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Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Slash energy bills with new TV button coming to millions in surprise upgrade – and it solves common bedroom problem too
There's a similar feature for your iPhone that you may have missed SWEET STREAMS Slash energy bills with new TV button coming to millions in surprise upgrade – and it solves common bedroom problem too Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GOOGLE is creating a clever button that could slash energy bills for millions of TV owners. Telly sleuths have spotted early signs of the feature on Google TV – one of the most popular systems that powers televisions around the world. 5 Google TV is one of the most popular ways to watch telly Credit: Google 5 You can get apps, games and telly via Google TV – and lots of televisions use it as their main system Credit: Google Google TV and Android TV are Google creations that serve as the "home" for your telly, serving up your apps and settings. It regularly receives updates from Google adding new features to help improve your television – even after you've bought it. Eagle-eyed gadget fans at Android Authority have dug into the test version for one of these updates, and uncovered a clever upgrade. It lets you set up an advanced sleep timer for your telly so that it won't keep playing all through the night. Falling asleep while watching telly is very common – even if what you're watching isn't boring. Currently Android TV does offer a very basic sleep timer, but it's very hard to get to, buried deep inside your TV's energy settings. One clever shortcut is to ask the built-in Google Assistant to "turn off TV in X minutes". But the new version will let you schedule sleep timers, add time to them, pause it, and even get notifications for when it's about to run down. There's no word on exactly when the feature will arrive, but it would be very handy. For a start, not having your TV running all night will save you money on energy bills. It also means you'll get a more restful night's sleep. First look at Google's new Android XR glasses with life-changing augmented reality And you don't run the risk of something loud coming on the telly that wakes up your partner or other people at home too. So it may even help you dodge a few rows at home. The Sun has asked Google for comment and will update this story with any response. IPHONE SLEEP TIMERS While you wait for that, there are some clever iPhone sleep timers to try too. The first is built directly into the official Apple Podcasts app. 5 You can easily set up a sleep timer for Podcasts Credit: The Sun / Apple Just go into it and start playing something. Then look at the media playback screen in the app: you should see a small crescent moon icon in the bottom-right. It'll have three "z"s next to it. Tap it and you'll be able to set up a sleep timer for that podcast. You can choose times ranging from five minutes right up to an hour. TRY YOUR IPHONE'S BUILT-IN SLEEP SOUNDS Millions of iPhone models have built-in 'background sounds'... They're there to help you get to sleep, or focus on work. You'll find them in Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Background Sounds. Tap on Sound and then choose one of the following: Balanced Noise Bright Noise Dark Noise Ocean Rain Stream Night Fire Then go to your Control Centre (swipe down from the top-right corner on a Face ID iPhone, or up from the bottom on a Home Button iPhone). Go to the edit function and then you can add Background Sounds there as a shortcut. Alternatively, try going to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and choose Background Sounds. Then when you triple-click the Side Button on your iPhone (the one for locking it), Background Sounds will begin playing. Do it again to shut Background Sounds off. Picture Credit: The Sun / Apple But the more useful option might be to choose When Episode Ends. This will kill your podcast once the episode is over, which has the added benefit of meaning you won't sleep through a load of episodes that you wanted to listen to. There's a very similar feature that works on music for your iPhone too. It's built into the default iPhone Clock app, and you may well have missed it entirely. 5 Apple lets you use its Clock app timers to stop music from playing after a certain amount of time Credit: The Sun / Apple This will let you shut off music after a certain amount of time. So you could play peaceful rain sounds, for instance, and then have it shut off so it doesn't run all night. This will save energy and hope give you a bit of peace too. First, begin playing some music. 5 You can also get Google TV by plugging in a streaming device Credit: Google Then go to the Clock app and head into the Timers tab. Set a timer for a length of time – for instance, you could choose one hour. Then on the button for When Timer Ends, don't choose a sound. Instead, scroll all the way to the very bottom. Tap on the Stop Playing option and then start the timer. Once it ends, the timer won't make a noise. It'll just switch your music off entirely. Handy.
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Slash energy bills with new TV button coming to millions in surprise upgrade – and it solves common bedroom problem too
GOOGLE is creating a clever button that could slash energy bills for millions of TV owners. Telly sleuths have spotted early signs of the feature on Google TV – one of the most popular systems that powers televisions around the world. 5 Google TV is one of the most popular ways to watch telly Credit: Google 5 You can get apps, games and telly via Google TV – and lots of televisions use it as their main system Credit: Google Google TV and Android TV are It regularly receives updates from Google adding new features to help improve your television – even after you've bought it. Eagle-eyed gadget fans at It lets you set up an advanced sleep timer for your telly so that it won't keep playing all through the night. Read more on Google Falling asleep while watching telly is very common – even if what you're watching isn't boring. Currently Android TV does offer a very basic sleep timer, but it's very hard to get to, buried deep inside your TV's energy settings. One clever shortcut is to ask the built-in Google Assistant to "turn off TV in X minutes". But the new version will let you schedule sleep timers, add time to them, pause it, and even get notifications for when it's about to run down. There's no word on exactly when the feature will arrive, but it would be very handy. Most read in Phones & Gadgets For a start, not having your TV running all night will save you money on energy bills. It also means you'll get a more restful night's sleep. First look at Google's new Android XR glasses with life-changing augmented reality And you don't run the risk of something loud coming on the telly that wakes up your partner or other people at home too. So it may even help you dodge a few rows at home. The Sun has asked Google for comment and will update this story with any response. IPHONE SLEEP TIMERS While you wait for that, there are some clever The first is built directly into the official Apple Podcasts app. 5 You can easily set up a sleep timer for Podcasts Credit: The Sun / Apple Just go into it and start playing something. Then look at the media playback screen in the app: you should see a small crescent moon icon in the bottom-right. It'll have three "z"s next to it. Tap it and you'll be able to set up a sleep timer for that podcast. You can choose times ranging from five minutes right up to an hour. TRY YOUR IPHONE'S BUILT-IN SLEEP SOUNDS Millions of iPhone models have built-in 'background sounds'... They're there to help you get to sleep, or focus on work. You'll find them in Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Background Sounds. Tap on Sound and then choose one of the following: Balanced Noise Bright Noise Dark Noise Ocean Rain Stream Night Fire Then go to your Control Centre (swipe down from the top-right corner on a Face ID iPhone, or up from the bottom on a Home Button iPhone). Go to the edit function and then you can add Background Sounds there as a shortcut. Alternatively, try going to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and choose Background Sounds. Then when you triple-click the Side Button on your iPhone (the one for locking it), Background Sounds will begin playing. Do it again to shut Background Sounds off. Picture Credit: The Sun / Apple But the more useful option might be to choose When Episode Ends. This will kill your podcast once the episode is over, which has the added benefit of meaning you won't sleep through a load of episodes that you wanted to listen to. There's a very similar feature that works on music for your iPhone too. It's built into the default iPhone Clock app, and you may well have missed it entirely. 5 Apple lets you use its Clock app timers to stop music from playing after a certain amount of time Credit: The Sun / Apple This will let you shut off music after a certain amount of time. So you could play peaceful rain sounds, for instance, and then have it shut off so it doesn't run all night. This will save energy and hope give you a bit of peace too. First, begin playing some music. 5 You can also get Google TV by plugging in a streaming device Credit: Google Then go to the Clock app and head into the Timers tab. Set a timer for a length of time – for instance, you could choose one hour. Then on the button for When Timer Ends, don't choose a sound. Instead, scroll all the way to the very bottom. Tap on the Stop Playing option and then start the timer. Once it ends, the timer won't make a noise. It'll just switch your music off entirely. Handy. iPhone tricks to try today Here are some of the best... Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency Check if you're due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you're down to 80% capacity. If you're below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Terrifying Google note warns billions of phone users of 5 bank-raiding texts sent by crooks ‘without fear of punishment'
Thankfully, there are a number of ways you can sniff out the scams GOOG-HELL Terrifying Google note warns billions of phone users of 5 bank-raiding texts sent by crooks 'without fear of punishment' GOOGLE has warned phone users of five bank-raiding texts sent by crooks. Cybercriminals are using a diverse set of tactics to prey on customers. Advertisement 1 Google has warned phone users of five bank-raiding texts sent by crooks Credit: Getty It comes amid a recent Federal Trade Commission data which found that Google's reported fraud losses jumped 25% to $12.5 billion (£10.5 billion) in 2024. "Scammers are more effective and act without fear of punishment when people are uninformed about fraud and scam tactics," Google warned. Customer support scams Scammers trick customers by impersonating representatives from prominent companies. They prey on anxieties around safety and IT issues to access sensitive information. Advertisement It's important to double check the number which has called you is legitimate before proceeding with the call. Malvertizing Some scammers use fake online ads to spread malware. Google researchers say that scammers are increasingly targeting more sophisticated users, including people with valuable online assets, like crypto wallets, and social media influencers. To swat away the offers, make sure you're being extra careful when anyone offers free versions of licenced software. Advertisement Fake travel websites As more and more Brits book their sun-soaked getaways, criminals are licking their lips. Scammers present themselves as genuine travel agencies or hotels before offering holidaymakers package deals on summer getaways. Debit card warning after $500 vanishes from woman's bank account within minutes - why credit is safer at checkout Just make sure you're arranging your itinerary with reputable hotels and airlines. Package-tracking scams Cybercriminals are also masquerading as legitimate courier outfits and online retailers. Advertisement The shameless crooks trick buyers into paying eye-watering add-on fees to speed up the delivery time. If you're expecting a package, go straight to the delivery company's site to check the status. Toll road scams With many toll roads operating a cash free system, opportunists are filling motorists' inboxes with phoney texts demanding they pay for unpaid tolls. If you think the fee demand is genuine, get in touch with the company itself before you hand over the cash. Advertisement And remember not to click on links from unknown phone numbers or emails.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Terrifying Google note warns billions of phone users of 5 bank-raiding texts sent by crooks ‘without fear of punishment'
GOOGLE has warned phone users of five bank-raiding texts sent by crooks. Cybercriminals are using a diverse set of tactics to prey on customers. 1 Google has warned phone users of five bank-raiding texts sent by crooks Credit: Getty It comes amid a recent Federal Trade Commission data which found that Google's reported fraud losses jumped 25% to $12.5 billion (£10.5 billion) in 2024. "Scammers are more effective and act without fear of punishment when people are uninformed about fraud and scam tactics," Google warned. Customer support scams Scammers trick customers by impersonating representatives from prominent companies. They prey on anxieties around safety and IT issues to access sensitive information. read more in tech It's important to double check the number which has called you is legitimate before proceeding with the call. Malvertizing Some scammers use fake online ads to spread malware. Google researchers say that scammers are increasingly targeting more sophisticated users, including people with valuable online assets, like crypto wallets, and social media influencers. To swat away the offers, make sure you're being extra careful when anyone offers free versions of licenced software. Most read in Tech Fake travel websites As more and more Brits book their sun-soaked getaways, criminals are licking their lips. Scammers present themselves as genuine travel agencies or hotels before offering holidaymakers package deals on summer getaways. Debit card warning after $500 vanishes from woman's bank account within minutes - why credit is safer at checkout Just make sure you're arranging your itinerary with reputable hotels and airlines. Package-tracking scams Cybercriminals are also masquerading as legitimate courier outfits and online retailers. The shameless crooks trick buyers into paying eye-watering add-on fees to speed up the delivery time. If you're expecting a package, go straight to the delivery company's site to check the status. Toll road scams With many toll roads operating a cash free system, opportunists are filling motorists' inboxes with phoney texts demanding they pay for unpaid tolls. If you think the fee demand is genuine, get in touch with the company itself before you hand over the cash. And remember not to click on links from unknown phone numbers or emails. TIME TO TRY PASSKEYS? Here's what security expert Chris Hauk, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Pixel Privacy, told The Sun... 'Passwords are both hard to remember and in most cases, easy to guess. "I would venture to say that most users (especially older users) will reuse passwords, simply because of all of the websites and apps that require sign-ins. "While password managers do help, they are at best, a stopgap measure and do not offer full-ranging security for your login information. "Passkeys offer the advantage of eliminating the need to enter an email address and password to log in. "This is especially handy when users are logging in on an iPhone or Android device. "Passkeys have multiple advantages over passwords. Passkeys cannot be shared or guessed. "Passkeys are unique to the website or app they are created for, so they cannot be used to login elsewhere like a reused password can. "Plus, passkeys cannot be stolen in a data breach, as the passkeys are not stored on the company's servers. "But are instead are a private key stored only on your device, where biometric authentication (like face ID or Touch ID) is required to use the passkey.' Image credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Drivers can dodge £200 fine and six penalty points after Google reveals major change for millions of cars across UK
GOOGLE is set to allow drivers to play videos through their car's smart dashboard - even when the vehicle is in motion. But the tech giant is plotting a new measure that would stop the feature from becoming a serious distraction to drivers. 3 Google is reportedly planning on making streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and YouTube available on Android Auto Credit: Google 3 Watching videos through your car's entertainment system while driving could land you six penalty points on your licence, or a £200 fine Credit: Getty Videos currently only work on in-car entertainment system that allows people to connect their Android phones to their vehicles - when the vehicle is parked. But that's about to change. Google is planning on making streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and YouTube available on Android Auto, according to a report from However, watching videos through your car's entertainment system while driving could land you six penalty points on your licence, or a £200 fine. READ MORE ON GOOGLE You can even lose your licence if you passed your driving test within the last two years. Fortunately, Google is working on a feature that will make videos switch automatically between a video and an audio mode when the car moves. That means that the clip is cut off the moment the vehicle is in motion - and drivers can instead tune into the audio. This will work well for video podcasts and sports games - where visuals are beneficial but not necessarily required. Most read in Tech "We're also enabling audio while driving experiences for video apps on cars with Google built-in," Google explained in a new developer video, spotted by First look at Google's new Android XR glasses with life-changing augmented reality "You can now implement seamless transitions from parked video playback to audio-only listening while driving. "Suppose you're streaming a live sports event while getting curbside pickup. "Now, you can continue listening to the audio when you start to drive again." As Google noted, sports fans will be able to stay up to date with the latest match updates, without taking their eyes off the road. The new feature - alongside the incoming video video apps - are not yet available in Android Auto and are still in the works behind the scenes. 3 As Google noted, sports fans will be able to stay up to date with the latest match updates, without taking their eyes off the road Credit: Getty
