The new Apple TV is now readily available at Apple’s own retail stores. The company has begun firing out emails to customers, announcing that the ”future of television is here”.

The email itself contains links to purchase the Apple TV online, find out more about the 4th-generation set-top box, as well as locate your nearest Apple Store. Stock being made available today matches what a previous report speculated.

Will you be picking up the new Apple TV? Don’t forget that we’re running a competition where you could win one for yourself!

Mobile network operator EE has announced new international calling packs and add-ons for customers who need to contact those who do not reside in the UK. The operator now offers EE contract and SIM-only plan customers added convenience when making international calls with these new extras.

The new packs and add-ons – International and International Extra – will allow you to bring international calling charges down to as little as 1p per minute.

• International – 1,000 minutes to up to five numbers in 50 countries for £10 /month
• International Extra – 500 minutes to up to five numbers in 100 countries for £20 /month

The packs are ideal for those who have a select few contacts (be it family members or friends) to get in touch with. The packs will be available to new and upgrading customers within the first three months of their EE plan. There’s also a minimum length of time you’ll be required to have these extras, which will depend on whether you’re locked into a contract with a handset.

To make the deal appear that much sweeter to customers, those who take out the new packs before December 9 will benefit from an additional 50% allowance per month. This will bump the allowances up to 1,500 for International and 750 for International Extra. If you’d like to add the international calling add-ons to your plan mid-contract, you’ll have to put up with lower allowances:

• International – 500 minutes to up to five numbers in 50 countries for £10 /month
• International Extra – 250 minutes to up to five numbers in 100 countries for £20 /month

It would be better to look into these packs at the start of your plan to make the most of the investment you’ll need to put in each month. Should you require more details, be sure to contact EE or check the official website. It’ll also not be long before the EU forces the end of roaming charges on the continent.

Ever wish your could quickly access another app without having to switch away from the app you’re already using? With slide over, you can!

Slide over is part of the new multi-app multitasking features for iPad in iOS 9. With slide over you can briefly access a secondary app to jot down a few notes, reply to a few messages, or check a few references, all without having to switch away from what you’re doing in your primary app.

Slide over compatibility

Because picture-in-picture needs to run the video on top of another app, it requires the a 64-bit Apple A7 processor or better. That means:

• iPad Pro
• iPad Air 2
• iPad Air
• iPad mini 4
• iPad mini 3
• iPad mini 2

How to enter slide over mode

Entering slide over mode is as easy as bringing up notification center or control center, you just need to know where to swipe.

1. Touch one finger down on the bezel just past the right edge of your screen.
2. Swipe your finger to the left to pull out the slide over sidebar.

   

If you’ve never used slide over before, or if its been long enough since someone else used slide over that it doesn’t have a recent app already loaded, you’ll need to choose which app you want to fill the sidebar.

1. Swipe down to scroll through the list of available apps. They’re presented as tiles with app icons in the center.
2. Tap on the app you want to use in slide over.

   

The primary (full screen) app you were using will dim and the slide over sidebar will overlay on top of it. You won’t be able to use both apps at the same time—that’s what split view is for—or use the primary app again until you dismiss the slide over.

How to switch the slide over app

Not all apps work in slide over; developers have to add support for it. If, like the vast majority of Apple’s apps, the app you want to use does work in slide over, it’s easy to switch to.

1. Touch one finger down on the gripper at the very top of the slide over sidebar.
2. Swipe down to bring back the app switcher.
3. Swipe down to scroll through the list of available apps.
4. Tap on the app you want to use in slide over.

   

How to exit slide over mode

Getting out of slide over mode is even easier than getting in.

1. Touch one finger down on the slide over sidebar and swipe it away to the right.
2. Or, tap anywhere outside the slide over sidebar and it’ll swipe itself away.

   

Is your new fourth-generation Apple TV acting funky? Here’s how to force quit, restart, and reset.

Apple’s newest set top box has a lot going for it, but it’s still a pretty new product, with a new operating system and new app SDK—the occasional bug here and there is inevitable.

Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to troubleshoot pesky apps and system quirks.

How to force quit a misbehaving Apple TV app

If you run into trouble, you can force quit it by pressing and holding the Menu button on your Siri remote. Easy as pie.

If you’re still having trouble with apps and the Apple TV, you can force restart your device by going to Settings > System > Restart. If that doesn’t cure your Apple TV ails, you may want to try uninstalling and reinstalling the misbehaving app in question and reaching out to the developer.

How to reset a glitching Apple TV

If you’re having issues with apps and tvOS across the board, it might be time for a hard reset. You can restore your Apple TV to factory settings by going to Settings > System > Reset. Be aware that doing so will erase any local content you have, including game saves that aren’t backed up to iCloud.

How to fix a bricked Apple TV

If your Apple TV is completely unresponsive, it may be time to connect it to your computer and force a restore via iTunes. Here’s how to do so.

1. Plug your Apple TV in to your computer using a USB-C to USB cable.
2. Open iTunes.
3. Select the Apple TV from the Devices menu, then click Restore Apple TV.

Any other questions or troubleshooting worries?

Run into a problem with the new Apple TV you can’t fix? Let us know in the comments and we’ll check it out.

Here’s how to force your Apple TV to update its software.

By default, your Apple TV should automatically update its operating system over the air when a new update is available; you shouldn’t need to do anything save pressing ”Update Now” on an alert. If you’re in a hurry to watch a movie, listen to music, or do something else when it happens, however, you may not want to update right then and there. Luckily, you can check for and apply Apple TV software updates at any time. Here’s how to go about it.

How to manually update tvOS on the Apple TV

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Click on System > Software Updates.
3. Click Update Software.

If there’s an update available, you should be able to see it and install it. If not, you’ll see a message saying your software is up to date.

Want to snap an all-time high score? Here’s how.

Whether you want to preserve a picture of your epic battlefield results or want to build an app walkthrough for your mother, the fourth-generation Apple TV has you covered: You can create both screenshots and video recordings using the set top box, a USB-C to USB cable, and your computer.

Note: You won’t be able to use these commands or controls for any copyrighted or DRM-laden content; try to do so, and you’ll just see a blank, black screen.

How to take a screenshot on the Apple TV

1. Install Xcode from the Mac App Store.
2. Connect your Apple TV to your Mac with a USB-C to USB cable.
3. Open Xcode and go to the Window menu.
4. Open the Devices window.

   

5. Select your Apple TV.
6. Click on the Take Screenshot button.

How to take a video on the Apple TV

1. Connect your Apple TV to your Mac with a USB-C to USB cable.
2. Open QuickTime Player.
3. Go to File > New Movie Recording.
4. Click on the down arrow next to the Record button.

   

5. Select Apple TV under Camera and Microphone.
6. Press Record.

Questions?

Drop them in the comments.