Information apparatus (e.g., smart phone, Internet appliances, information pad, display devices) with software applications for receiving digital content from a service provided over a network (e.g., Internet) and for wirelessly playing at least part of the received digital content at a wireless output device (e.g., a Bluetooth enabled device) are herein disclosed and enabled. To receive and play the digital content, the software applications may obtain authentication information for accessing the service, receive a list of one or more digital content that is available from the service for selection on a touch sensitive screen, receive selected digital content from the list displayed on the touch sensitive screen, receive output data from the service related to the selected digital content, and then either play audio data related to the received output data at a speaker of the information apparatus or wirelessly play the audio data at the wireless output device.

Example systems and techniques disclosed herein facilitate interoperability between different media playback systems referred to herein as a virtual line-in (VLI) media playback system and a native playback system. When a VLI session is created by a VLI sender, a first native playback device can join a VLI group as a VLI receiver. As a VLI receiver, the first native playback device receives audio content and playback commands from the VLI sender to facilitate synchronous playback with other VLI receivers. At the same time, this native playback device can concurrently operate as a native domain group coordinator of a native domain synchrony group. As the native domain group coordinator, the native playback device translates VLI domain audio, control, and timing signals into the native domain and distributes such signals to native domain group members. In this way, the native domain group members can synchronize their playback with the VLI group.

Example systems and techniques disclosed herein facilitate interoperability between different media playback systems referred to herein as a virtual line-in (VLI) media playback system and a native playback system. When a VLI session is created by a VLI sender, a first native playback device can join a VLI group as a VLI receiver. As a VLI receiver, the first native playback device receives audio content and playback commands from the VLI sender to facilitate synchronous playback with other VLI receivers. At the same time, this native playback device can concurrently operate as a native domain group coordinator of a native domain synchrony group. As the native domain group coordinator, the native playback device translates VLI domain audio, control, and timing signals into the native domain and distributes such signals to native domain group members. In this way, the native domain group members can synchronize their playback with the VLI group.

Methods, systems, and media for detecting the presence of a digital media device on a network are provided. In some embodiments, methods for detecting a presence of a particular type of digital media device is provided, the methods comprising: identifying cached device details for devices previously associated with the network; performing a simple device discovery protocol (SSDP) on the network, and substantially concurrently sending a unicast message to an address associated with the identified cached digital media device using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP); and indicating the presence of a digital media device on the network in response to either (i) receiving a response to the unicast message, or (ii) determining that a type of a device discovered using SSDP is the same as the particular device type.

Methods and systems are provided for configuring or customizing settings or parameters of different media devices for compatible operations in an automated manner. An exemplary method of configuring a device for presenting media content in conjunction with a second device involves a client device detecting the device on a wireless network, identifying performance characteristics associated with the second device coupled to the device, and automatically configuring the device for operation with the second device via the wireless network and in a manner that is influenced by the performance characteristics associated with the second device. In this regard, one or more configurable parameters or settings maintained at the device and that influence its operation may be modified via the wireless network to correspond to performance characteristics of the second device, thereby facilitating compatible interoperation with the second device.

Systems, methods, and media for managing an entertainment system are provided. In some implementations, systems for managing an entertainment system are provided, the systems comprising: at least one hardware processor configured to: detect a first instruction; select a component of the entertainment system; determine a first state of the component; store an indication of the first state; detect a second instruction; retrieve the indication of the first state; generate a third instruction based on the indication of the first state; and transmit the third instruction to the component of the entertainment system.

Example techniques involve control of playback queues. A computing device may display a media controller that includes a queue area. When representations of one or more audio tracks are moved into a particular location within the queue area, they are added to the queue. The audio tracks are added to the beginning of the queue, end of the queue, or at a specific position with the queue based on the particular location within the queue area.

Example systems and techniques disclosed herein facilitate interoperability between different media playback systems referred to herein as a virtual line-in (VLI) media playback system and a native playback system. When a VLI session is created by a VLI sender, a first native playback device can join a VLI group as a VLI receiver. As a VLI receiver, the first native playback device receives audio content and playback commands from the VLI sender to facilitate synchronous playback with other VLI receivers. At the same time, this native playback device can concurrently operate as a native domain group coordinator of a native domain synchrony group. As the native domain group coordinator, the native playback device translates VLI domain audio, control, and timing signals into the native domain and distributes such signals to native domain group members. In this way, the native domain group members can synchronize their playback with the VLI group.

A method of remotely controlling an electronic device is disclosed. In some implementations, the method is performed on a server system. The server system receives, from a first electronic device, a first media control request, wherein the first electronic device provides a single user interface that allows a user to both select media content for presentation by the first electronic device and to generate media control requests for transmission to the server system; and the first electronic device also sends a second media control request to a second electronic device over a local area network to which both the first electronic device and the second electronic device are connected. The server system then sends the received first media control request to the second electronic device, distinct from the first electronic device, wherein the server system and the second electronic device are not on the same local area network.

An information apparatus that supports a touch sensitive screen for managing e-mails is disclosed and enabled. The information apparatus may include a graphical user interface, an e-mail application, an Internet browsing application, and applications for playing audio/video content. The information apparatus includes an operating system software and support for installation of new applications. In one example, a user of the information apparatus may reply to an e-mail by selecting an item over the touch sensitive screen. The user may scroll down or up an email using the touch sensitive screen. In other examples, the user may further select an item or functional control via the touch sensitive screen to output, synchronize, stream, transmit, play, print, display, or mirror at least part of digital content from the information apparatus to one or more output devices over air.