A method for capturing and outputting digital content is herein disclosed and enabled, the output system includes an information apparatus, a server, and a client device. The information apparatus includes at least a digital camera and a wireless communication module (e.g., IEEE 802.11 or Bluetooth). The server is accessible by the client device over a network. The information apparatus, using the digital camera, captures digital content and transmits, over the Internet and using the wireless communication module, the digital content to the server for storage. The server generates output data from at least part of the digital content stored at the server, and provides the generated output data from the server to the client device that has security or authentication information for accessing the server. The client device outputs or plays at least part of the digital content at an output device associated with the client device.

A system and computer-implemented method for efficiently developing and testing home automation systems is provided. The system comprises one or more robotic modules configured to interact with home automation systems under test and home devices and appliances, wherein the one or more home devices and appliances are monitored by the home automation systems. The one or more robotic modules are further configured to execute test scripts received from a test automation framework in communication with the one or more robotic modules and initiate workflows based on the executed test scripts. Furthermore, the one or more robotic modules facilitate at least one of: the home automation systems and the connected home devices and appliances to perform actions based on the initiated workflows. The one or more robotic modules also forward results of the performed actions to the test automation framework for generating a report of the executed test scripts.

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.

Embodiments described herein enable the transmission of infrared (IR) signals via an AV cable containing a plurality of signal lines. In embodiments, an IR receiver, and IR emitter, and/or logic circuitry may be integrated within an AV cable (e.g., an HDMI cable) to enable transmitting signals from an IR remote control device to a media device that may be located behind a physical obstruction through which IR signals are unable to pass. By utilizing one or more signal lines of an AV cable to transmit IR signals, existing AV communication protocols may continue to be utilized in a user's home entertainment system. In this manner, a user may be able to locate one or more media devices (e.g., home entertainment devices) in a physically remote location, such as in a cabinet or closet, without sacrificing any IR signaling functionality.

Information apparatus (e.g., a smart phone) for outputting digital content, stored in the information apparatus, at an output device is herein disclosed and enabled. The information apparatus includes wireless communication circuitry for discovering one or more output devices based, at least in part, on physical proximity and short range wireless communication. Subsequent to wirelessly discovering the output devices, the information apparatus receives device dependent attributes from the discovered output devices and provides, on a touch sensitive screen interface, at least an item related to the discovered output device for selection. The device dependent attributes include information related to the output devices. After the output device is selected, the information apparatus generates output data from the digital content that is acceptable for rendering at the output device; and wirelessly transmits the generated output data to the selected output device for rendering at least part of the digital content.

An information apparatus (e.g., Internet appliance, information pad) and software applications of the information apparatus that includes digital camera or video camera and supporting voice commands for receiving and playing digital content from a service provided over a network (e.g., Internet) are herein disclosed and enabled. The mobile information apparatus may establish a wireless local area network connection to access a service over the Internet. The service may be a subscribed service. While connected to the service, the mobile information apparatus may capture, using the digital camera or video camera, digital content that includes the image or the video; send the captured the digital content to the service; and, thereafter receives, from the service, output data related to the digital content for outputting or playing at display device associated with the information apparatus.

Example techniques involve control of playback queues of a zone-based media playback system. Each zone of the media playback system may play back audio tracks from a respective queue. A control device may display a playback controller that includes multiple control interfaces to control audio playback by the one or more playback zones. When a first playback zone is being controlled, the playback controller may instruct one or more first playback devices of a first zone to play back audio tracks of a queue of the first playback zone. Example implementations may facilitate adding audio tracks to the queue.

An information processing method includes coupling, by a terminal device of a plurality of terminal devices, to a device of a plurality of devices through wireless communication; transmitting a completion notification indicating that the coupling to the device is successful to an information processing device; referring, by the information processing device, to management information in which a first identifier, a second identifier, and a connection status of connection with the plurality of terminal devices are associated with each other for each of the plurality of devices to identify the second identifier that is included in the completion notification and associated with the first identifier that is used to identify the device, by using the information processing device, transmitting the identified second identifier to the terminal device; and displaying, by the terminal device, the identified second identifier.

An output system for capturing and outputting digital content is herein disclosed and enabled. The output system includes an information apparatus (e.g., a digital capturing device or an internet appliance) for capturing digital content, a server application at a server over the Internet, and a client application at a client device for accessing the captured digital content. The information apparatus includes a wireless communication module (e.g., IEEE 802.11 or Bluetooth) for transmitting the captured digital content to the server. The server application generates output data from the captured digital content for sending to the client device for outputting or playing at least part of the output data at an output device associated with the client device. Receipt of the output data is dependent on the client application having provided security or authentication information and payment or subscription information to the server.

A set of media playback and device settings data from each home appliance of a first set of home appliances is stored on a central server and/or sent to a remote control device upon initiation of a suspend command by a user. The stored media and devices states may be used at a later time to control the first set of home appliances, or a user may, after relocating to a second set of home appliances, initiate a resume state command whereupon media playback and device settings data from the central server and/or remote control device controls each home appliance in the second set of home appliances to bring about the same or substantially similar media and device states as in the first set of home appliances.