downloads for offline playbacks and various improvements.
By the way, don’t be alarmed if your app starts rebuilding your collection from scratch after installing the update. Microsoft support engineer Ellen Kilbourne says the changes are so big, their database “must be rebuilt in order to move forward.” It will only take a minute or two anyway — you can start using Groove as usual after it’s done.
Via: The Digital Lifestyle
Source: Microsoft, iTunes, Google Play
Sky Kids app lets you download shows for the open road
It’s hot and you still have another few hours on the road. The kids are starting to fidget and have already grown tired of Minecraft: Pocket Edition on their iPads. What to do? Well, if you’re a Sky subscriber, there’s always Sky Kids. The child-centric streaming app launched in March and is getting a handy new feature today — offline playback. So before you set off in the car, you can download a bunch of episodes (or seasons) to keep them entertained. The catch? You’ll need a Sky Go Extra or Sky Multiscreen account. Otherwise, you’re still reliant on Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G streaming.
Source: Sky
Uber will use high-res satellite imagery to improve pickups
Uber will soon use high-resolution satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe to help drivers find passengers. According to a press release from DigitalGlobe, the ridesharing company will use its satellites “to help identify and improve pickup and drop-off locations.” Uber recently bought mapping company deCarta and is using Microsoft’s Bing vehicle imagery tech, so the DigitalGlobe deal will further extend its mapping efforts.
DigitalGlobe was the company that convinced the US government to lift its image resolution restrictions on private satellites. Shortly after, it launched its WorldView-3 constellation that can detect images as small as 12 inches (30cm) across. It can also scan short-wave infrared frequencies, letting it see forest fires through smoke that would block other satellites, for instance.
There’s no mention of Uber’s ambitious self-driving vehicles in relation to the high-resolution imagery, but mapping is clearly key to the program. And unlike Google Maps or other sat views, DigitalGlobe can provide current maps with more detail than other private systems.
Uber has been criticized for misusing its “God View” to secretly follow clients, but now lets you opt out of any tracking. It’s unlikely that the DigitalGlobe tech could be used to track anyone, given that you’d need to rent a satellite for a fixed period, which is bound to cost a fortune. With Uber’s recent, possibly illegal efforts to dig up dirt on lawyers suing it, however, the company’s shown it’s not afraid to explore questionable options.
Via: Gizmodo
Source: DigitalGlobe
Pluto stamp earns world record for traveling 3 billion miles
“Pluto: Not Yet Explored” is the envy of all stampkind. It has officially earned a Guinness World Record for the farthest distance traveled by a postage stamp after journeying for 3.26 billion miles aboard the New Horizons. NASA stuck it aboard the probe when it took off in 2006 but has since issued new ones celebrating the spacecraft’s successful exploration of the dwarf planet.
The “Pluto – Explored!” series features an image of the probe itself and a photo it took of the celestial body that shows its famous heart-shaped region. Cute, but they still got nothing on that one lucky piece of paper that’s now on its way to Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69. By the time it reaches the icy rock that might be one of the oldest objects in our solar system, the stamp would have added a billion more miles to its journey.
While it took almost a decade for the stamp to reach Pluto, it still got there at an incredible speed: New Horizons went past the moon within nine hours, whereas the Apollo 11 took three days to get to its destination. Guinness World adjudicator Jimmy Coggins said that if the Pony Express tried to deliver a letter to a destination 3 billion miles away, “they would be swapping ponies out for the next 47,000 years…”
Via: Space
Source: USPS, NASA
Deezer Music Streaming Service Launches Nationwide in the U.S.
French music streaming service Deezer officially opened its doors to the U.S. market on Tuesday, meaning for the first time, anyone in the States can sign up for a $10-a-month subscription.
Previously the service was only available to U.S. customers if they owned a Sonos system and paid $20 a month for Deezer Elite, or if they signed up to promotion deals through Bose and Cricket Wireless.
A Deezer Premium+ subscription offers similar features to Apple Music and Spotify, such as unlimited streaming of its 40 million-track library, machine-generated and human-curated playlists, offline listening, and access to music lyrics. Over 40,000 podcasts and radio stations (including personalized station service Flow) are also included.
Deezer offers an ad-supported free tier in other countries, but users in the U.S. only have access to the paid tier. A 30-day free trial is available however.
iOS users can avoid the App Store surcharge for signing up to the service through the Deezer app ($12.99 per month) by visiting the website instead, where the Deezer Premium+ 30-day trial is also available. Users then pay $9.99 a month and can cancel anytime. The Deezer Elite high-definition service remains exclusive to Sonos speaker owners.
Deezer currently has over 6 million users worldwide, about half that of Apple Music and around a fifth of Spotify’s total paying customers. The service will also have to compete with the likes of Tidal and Google Play, as well as online radio station Pandora, which currently has over 80 million free monthly listeners.
Tag: Deezer Music
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Brazilian Supreme Court Upholds WhatsApp Users’ Right to Encrypted Chat
WhatsApp was forced offline in Brazil yesterday after Facebook failed to provide a court with chat logs related to a criminal investigation – only for the block to be lifted hours later.
The blocking order by Brazilian judge Daniela Barbosa came after Facebook argued that it could not provide the court with the requested data since all messages relayed through the service are end-to-end encrypted.
Barbosa apparently took issue with the nature of the response, accusing Facebook of treating the country like a “banana republic” and criticizing WhatsApp for replying to the court via email and in English, “as if this was the official language of this country.” She then ordered the company to pay $50,000 per day until it complied with the court order to release the information.
However, in a matter of hours, the judge’s order was struck down by the country’s Supreme Court, which ruled that the lower court’s order to ban WhatsApp was unreasonable and disproportionate. As TechCrunch notes, the ruling suggests Brazil’s highest court favors an open internet, even if that means embracing encryption.
This is the fourth time a judge has ordered that WhatsApp be taken offline in the country, only for access to be reinstated soon after. The last order occurred in May and blocked the messaging service in Brazil for 72 hours, affecting over 100 million people.
“In recent months, people from all across Brazil have rejected judicial blocks of services like WhatsApp,” said a WhatsApp spokesperson. “Indiscriminate steps like these threaten people’s ability to communicate, to run their businesses, and to live their lives. As we’ve said in the past, we cannot share information we don’t have access to.”
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Tag: WhatsApp
Discuss this article in our forums
BT down: this is why your broadband isn’t working
If you’re trying to get online with BT Broadband today, you might be experiencing some problems. The provider has confirmed that it’s suffering from network issues that are affecting subscribers across the UK. Website reporting service Down Detector has collated thousands of complaints from across London, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Leicester, Bristol and Nottingham.
The issue is linked to BT’s DNS servers, which help route traffic on the internet. Some users have reported that if you change your DNS server to Google’s Public DNS addresses (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4), you may be able to get back online. VPN connections may also work too. We’ve contacted BT to ascertain how long it expects connections to be down, we’ll update this article when we know more.
Some BT Broadband customers have reported problems accessing websites this morning. Sorry, we’re aware of a problem & working to fix asap
— BTCare (@BTCare) July 20, 2016
Android Auto is heading to Koenigsegg, Lada, and Borgward
Upcoming Koenigsegg, Lada, and Borgward cars will feature Android Auto in-car infotainment systems. Koenigsegg is the most notable addition in the list, with the luxury manufacturer joining the likes of Lamborghini and Maserati in supporting the platform.
As spotted on Reddit, the latest addition brings the total number of manufacturers that have committed to Android Auto to over 50. Borgward is an interesting vendor in the list, as the company shut down in 1961. The brand has seen a resurgence last year, introducing new SUVs that will be available starting 2018. When it comes to Lada, Top Gear has you covered.
There you go folks. No reason not to buy the Regera now.
All About Android Auto
- Getting started with Android Auto
- List of compatible phones and cars
- Android Auto news
- Apps that work with Android Auto
- Join the Android Auto discussion!
Sky Q features coming to Sky+, here’s what to expect in Homepage refresh
Sky isn’t just concentrating on Sky Q these days, after all the vast majority of its customers have Sky+HD boxes. Sky Q might be getting 4K soon, but Sky+ customers will also benefit from a user interface refresh that’ll add several features to tie their boxes in with Sky’s premium service.
The latest software update has started rolling out to customers now, with everyone expected to have received it by the end of August. You might be one of the lucky few to see it on your Sky+HD box already. You need to have it hooked up to the internet to receive the update, but if you do and it’s still not arrived, you will get it over the next month.
So what new features are included? Here we explain what you will see on your box after the update.
Sky+HD changes: Redesigned Homepage
As well as look nicer, with a new design, the new Homepage gets an editorially curated Top Picks section. This is something that has been part of the Sky Q proposition from the start.
Top Picks will give you recommended viewing suggestions from a swathe of entertainment channels, including Sky Atlantic and Fox. It will also include TV box sets, sporting highlights, kids’ favourites and other content from throughout the catalogue depending on which channels and services you subscribe to.
Sky+HD changes: Download next
Another feature Sky Q customers will be making use of is the ability to download the next programme in a series while you are watching the previous one. For example, if you are watching Entourage from the box sets section, the next episode will download to your Sky+HD box automatically as you watch so you can just continue binge viewing.
Sky
Sky+HD changes: Continue watching
A Continue tab will be added to the Planner. It gives you the option to pick up from where you last left off in a series.
- What is Sky Q, how much does it cost and how can I get it?
- Sky Q review: The future of multi-room television?
- How to get your Sky Q box ready for 4K Ultra HD movies, sport and TV
- Sky Q summer update detailed: 4K Ultra HD, new episode pointers and more
Sky+HD changes: Viewing progress bar
A new blue bar appears across recordings in the Planner. It shows how far you’ve previously watched of a specific programme.
Sky+HD changes: Radio
The Radio section now has its own tab in the TV guide.
Sky+HD changes: Search
Search is now located at the top of the Homepage.
Sky+HD changes: Services Homepage
The Services Homepage has been redesigned and the Sky Guide can now be customised. The Services button on the remote control now gives you direct access to Accessibility, Parental Control & PIN, Radio, Settings Options, Get Sky Products, My Account and the Help menus.
You might find a few other small tweaks and fixes in the update. Sky will also bring further updates and features in time as it continues to support its boxes.
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