* SKY IS DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY THAT MAKES ITS SET-TOP BOXES VOICE-CONTROLLED * VIEWERS WILL BE ABLE TO SWITCH CHANNELS AND RECORD LIVE TV BY BARKING ORDERS * THE BROADCASTER SAID IT WILL

BEGIN TRIALS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE LATER THIS YEAR * IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE NEW FEATURE WILL REQUIRE A NEW SET-TOP BOX, OR A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO THE EXISTING SKY Q BOX  By HARRY

PETTIT FOR MAILONLINE Published: 13:24 EDT, 26 July 2018 | Updated: 14:36 EDT, 26 July 2018 Sky is ditching the humble remote control thanks to an experimental new feature that will see Sky

Q owners able to control their television using only their voice.  The firm is developing technology that allows viewers to bark orders to switch channels, record live TV and even look-up

Witches, or simply ask it to record your favourite shows as Sky Q takes voice control to the next level,' the broadcaster announced in a statement. The change could see an end to the

days of losing your TV remote because 'you can't lose your voice down the back of the sofa,' according to the firm's chief executive Jeremy Darroch. Sky Q, the

company's latest smart set-top boxes, already offers a 'touch remote' with built-in microphone that supports a number of voice control features.  Viewers need to hold down the

button to issue a voice command. These can be requests for specific shows, movies, actors, years of release – or a well-known quote from a famous blockbuster, like 'show me the

money!'. According to Sky, the platform already sees around 11 million voice requests per month.  The next update will offer new voice functionality, including the option to ask Sky Q

to record programmes – a feature not currently available on touch remotes. The hands-free voice control feature was announced alongside a series of new technologies revealed by Sky this week

as part of its financial results for the year. Over the next 12 months, the company is also releasing Netflix-style personalised profiles driven by your viewing habits as well as a new Kids

mode. It follows the firm's controversial decision to hike bills for millions of customers by £30 a year with increases for sport, broadband and phone charges. Brought in in April, the

changes saw selected TV bundles increase by £1.50 per month, while watching football on a rolling contract now costs 50p extra a month.  Some broadband packages also saw a price rise,

increasing by £1.01 a month. Customers could see their bills increase by more than £30 a year depending on their level of service. A Sky spokesperson said that not all customers saw bill

increases, with 'many' products remaining at their current price.  DO SMART TV MAKERS HAVE TO HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO 'SPY' ON YOU? An analysis from Consumer Reports has

described the amount of data smart TV manufacturers - and companies that work with them - can access about you and your family. One of the television makers evaluated in the report, Vizio,

has already been in trouble because of this trend. In 2017 the company was sued by both state and federal regulators because it had not asked for users' permission before gathering

their data. Vizio had to shell out $1.5million (£1.1 million) to settle a case brought against it by the Federal Trade Commission. Additionally, it paid $700,000 (£530,000) to settle with

the state of New Jersey. The Federal Trade Commission has been clear about the fact that companies have to ask you before accessing your data. Five television manufacturers were evaluated in

the new Consumer Reports study: Vizio, TCL, Sony, LG and Samsung. The report said that all of the companies were following this Federal Trade Commission rule. 'Every smart TV we

evaluated asked for permission to collect viewing data and other kinds of information,' the report said.