How to enable family sharing on YouTube TV

You can share your monthly online cable subscription with up to five other people.

Did you know that a $35-a-month subscription to YouTube TV gets you access for your friends and family, too? Google lets you share your membership with up to five people at no additional cost. You can easily create a family group and manage it as you need, though you can only do so from the web. Here’s how.

Go to https://tv.youtube.com/?settings=personal.
Under Account, click Set Up to get to your Family sharing settings.
You’ll be taken to the Family sharing page where you can start inviting people to your group.

When your friends or family members open the invitation in their inbox, they’ll be asked to sign in with their Google account to complete the setup. Afterward, they’ll be able to access YouTube TV through a desktop browser at tv.youtube.com, or through the mobile app on Android or iPhone with their login credentials.

What is YouTube TV, anyway?

Confused as to what YouTube TV is, anyway? Be sure to read up on our primer and then follow up where we compare two streaming apps that bring live television straight to your smartphone.

Read: YouTube TV vs. Sling TV

PlayStation E3 2017 press conference: When is it and will it be streamed live online?

E3 2017 is coming up fast, with the videogames show officially opening its doors on starting on Tuesday 13 June.

But this year the action starts on the Saturday beforehand, earlier than ever before. There are press events taking place across the weekend, with many of the regulars switching dates and times.

Thankfully, Sony isn’t one of them. It will be hosting its PlayStation E3 Media Showcase in same timeslot adhered to in many years.

There is bound to be a livestream on the day too, so here are the time and date details to ensure you mark it in your calendar.

• E3 2017: Rumours and what to expect from the world’s biggest games show

When is the Sony PlayStation E3 Media Showcase?

Sony will host its annual E3 press conference on Monday 12 June at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall. It’s the same location used last year.

The press conference itself starts at 6pm (PT). That’s 2am, Tuesday 13 June in the UK, sorry.

It traditionally runs for two hours.

Pocket-lint has received an official invitation so we’ll be bringing you our thoughts as it happens.

Sony

Is there a Sony PlayStation E3 2017 Media Briefing livestream?

There will undoubtedly be several places where you will be able to watch the PlayStation E3 conference live. And we are likely to be hosting it here on Pocket-lint too, as usual.

Last year, Sony also screened the event live in over 80 movie theatres in the US and Canada. Watch out for local information as to whether that’ll happen again and if you need to apply to get tickets.

Apple Launches Business Chat in iOS 11 Developer Preview

Apple revealed more details of its new Business Chat feature for iMessage at a WWDC developer preview on Friday. Coming in iOS 11, Business Chat allows real customer service representatives to communicate directly with users, making the feature separate from existing AI chat bot systems.

Users send the first message to start a Business Chat conversation by tapping Message icons that appear beside the names of businesses in Spotlight searches, Siri, and Maps, or by scanning a relevant QR code with their phone’s camera. These actions switch them into the Messages app, where the business can offer products for sale, provide appointment scheduling options, and send notifications to customers in the related chat thread, among other services.

In addition to connecting the user with a business, the Message icons or QR codes can carry specific information that links the user with a particular geographic location, or a related product or service, and can even provide the customer service representative with the user’s first language and any existing customer account details, including past orders and security questions.

To further the conversation, Siri’s predictive text bar above the onscreen keyboard can offer up personal details like phone numbers or addresses to the user in case they want to share the information with the business. Elsewhere, a new Time Picker feature in Business Chat makes it easy for customers to select appointment times, while a List Picker lets users choose sale items, like clothes or groceries, with Apple Pay on hand as a convenient payment method.

To help businesses assist customers, Apple is also letting them build their own custom iMessage App extensions. One demonstration given on stage was of an airline seat selector app that allowed the user to tap where they wanted to sit in the cabin when booking a flight.

Crucially, businesses can only send notifications to users who have already initiated contact, and the customer can choose to turn off notifications of incoming messages, delete the chat thread entirely, or simply block the company from communicating with them outright.

Business Chat is set to compete with similar services offered by the likes of Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Skype, but Apple has the distinct advantage of offering it as a native feature in iOS 11, which will eventually come pre-installed on new devices and will likely enjoy a high adoption rate by millions of existing users when it is released in the fall.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Tags: iMessage, Business Chat
Discuss this article in our forums

Sky Q tips and tricks: how to get the most from your set-top box

There’s no denying that the way we consume media has changed dramatically over the past few years. With the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, entertainment is increasingly on-demand, allowing you to access your favourite movies and TV shows whenever you want.

As a result, it’s easy to view traditional broadcasters as outdated. However, Sky changed that mindset with the Q set-top box. It lets you record more of your favourite shows, stream offline content via an app, access a library full of on-demand media and watch shows on several devices.

Vying to be the ultimate home entertainment device, Q gives you an easy, flexible way to enjoy a wide variety of TV shows, movies, music and sports. However, it’s packed full with features that can be pretty overwhelming if you’re a just getting started. In this guide, we provide you with a host of great tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the device.

Using the Touch remote

To make flicking through shows easier and quicker, Sky has kitted out Q with its very own touch remote. Like the new Apple TV, it sports a touchpad for navigating the box’s menus.

The remote acts in a similar way to a games console D-pad: you can swipe left, right, up and down to go through channels and options. But there’s also a quick-scroll feature to help you find things faster and with ease. Just swipe and hold, and it’ll begin to scroll for you.

To select an item with the remote, you simply press the touchpad, and there’s also a dismiss option (which looks a bit like an arrow) so you can cancel shows at any time.Turning on the Q is a case of pressing the power button quickly, although you can program it to control your actual TV’s power too. For that, simply long press the same button.

Voice search

Going through countless menus and channels to find the TV show or movie you’re looking for can be extremely frustrating, but Q has you covered with its voice search feature. Now, you can tell Q what you want to watch, and it should be able to do the rest.

To access this feature, press the search button located on the side of the remote. While holding it down, say what show you want to access, and it’ll begin the search. You can look for almost any TV show or movie, and generally speaking, the feature just works.

Saving disk space

If you’re constantly downloading and recording shows on the box, it’s easy for it to become clogged up and slow down. By default, shows download in HD, and that can take up memory. To maximise Q’s disk space, you can tweak your settings to make content download in SD quality.

While the quality won’t be as good, you’ll save lots of memory and be able to store even more shows. To do that, you need to go into the ‘settings’ menu, click on ‘preferences’ and switch the download format to SD.

Setting parental controls

When it comes to using Sky Q as a family entertainment device, you may want to set up parental controls to ensure that your children only have access to age-appropriate shows. Go into the ‘Settings’ menu, and find the ‘Parental’ section.

You’ll find a few different options in there. Depending on the age of your kids, you can create a pin to stop them from accessing adult content that’s played before 8pm. This will also prevent them from making purchases in the Sky Store. There’s a setting to block adult content altogether too.

Using Sky Sports split screens

Bit of a footy or F1 fan? Then you’re going to like the Sky Sports split-screen feature, which is now available to Sky Q subscribers. This lets you watch matches, results and replays side-to-side. Depending whether or not you have a Sky Q 1TB or 2TB box, you can get this feature up and running by clicking the red button on your remote and opening the Sky Sports app.

Fluid viewing with live TV

Fluid Viewing is one of Sky Q’s leading features. Using it, you can resume a show in a different room on one of Sky’s Mini boxes or mobile device. Although it only works with recorded shows, it’s still a really useful feature. To get it to work, you need to record a show by clicking red button twice.

Switching to the previous channel

With the Q, Sky introduced a number of changes. The option to select the previous channel is one of them. Before, you’d just press the left arrow button on the old remote, but that’s not the case anymore. Now you need to press the right one, or swipe right if you have the touch remote.

Undeleting content

There’s nothing more annoying than deleting something by mistake. Luckily, you can get retrieve old content by heading into ‘Recordings’ and clicking on ‘Deleted’. In here, you should see all the shows you’ve previously removed. Just press ‘undelete’, and it’ll move back into your recordings list.

Finding your lost remote

The Sky Q remote is an powerful piece of kit, and while it can do loads of amazing things, that’s not to say you won’t misplace it like any other bit of tech. If this happens, press the ‘Q’ button on your box, and the remote will beep for 30 seconds. You should then be able to prize it out from between the sofa cushions.

Prevent automatic downloads

As is the case with most streaming platforms, when you finish watching a TV episode, the next one will play or download automatically. Obviously, this can take up memory, and it may happen when you’re only dipping in and out of a particular series. To avoid this, you can turn off ‘auto downloading’ by going into ‘Settings’ and selecting ‘Setup & Preferences’.

Overhauled Podcast App in iOS 11 to Bring Richer User Experience and Listener Analytics

In a Friday session at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple revealed some major updates to is native Podcasts app that will be coming in iOS 11. Some of the changes will affect podcast listeners, while others should make it easier for podcasters to learn more about their audience’s listening habits.

As mentioned at Apple’s WWDC Keynote earlier this week, the Podcasts app is getting an overhaul in iOS 11. Along with a new interface and better title handling, changes to the way Apple’s podcast feed works should make for an improved experience for the end user, as Six Colors’ Jason Snell explained in a blog post on Friday:

New extensions to Apple’s podcast feed specification will allow podcasts to define individual seasons and explain whether an episode is a teaser, a full episode, or bonus content. These extensions will be read by the Podcast app and used to present a podcast in a richer way than the current, more linear, approach. (Since podcast feeds are just text, other podcast apps will be free to follow Apple’s lead and also alter how they display podcasts based on these tags.)

Thanks to the new extensions, users will be able to download full seasons, and the Podcasts app will know if a podcast is supposed to be listened to in chronological order or if the most recent downloaded episode is the most relevant to the listener.

The other updates revealed on Friday are more relevant to podcasters. Notably, Apple is launching in-episode analytics, which will enable podcasters to discover how many people are listening to their episodes and where in the app listeners are stopping and skipping. The analytics will use anonymized data to ensure user privacy while allowing podcasters to know more about listening habits, like how many people skip ads, or how long a podcast runs before listeners lose interest.

The redesigned Podcasts app will come will iOS 11, which Apple is releasing in the fall. A public beta of the operating system is expected later this month.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Tag: Podcasts
Discuss this article in our forums

Chrome OS is ready to use printers without the cloud

Despite decades of attempts to straighten out the connections between printers and computers, it’s a situation that always (at least for me) seems to have an extra complication. On Chrome OS, ever since launch it has by default relied on Google Cloud Print and compatible printers to get the job done, but now that version 59 has reached the Stable release channel, it’s a little easier to use.

That’s because it has a new ability for “Native Printing,” which basically means that it can connect directly to compatible printers on your network, without the need for any cloud connection at all. Some manufacturers and third parties have been getting around the cloud print requirement with extensions like this one, but now support is built in and available to everyone.

You’ll need to know your printer’s IP address to make things work, as well as which protocol it supports. According to Google’s FAQ, for most printers that will be IPP, which is what allows many printers to connect to other devices like your phone or tablet. As Chrome OS spreads throughout schools and businesses, the ability to work with existing hardware has become more important, and at least now you’re probably not looking at a printer replacement along with your new operating system.

Source: Chrome Releases Blog

BBC iPlayer: tips, tricks and other useful features

The BBC has been at the forefront of broadcasting and entertainment since it launched in March 1922. Just over a decade ago, the broadcaster launched iPlayer, which quickly became one of the most popular ways to download and stream TV and radio shows in the UK. Available on a variety of smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs, the platform allows you to catch-up on the BBC’s extensive range of programming.

Of course, it’s come a long way since its launch in 2007. Not only has the BBC continued to add new shows and channels to iPlayer, the app itself has also undergone numerous redesigns and received new features over the years. More recently, it’s placed an emphasis on 4K Ultra HD content, and BBC Three has become a digital-only channel. If you’re new to the service or just want to watch the latest episode of Eastenders, here are some tips and tricks to get the most out of the BBC’s popular streaming service.

Make sure you’re signed up

While you don’t have to sign up for a BBC account to use iPlayer, you can end up missing out on many extra features and functionalities. By creating a free account, you’re able to sync your favourite shows and channels across your devices, and you’ll also get personalised recommendations. You’re asked for your postcode and personal details when you sign up, but that’s only so the broadcaster can send you relevant information, rather than tracking the things you do (at least for now.

Getting around

You shouldn’t have any issues when it comes to using the iPlayer app, either. The user interface not only looks fresh, but it’s also easy to use. To access all the different channels, categories and TV guide, you just press the ‘menu’ button located in the top left corner of the app, or you can drag it down. What’s more, you can use the search category to find a particular programme, and the My Programmes section lists shows you’ve previously watched, downloaded and bookmarked.

Language and location

Depending where you live, you also have the option to change the app’s location and region. You can do this by going into the app’s settings, which can be accessed via the top right corner. Here, you’ll find regions such as London and the West, as well as options for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Language options include Welsh, Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic.

Live TV

It’s possible to access live television through iPlayer as well. To do that, go to the ‘TV channels’ section and click on the channel icons. These are located on the left. Once you click on a programme, a video window should pop up and start within a few seconds. You’ll need a good connection, as always, and it offers the option to pause and rewind shows.

TV License changes

You’ll also want to be aware of the new License Fee changes, which came into place last year. Before, you only had to pay this fee if you wanted to access live programmes through iPlayer. However, now you need a license for all aspects of the app. Currently, the License Fee costs £147, although it can be paid monthly. This tends to change every few years to be in line with inflation.

Programme information

Most people like to know more about what they’re watching, and iPlayer makes this easy. You can get details on a programme’s plot, its duration and how many days it’s available on iPlayer under the playback screen. There are also options to download, share, buy [this might be going away with the closure of the BBC Store, can you check?] and add shows. If you want to set up subtitles, simple press the ‘S’ icon on the programme you’re watching.

Watching shows in HD

The new iPlayer app will also play shows in HD automatically. Currently, the broadcaster’s HD resolution is at 1280×720 — not Full HD — for laptops and smartphones. When you experience Wi-Fi troubles or low bandwidth, the video will be switched to a standard resolution, so you’ll want to ensure you have a sufficient internet connection.

Using Series Record

There’s nothing more annoying than missing your favourite programme, but the BBC iPlayer Downloads desktop app will make sure this never happens again. To get this up and running, you need to click on the ‘settings’ menu, find ‘series record’ and press ‘on’. When you get it working, selected programmes will download automatically.

Virgin V6: how to get the most out of your set-top box

In the home TV entertainment market, Sky and Virgin have been competing with each other for years. Then came the rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, and suddenly everything changed.

To stay ahead of the curve, Sky launched the Q set-top box, which offers on-demand shows and a multi-room viewing experience. For while, it was the only next-generation box available and easily beat the traditional TiVo box offered by Virgin Media. However, Virgin Media is now taking the fight to its biggest rival with the V6.

The V6 is Virgin Media’s smallest, smartest and fastest TV box yet. It’s half the size of the company’s previous TiVo box, it comes with 10 times more power, 4K support, HDR output, an intelligent multi-room system and other cool features. Whether you already own one or are looking to upgrade, here’s how you can get the most out of the V6 box.

Virgin TV Anywhere app

The Virgin TV Anywhere app, which is available for Android and iOS devices, brings some cool features to the V6. For instance, you can watch live TV shows and on-demand boxsets anywhere in your home. You just have to have to ensure your box is connected to a WiFi connection.

As is the case with the Sky Q, you can also watch selected recordings around your home and offline. What’s also neat is that you can set, cancel and delete recordings using the app, which is useful when you’re out and about.

While the V6 does come with a remote, you have the ability to control the box with the app too. It adopts a gesture-controlled system, so you can go through shows and menus seamlessly. To enable this, you need to make sure the box’s standby settings are set as Connected Low Power or Always On.

Record six shows simultaneously

It can be pretty annoying when you want to record several programmes, but they end up clashing. You can avoid this situation, to a point, with the V6 as the box is capable of recording six shows simultaneously.

What’s more, you can do this while watching a seventh recording, or you can stream a show through a service like Netflix or Amazon Prime. You don’t have to worry about memory, either. The 1TB box supports 500 hours of SD recordings and 100 hours of HD recordings.

A smarter remote

Like Sky Q, the V6 comes with a beefed-up remote. It uses RF technology, so you don’t have to constantly point it at the box in order for it to work. That means you can hide the box away in a cupboard, as opposed to having it on show.

It’s pretty easy to end up losing technology, so you’ll be happy to know that the box comes with a ‘find my remote’ feature. All you have to do is press a special button on the box, and the remote will start beeping.

Movie store and children’s channel

Sky has always been known for its large variety of shows, movies and rentals it offers, but Virgin is slowly catching up. With the V6, you can get direct access to the new Virgin Media Store. Here, you can purchase popular TV shows and movies.

If you do end up downloading one, you’ll be sent a copy of the DVD in the post as well. That’s something Sky has offered for a while now, so it’s great to see Virgin doing the same thing. There’s also a kids’ channel too, which blocks out adult-focused ads and shows.

Ultra HD ready

Unlike previous Virgin TV boxes, the V6 supports 4K television. That means you can watch and stream shows in Ultra HD. As well as Virgin content, the Netflix and YouTube apps also offer 4K support. To ensure that you get the best picture, all V6 boxes sport HDR.

Multi-room

Multi-room support means you can start watching a programme in one room, and continue it in another. That’s pretty useful if you end up leaving your living room to, say, make a cup of coffee and happen to have a TV in your kitchen. Recordings can also be resumed on a mobile device through the Virgin TV Anywhere app.

Intelligent search

Looking for a specific TV show or movie can be a pain, but this is something you can avoid with the V6’s smart search feature. You can access it by clicking a dedicated button on the remote. Then you’ll be able to search for content across all of Virgin’s apps.

SeriesLink+ is another useful feature available on the V6. It lets you look for TV shows across a variety of apps and see which episodes are available to download. You can also find out shows you’ve already recorded or downloaded, helping you avoid duplicate content.

‘Black Panther’ trailer previews a technologically advanced Wakanda

Tonight during the NBA Finals Disney/Marvel dropped the first trailer for next year’s Black Panther movie. Directed by Ryan Coogler, it will be the first flick to take us into the fictional African nation of Wakanda. Chadwick Boseman takes the title role, serving as king and protector of the isolationist nation where technology has progressed apart from the rest of the world.

As a result, the vision of a technologically advanced society we’ll see here differs from other flicks like this year’s Ghost in the Shell or Blade Runner 2049. Since it’s still a teaser trailer, there were only brief glimpses of a flying vehicle over a cityscape and advanced weaponry, but it’s more than enough to show that this one will be a bit different than other Marvel Cinematic Universe movies when it debuts February 16th, 2018.

Source: Marvel (YouTube)

Levar Burton is reading to you again on his new podcast

In a world where everyone has a podcast (or two — you’ve subscribed to ours, right?), this new one is interesting. Levar Burton is joining the game with a new weekly storytelling podcast that should take millennials right back to their Reading Rainbow childhoods. Levar Burton Reads will be available for free on all platforms beginning June 13th, however starting with episode two, it will appear on Stitcher Premium a week early.

Since being acquired from Deezer by EW Scripps last year the app is (following the lead of others like Spotify and Google Play) investing in original podcasts, including this one. Whether you’re a paid subscriber or not, following the podcast should be pretty easy (RSS, iTunes, Stitcher), unless you just want to wait for Burton to appear at an Engadget event again.

Check out the official trailer for “LeVar Burton Reads.” Ep. 1 debuts June 13 everywhere you listen to podcasts. https://t.co/Squ8CHaqCo pic.twitter.com/lmRzPPVf5V

— Stitcher (@Stitcher) June 10, 2017

Source: Levar Burton Reads