The Best Devices for Streaming TV

The Best Devices for Streaming TV

The Best Devices for Streaming TV

The Best Devices for Streaming TV

Streaming music, films and TV programs is the most popular way to view anything. High Street stores that sell CD’s and DVD’s are disappearing as streaming overtakes buying the physical items. There is more than one reason for this including the fact that they are cheaper to buy and instant, no matter what time of day or night you want to watch them. You can even stream things from other countries, although you may sometimes have to use a VPN to achieve this.

Just as an example, Netflix, which is one of the largest streaming platforms, has a library for each country. If you are a member of Netflix UK and want to watch something from Netflix US, you would need a VPN to fool Netflix into thinking that is where you are located.  Whatever platforms you are watching, what can be more important is the device you are using. Like with everything in this life, there are some that are better than others.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K – Voted Best Overall

It seems that the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is rated the best by the experts and by consumers who buy more of this item than any of the other streaming devices. It lets you view more than 500.000 movies, TV shows from the likes of Netflix, Hulu and HBO, watch live TV, stream music and access sites such as Facebook and YouTube.

It also features Amazon Alexa, which is capable of many things including helping you to choose what to view. Team this with a good laptop and you can stream good quality programs, films and music wherever you are. Laptops such as Lenovo ones, which are durable and reliable, are great for this purpose, but it could be that you have never owned this sort of device before. Then you may want some expert advice on laptop buying, and this is available online. Do your homework and you won’t be disappointed.

As well as streaming, owning a laptop means that you can play games, shop, handle banking transactions and do many other things while on the move.

Chromecast Ultra – Best For Smartphones

If you are looking for the best way to stream things on your smartphone, the Chromecast Ultra could be for you. It offers streaming in HD and HDR as well as 4K Ultra. It plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and will then work with iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

Among the things you can watch or listen to are more than 30 million songs, 200.00 movies and TV programs, sports, radio games and more. Chromecast users can also put websites or their smartphone screen onto their TV.

Netflix Remote

Netflix Remote



Roku Ultra – Most User-Friendly

This is a great choice for streaming fans looking for lots of features. The very user-friendly menu is easy to navigate. Just speak the name of a film, TV program, actor or director into the controller mobile app and it will search them out for you. It has a night mode that will tone down loud noises such as explosions, so that you can watch late at night without disturbing the rest of the household.

The Ultra supports both 4K and HD streaming and with ones of the largest selections of things to watch, it has to be well worth considering.

Apple TV 4 – Best Apple Streaming

Although not the cheapest, Apple TV 4 does have the polished interface that you would expect from an Apple product. It has voice search with Siri and an excellent selection of films, shows, music and anything else you want to view. What will put some people off buying this item is that you have to be part of the Apple ecosystem for it to work at its best.

A notable omission is Google play, but that should not really be a surprise with the Apple versus Android war.

TiVO Bolt OTA With Antenna

This device has been developed for consumers who do not have connects via cables to their TV. It is wireless with antenna so that you do not miss out in all the free programmes from the normal TV channels. It has a memory of 1YB that will let you record up to 150 hours of HD content and can also stream all the services such as Netflix and Hulu.

To benefit the most from this, you have to purchase the box and then pay for the TiVO services, but if you love live sport and network shows, this could be the solution for you. One of its biggest advantages is that you only need one device for everything, although the pricing may deter some people.

Episode 309 Best of the Year 2018 Pt.1 “Poodcast”

Juice Pop Out Bluetooth Speaker

Juice Pop Out Bluetooth Speaker

Ever want a portable speaker that’s cheap and has great sound? Always been priced out when looking for a speaker to use out on the road or at the beach? Well, we have found an incredible little speaker to save you all the trouble of exploring the internet for a perfect portable speaker. The Juice Pop Out Bluetooth Speaker. It has some of the best sound that we have heard from bluetooth speakers here at the studio. From a device this small, you cannot go wrong!

The Juice Pop Out Speaker, isn’t just a name. It’s a feature. The speakers literally pop out from the sides of the speaker. When you turn it on the speakers slowly reveal themselves from either side of the device. Allowing you access to all the important buttons such as play/pause and volume. The Juice Pop Out Bluetooth Speaker has an amazing battery life of 10hours. Making it ideal for when you are away from home for a weekend. For example the beach or a festival! The speakers are a small but punchy 6watt providing you with some crystal clear audio. Furthermore using the device is a breeze.  Simply press the power button and then connect it to any mobile device. Be that via bluetooth or the included 3.4mm AUX cable.

Purchase a Juice Pop Out Bluetooth Speaker by clicking here!

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Episode 308 Matt Richardson

Ztylus M6 Revolver

Ztylus M6 Revolver iPhone Case

As smartphone cameras get better and better, there is always something that can make them that little bit more impressive. That is lenses. As many keen photographers will let you know, many cameras are great, but it is the lens which undoubtedly makes the image so much more impressive. This is where the Ztylus M6 Revolver iPhone case steps in. Prepare to upgrade your iPhone photography with this incredible product!

The case has a magnetic back, a magnetic back in a very specific place. Near the camera. Why? Well there’s a special attachment which connects to it, this attachment holds a multitude of lenses. Therefore helping your photography work and helps users be a lot more creative! The attachment is light weight and is slim and is spring loaded, allowing for quick access to all the different lenses! What lenses we hear you ask! Well, there’s Macro, Super Macro, TelePhoto, Wide Angle and Fish Eye!

What we love about the Ztylus M6 Revolver case is that the lenses are protected when they’re not in use. They stay inside the mechanism, yet, they’re super easy to use next time as they have QuickFlip technology allowing the lenses to flip out and automatically align with your iPhone’s lens!

The embedded metal plate allows for quick attachment of accessories. We are developing more and more accessories to expand your phone’s capabilities

(Ztylus)

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Fun, Alternative Hen Party Ideas

Fun, Alternative Hen Party Ideas

Fun, Alternative Hen Party Ideas

Fun, Alternative Hen Party Ideas

Image Credit

 

If you’re not into the traditional hen night parties, but still want to celebrate your last days of single life in style, then you may be struggling to find something that’s still fun, will be enjoyable for everyone and that doesn’t fall into the typical party and crazy nights out that seem to be the tradition over the last few years.

 

The good news is there really are plenty of options out there if the party thing isn’t your scene, so in this post we’re going to share with you some cool ideas for hen nights that are fun and a bit different.

 

Murder mystery evening:

 

If you and your friends have a more adventurous side and enjoy a bit of mystery and teamwork, then a murder mystery evening is a really fun way to spend your hen night. You’ll find these being hosted all over the place and with many different types of themes. You’ll get to dress up and really feel like you’re part of a murder mystery game or movie, so it’s definitely a night none of you will forget in a hurry and is something that pretty much everyone will enjoy.

 

Treasure hunt:

 

You may think a treasure hunt is only for children at Easter or Christmas, but in the last few years they have been gaining much popularity with adults, and for good reason. Companies like Cluego are experts in providing a great treasure hunt experience for adults looking for something a little different than the typical party night out.

 

Ghost hunting:

 

If you’re into the supernatural side of things, then a ghost hunting experience could be just the thing you’re looking for during your hen night. You can choose from multiple experience types, such as castles, old buildings that are no longer in use, underground tunnels, or even hotels where you can stay overnight and enjoy a full-on creepy ghost hunting experience for your hen night which is definitely a lot different and more memorable than the traditional party.

 

Escape room:

 

Escape rooms and panic rooms have become hugely popular in recent years, and are such a fun and memorable way to spend time with friends, so would definitely be a great choice if you’re looking for a hen party with a difference.

 

Spa weekend:

 

If you’re looking for something different, but prefer relaxing over chasing ghosts or solving murders, then a spa weekend with your girlfriends is going to be a great choice. You’ll find many spa offers for very reasonable prices all over the country, so whether you prefer a trendy hotel in the city or a cozy lodge in the middle of the mountains, you’ll definitely find something to help you unwind and relax before the big day if partying isn’t your thing.

 

Mixing classes:

 

You certainly don’t have to have a wild night of partying to enjoy a few cocktails with your friends – and what could be better than learning from a professional how to mix your own? You can find mixing classes all over most towns and cities and it’s definitely a fun way to spend a night with your friends.

brightburn

Brightburn: Superhero Horror

This brand new movie from James Gunn is very very intriguing to us. Why? Well it takes one of our most favoured film genre’s and turns it on it’s head and mashes it with another. The Superhero movie meets horror movie. Consider us intrigued! This is Brightburn, arriving in cinemas summer 2019!

Brightburn tells the story of a child from another world, crash landing on Earth. However, instead of the same old story of him becoming a world saviour. What if he became something more sinister and caused havoc anywhere he went. Brightburn is brought to you by the visionary filmmaker of Guardians of The Galaxy and Slither, so you know it’s going to be good! It’s a new take on an already established genre.

Will this new approach to horror and superhero movies pave the way for other movies to take this route? Will we see new franchises brought from this? Who knows! What we do know is that this movie is a crazy take on the genre and definitely turns things on it’s head. It’s this type originality that we love here at How To Kill An Hour and we wonder what will come of it!

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Episode 307 Whatsjaydoingnow

Google Home Hub

Google Home Hub: Incredible Home Assistant

The Google Home Hub brings all the cool stuff about Google Home and repackages it into a small yet very powerful device with a 7″ display to help you get even more from Google Home. The Google Home Hub brings visual help to all the questions that you ask it. Use your voice to help set reminders and control a vast array of smart devices. However, with this particular device you get a visual aid, for example, see asking Google “How to tie a bow tie’ will present you with a helpful YouTube video, alongside a plethora of other YouTube videos available. YouTube you see on any other device is the same YouTube on Google Home Hub!

The device is incredibly well built, it is compact and can fit anywhere in the house and does not look out of place. Either in the kitchen, the bedroom or the living room! Google Home Hub has an inbuilt Ambient EQ Light Sensor too, so will adjust the screen to the colours and lighting in it’s environment. Therefore photos on the Google Home Hub will blend into the home decor!

Features

The device will show you a whole range of things, such as YouTube videos, Google Calendar so you can see what you have planned or Google Maps so you can see what your commute is like! Ask Google what the weather is like and get a visual aid, ask Google for recipes and be shown a step by step guide in either text or video form!

 

 

Photos

Google photos look beautiful on the Home Hub and you can use your voice to pull down the images from Google photos to be displayed on the gorgeous screen. Even set the screen to display your most favoured images when the Home Hub is not in use as a screen saver! Machine Learning will pull down the best photos too, therefore avoiding any duplicates or blurry images.Google Home Hub can also show shared Google Photo albums automatically on the device of the person you’re sharing them with, therefore avoiding any upload hassles!

Smart Home

The device is also a very powerful smart home hub, consequently easily connecting to the hundreds of smart devices already available. Such as lights, thermostats or security cameras. Control it all via the Google Home App on your smart device, no need to be next to the Google Home Hub to manage all of your devices. Even manage them away from the home! So you can monitor and manage devices easily—including compatible lights, cameras, TVs, speakers you are always in control of your home! (Android / iOS)

Kitchen

One popular feature is the that the Google Home Hub can help you in the Kitchen! As Google Assistant can understand conversational speech, simply ask the device to convert various measurements and it will tell you! Completely hands free and at a glance! If you’re not too sure when reading a step by step guide on how to cook a particular recipe, simply ask! For example, “Hey Google, show me how to dice an onion” will show you a video on how to dice an onion!

 

 

Google Home Hub works with other ‘Made by Google’ devices too, such as Chromecast, Nest Doorbells, Nest Thermostats, Google Home Speakers. Furthermore Spotify works on Google Home Hub too!

(Google Press Release)

For more information on how Google’s Home Hub can help you at Christmas please click here!

Available in four colours from the Google Store—Chalk, Charcoal, Aqua, and Sand, Google Home Hub is £139 and available from the ​​Google Store​​!

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Can Google’s Home Hub Make Christmas Less Stressful?

Christmas is right around the corner! Wrapping, presents, parties, lots of organisation and STRESS?!? But, Can Google’s Home Hub Make Christmas Less Stressful? Some new research has been commissioned by Google which found how stressed Brits get at Christmas time.With nearly 2/3 of Brits finding Christmas at home and 1/3 of Brits wanting to hide in the bathroom to get some away from it all, furthermore 1 in 10 of us would rather swim naked with sharks than spend Christmas with the in-laws. It can be said that Brits find Christmas very stressful indeed!

Stress at Christmas

Google’s findings were very interesting indeed with wrapping weirdly shaped presents making up 20% of those surveyed worries. Putting on weight made up another 20%, while financial worries made up the most of peoples worries with 24% of those surveyed.  Furthermore Google even found that people would do their best to get away from people at Christmas time, for a bit of alone time. 45% of those surveyed would go to their bedroom and 8% would head to the pub! What Google found whilst undertaking this survey that a crazy amount of Brits do find it stressful over the festive period, a whopping 65%! The survey was conducted to find how people will be using Google’s home Hub to ease the stress. With Google’s Laurian Clemence stating:

“Google Home Hub was made for times like Christmas. Having family round over the festive season can be overwhelming, and this device is designed to fit in with your life by being your personal little helper when you really need it; from using recipes for sprouts while managing not to burn the turkey, to videos for wrapping oddly shaped gifts, to setting timers, entertaining the family and controlling the heating. As it’s powered by the Google Assistant, it works with a simple voice command – meaning that you can juggle all the different elements of Christmas at the same time, easily and seamlessly.”

The Stress Table

Below is a table of all the things that Google found were the most stressful around Christmas time, however, there was some that missed out! Finding things for the kids to do made up 7%, running out of alcohol 5% and having to play games with the family 10%.

Top Ten Reasons for a Festive Freak-Out

1

Finances

24%

2

Not having any time for yourself

22%

3

Cooking the Christmas dinner

22%

4

Wrapping weirdly shaped presents

20%

5

Putting on weight

20%

6

Spending time with the in-laws

16%

7

Pretending to like a present that you really don’t

14%

8

Buying presents for people you rarely see

11%

9

Decorating the house

10%

10

Untangling the Christmas lights

10%

BONUS:

The table above shows that Christmas dinner is third on the Stressmas list, the Home Hub can actually give you some help, (well we all know that!) but, there’s something special that you may not! Google have teamed up with Gordon Ramsay to create a hidden feature, you can find out what he likes to eat at home by saying ‘OK Google what does Gordon Ramsey eat at home?’ That’s not all either! Hidden content is also provided to you if you ask Google about prima ballerina Misty Copeland, famed for her performances in the festive ballet The Nutcracker, answering ‘OK Google, when did Misty Copeland start dancing?’ If you like to sing Christmas songs, you can ask Google for help with that too! Asking Google, ‘OK Google, how to sing like Nick Jonas?” will get you tips from the pop star himself!

(Google Press Release)

For more information on Google Home please click here!

Google Home Hub is £139 and available from the ​​Google Store​​!

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