What is Mycast?

It is a Web UI (user interface) which allows you to access all your media through a series of linked web pages. You can access Mycast from anywhere and from any device with a browser!

Mycast Web UI gives you full control of your content:

• Browse by folder as you would with a typical file explorer;

• Browse your library using tags such as Genre/Artist/Albums for audio;

• Create playlists;

• Share your content with your friends;

• Rate and tag your content for easy access to your favorites

How do I start?

Just point your Client device browser to http://mycast.orb.com, enter Orb Login and password you created during Orb PC installation and click Login.

You can't log in because you forgot your password?

Click the "forgot your password" link in the login box: you will be prompted to provide your Orb Login. Orb will then send you a temporary password to the email address you gave when you first created your Orb account. So check your spam/junk filter to white list Orb Networks and Orb Support.

Also check the Orb Startup & Login Problems section of our Support Knowledge Base where you would find Knowledge Base articles for resolving login / password issues.

Overview of Mycast

Once Orb is installed on your 'always-on', 'internet connected' PC, your PC acts like your personal broadcasting system. What is personal broadcasting? Start with what traditional broadcasters do. They make programming decisions - the shows or songs that will be played at any given time of day; and they deliver those programs for money over proprietary broadcast technology. As a consumer, your choice is limited to what channel to pick. That is why channel surfing has become such an important sport!

With Orb and the advent of personal broadcasting, we put you in charge of the programming decisions. You choose what goes into your channels - no more need to channel surf. You can tune into your channels wherever you have an internet connection - no longer constrained by the broadcaster's choice of technology.

And how does Mycast fit into Orb and personal broadcasting? Mycast is the powerful new application that makes it much easier to do all the essential elements of personal broadcasting.

In short, Mycasting is the opposite of broadcasting, allowing you to stream your digital media when (time), where (place), and how (device) you want it.

Create your channels

Mycast is loaded with features that allow you to simply and easily program your own channels from any of your digital content.

Enjoy your channels anywhere

Anywhere on the planet, on any device that gives you internet access, you can tap Mycast and Orb beams you all of your channels. That's Mycasting!

Share your channels with your friends

It is always more fun to play together, so Mycast adds what no broadcaster does today, allowing you to 'cast your channels to your friends. That's friendcasting!

Home - the opening page in Mycast

This is the top level view of the Mycast application that we call Mycast Home. You can always tell where you are in the Mycast application by looking in the top-center of the page where it now says Home. This Mycast Home is all about enjoying the channels that you have created - Mycasting this content to you, wherever you are.

The Home page isn't a single view. There are multiple views or tabs. To get you started, we provided 4 tabs:

• Media

• Examples

• Orb

• New Tab

You have complete control over these tabs. You can rename them, completely change the content within them, delete them or add new ones.

When you first open Mycast, you are viewing the Media tab. This initial tab shows random content across all media, hence the name. The Media tab page and all of the other tabs are like radio channel presets... on steroids. With the radio, you only get radio channels and a limited number. With Mycast tabs,

• You get preset of all your media channels - any music (songs, playlists, radio), podcasts, TV (recorded or live), video, photos

• You get interesting views of your media -- favorite, random, most recent, most played, etc.

• You can mix and match these preset channels across all media

• You can have as many as you like on one tab and add tabs to your liking

Media

Remember that you are free at any time to change the content of the tab, change its name or get rid of it altogether.

There is no way to "undo" a deletion after the confirmation screen.

Examples

This provides a different set of presets channels. We gave it a generic name to encourage you to change it. The presets in this tab are an RSS news feed, random photos, shares from other Orber's and a special module that includes a flash demo of how to build your own presets.

RSS Feed

The "Top News" module is an example of a new kind of channel - RSS feeds. For a complete selection of RSS feeds that we provide click on the Add Channels tab in the upper right and scroll down. You are not limited to the feeds that we provide. You can also define your own.

Random Photos

We show a cool new feature that showcases your digital media at random. Here we show it for photos, but it is available for audio and video, too. It is a great way to be reminded of photos and music that you might have forgotten.

Other Orber's Channels

This channel preset isn't too exciting at the beginning, but as you and your friends start using the sharing feature of 2.0, it will become very interesting. Now you have a place to instantly see what channels your friends have been sharing with you.

Build your channels

This is not a standard preset. This module runs through a brief flash demo showing you how to build your own channels. It replays every time you enter the page. You can also force a replay by right clicking in the module and hitting play.

The Orb Tab

The Orb tab is where you can communicate with Orb and the Orb community.

Forums

If you can't find answers /solution for your question/ issue in our support portal, then we suggest that you check out our Community Forums. We have a huge community of Orb users who are willing to help others. Please check out existing threads before posting your query there.

Help

Access to the User guide

Changing preset channels - the tabs

On any tab, you can add preset channels as you choose. All of the available preset channels can be accessed at the upper right of Mycast Home where it says Add Channels. Explore all of the possibilities for each media type. You will find new views here like Random, Most Viewed and Recently Added. In addition, you will find a large new selection of RSS feeds to keep you up to date and informed.

Modifying, Deleting, Adding Tabs

You can modify the content in any tab and the layout of all of the selected content. In addition, you can change the name of any tab by clicking or double clicking on the name and typing in your new choice.

Any tab can be eliminated in its entirety by selecting the tab and clicking on the X delete icon. Be sure this is what you wish to do, because once deleted, it will be lost forever.

You can also add as many new tabs as you like. Choose +New Tab. You will get a new blank tab that you can fill with whatever content you like from Add Channels. And you can select whatever tab name you like.

Time to Play

Mycast will be much more powerful if you make it your own. Change the names, content and number of these presets to suit your media desires. These are your shortcuts so that you can instantly Mycast your favorite channels.

Going deeper into Mycast

Mycast allows you to create, enjoy and share your own channels. The top level tabs of Mycast are about presets channels to make it easy to broadcast the channels that you have created. In order to create new channels, change the channels that you have, share your channels with friends, or just enjoy your media by digging in more deeply, Mycast allows you to go deeper into each media type.

There are two ways to go deeper. Next to the home icon on the upper left of your screen, you see Open Application with a pull down arrow. If you select this, it will show you all of the applications to take you to the next level - TV / Webcams, Audio, Video, Photo, Documents, etc.

The other way to get to these deeper application tools is to double click on the title of any channel preset and it will take you to the deeper level app for that media type (e.g., double click on Photo Random and you will go into the Photo App, double click on Audio Favorites and you will go into the Audio App.)