System and methods for facilitating content watch parties may include a sync server having a server CPU, a host user device, a client user device, and a content provider. The content provider may first provide a first portion of the content independently to the host user device and the client user device. The content provider may second provide a second portion of the content to the host user device and the client user device. The first providing of the first portion of the content may occur separately of the second providing of the second portion of the content. The sync server may synchronize the second providing of the second portion of the content to the client user device to facilitate substantially simultaneously presentations of the second portion of the content by the host user device and the client user device.

A digital signage system allows a person to use the person's own mobile device as a voice input device to the digital signage system and also can leverage the person's mobile device in other ways such as by accepting other inputs from the mobile device, providing various outputs to the mobile device, or utilizing communication capabilities of the mobile 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.

A control device is configured to (i) display transport controls to control playback by the control device, (ii) after connecting to a LAN, determine that one or more playback devices are connected to the LAN, (iii) detect input(s) to transfer playback to a particular playback device connected to the LAN, (iv) cause playback to be transferred to the particular playback device, including: (a) causing first cloud server(s) to transmit, to the particular playback device, resource locator(s) maintained in a shared playback queue, the resource locator(s) corresponding to respective locations of media content at second cloud server(s) of a streaming content service, (b) causing playback at the control device to be stopped, and (c) modifying the transport controls to control playback by the particular playback device, and (v) cause the particular playback device to retrieve the media content from second cloud server(s) of a streaming content service and play back the retrieved media content.

An electronic device and method are disclosed. The electronic device includes: a communication circuit for transceiving data, a charging circuit for receiving power via an electrical connection, and controlling a communication channel operative through the electrical connection, a memory, and a processor. The processor implements the method, including: receiving, via the charging circuit, and through the electrical connection, connection information of a first external electronic device for communicatively connecting to the first external electronic device, from a second external electronic device into which the electronic device is inserted and receiving power via the charging circuit, transmitting, via the charging circuit, and through the electrical connection, connection information of the electronic device for communicatively connecting to the first external electronic device, to the second external electronic device, and storing the connection information of the first external electronic device in the memory.

An electronic apparatus comprises: a display; a communication interface; a memory to store first user information corresponding to the electronic apparatus and information of a plurality of other users, respectively; and a processor which controls the display to display recommended content determined based on the first user information, and in response to a content being selected from among the recommended content displayed on the display, controls the display to display identification information corresponding to at least one other user to whom the content selected is displayable based on the plurality of pieces of other users' information, and in response to identification information corresponding to a second user being selected from among the displayed identification information, controls the communication interface to transmit, to an external terminal of the second user, a request signal so that the selected content is displayable on the external terminal of the second user.

System and methods for facilitating content watch parties may include a sync server having a server CPU, a host user device, a client user device, and a content provider. The content provider may first provide a first portion of the content independently to the host user device and the client user device. The content provider may second provide a second portion of the content to the host user device and the client user device. The first providing of the first portion of the content may occur separately of the second providing of the second portion of the content. The sync server may synchronize the second providing of the second portion of the content to the client user device to facilitate substantially simultaneously presentations of the second portion of the content by the host user device and the client user device.

A video receiver apparatus, for receiving video from a video transmitter apparatus, comprises: a memory portion for memorizing receiver apparatus information of the video receiver apparatus; and a transmitter/receiver portion for receiving a request for obtaining the receiver apparatus information transmitted from the video transmitter apparatus, and also for transmitting the receiver apparatus information memorized in the memory portion responding to the obtaining request, and wherein, further within the memory portion is memorized history information, changing depending on alternation of the receiver apparatus information, and wherein the receiver portion is able to receive the history information, which the video transmitter apparatus holds therein, as well as, the obtaining request from the video transmitter, and when the received history information from the video transmitter apparatus and the history information, which the video transmitter apparatus holds therein, are inconsistent with each other, then the receiver apparatus information memorized in the memory portion is transmitted to the video transmitter apparatus.

A method for presenting information includes receiving a specified digital value for display, assigning to a set of colors respective digital codes comprising respective binary values representing three primary color components of the colors, and encoding the specified digital value by combining at least four of the digital codes while selecting the colors such that none of the binary values is constant over all of the selected colors. A symbol is presented for imaging by a computing device, the symbol comprising at least four regions meeting at a common vertex and having the colors selected so as to encode the specified digital value using the respective digital codes

Systems and methods for enhancing user experience in accessing media of a certain content type by outputting the media on a nearby device that is better suited for access. For example, a media guidance application may determine that a user is accessing, on his/her smartphone, a digital page (e.g., a website, a newsfeed, etc.) that features embedded content (e.g., photos, movies, music, etc.). In response to determining that the user has navigated to an embedded content, such as a video clip, the media guidance application may determine a device in the vicinity of the user that is better suited than the user's smartphone for playback of the video clip. For example, a nearby smart television may have a larger screen, better sound output, and a better display resolution than the smartphone. As a result, the media guidance application may cause the smart television to output the video clip.