Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for representing a portion of a user interface of a web browser as a web address. In some implementations, a computing device receives a request to encode as a web address a portion of a user interface provided in a web browser at the computing device. The computing device then generates a web address to identify content of the portion of the user interface. The portion of the user interface represented by the web address includes a primary user interface component and one or more secondary user interface components associated with the primary user interface component.

A profile provider: (i) associates a primary online device (OD1) with a set-top box (STB); (ii) a location of OD1 at some point in time is estimated to be near the STB, thereby establishing a STB proxy location; (iii) one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located near the STB proxy location and are associated with the STB; and (iv) a television advertisement is selected to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. The method can be particularly advantageous in situations wherein: the STB is not connected to any computer network; the STB is not ever connected to the same local area network as OD1 or OD2; or television service (used by the STB) and online access (used by OD1 and OD2s) are provided by different service providers.

A profile provider: (i) associates a primary online device (OD1) with a set-top box (STB); (ii) a location of OD1 at some point in time is estimated to be near the STB, thereby establishing a STB proxy location; (iii) one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located near the STB proxy location and are associated with the STB; and (iv) a television advertisement is selected to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. The method can be particularly advantageous in situations wherein: the STB is not connected to any computer network; the STB is not ever connected to the same local area network as OD1 or OD2; or television service (used by the STB) and online access (used by OD1 and OD2s) are provided by different service providers.

Embodiments of this application disclose a multicast implementation method and a related network device. The method includes: sending, by a live service server, a live stream injection request to a multicast resource management server; receiving, by the live service server, a live stream injection response sent by the multicast resource management server; sending, by the live service server, a live stream injection instruction to a live stream injection node according to the live stream injection node address; receiving, by the live service server, a stream pushing address sent by the live stream injection node; and instructing, by the live service server, a live content source to send a live stream to the live stream injection node according to the stream pushing address, so that the live stream injection node corresponding to the stream pushing address multicasts the live stream by using the multicast IP address.

An electronic device and operating method thereof are provided. The electronic device includes a communicator; a memory configured to store one or more instructions; and a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory to: control the communicator to transmit, to an audio output device via one-way communication, connection information which is used for connection of two-way communication between the electronic device and the audio output device; control the communicator to receive, from the audio output device via the two-way communication, authentication information which is determined based on the connection information; control the communicator to transmit or receive a control signal to or from the audio output device, via the two-way communication, according to an authentication of the audio output device based on the received authentication information; and control the communicator to transmit an audio signal to the audio output device, via the one-way communication.

Certain examples accommodate data routing optimizations. An example method comprises receiving, by a first playback device, data to be directed to at least a second playback device, the data comprising: i) audio data and ii) non-audio data. The method comprises transmitting, by the first playback device, the non-audio data to the second playback device via a third playback device according to a network protocol for communication between the first playback device and at least the second playback device via a wireless communication link. The method further comprises determining, by the first playback device, that a signal strength of the wireless communication link is above a threshold, and in response to the determination, transmitting the audio data to the second playback device via the wireless communication link, wherein transmitting the audio data comprises transmitting the audio data over the wireless communication link not according to the network protocol.

Certain examples accommodate data routing optimizations. An example method comprises receiving, by a first playback device, data to be directed to at least a second playback device, the data comprising: i) audio data and ii) non-audio data. The method comprises transmitting, by the first playback device, the non-audio data to the second playback device via a third playback device according to a network protocol for communication between the first playback device and at least the second playback device via a wireless communication link. The method further comprises determining, by the first playback device, that a signal strength of the wireless communication link is above a threshold, and in response to the determination, transmitting the audio data to the second playback device via the wireless communication link, wherein transmitting the audio data comprises transmitting the audio data over the wireless communication link not according to the network protocol.

A profile provider: (i) associates a primary online device (OD1) with a set-top box (STB); (ii) a location of OD1 at some point in time is estimated to be near the STB, thereby establishing a STB proxy location; (iii) one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located near the STB proxy location and are associated with the STB; and (iv) a television advertisement is selected to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. The method can be particularly advantageous in situations wherein: the STB is not connected to any computer network; the STB is not ever connected to the same local area network as OD1 or OD2; or television service (used by the STB) and online access (used by OD1 and OD2s) are provided by different service providers.

A profile provider: (i) associates a primary online device (OD1) with a set-top box (STB); (ii) a location of OD1 at some point in time is estimated to be near the STB, thereby establishing a STB proxy location; (iii) one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located near the STB proxy location and are associated with the STB; and (iv) a television advertisement is selected to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. The method can be particularly advantageous in situations wherein: the STB is not connected to any computer network; the STB is not ever connected to the same local area network as OD1 or OD2; or television service (used by the STB) and online access (used by OD1 and OD2s) are provided by different service providers.

A profile provider: (i) associates a primary online device (OD1) with a set-top box (STB); (ii) a location of OD1 at some point in time is estimated to be near the STB, thereby establishing a STB proxy location; (iii) one or more secondary online devices (OD2s) are observed to be located near the STB proxy location and are associated with the STB; and (iv) a television advertisement is selected to be directed to the STB, which selection is based at least in part on profile information linked to one of the associated OD2s. The method can be particularly advantageous in situations wherein: the STB is not connected to any computer network; the STB is not ever connected to the same local area network as OD1 or OD2; or television service (used by the STB) and online access (used by OD1 and OD2s) are provided by different service providers.