wTouch version 0.4.1

As XBMC Eden is already in beta phase, it's time to update the add-ons. There is a change in XBMC's JSON-RPC API, which a change on the add-ons is mandatory.

So here is the update for Eden, wTouch version 0.4.1
Basically not much change in function, but the update is about compatibility with Eden for the JSON-RPC API.

But still, a year without any new feature, I have an idea to empower the gyroscope in the iPhone/iPod Touch, and iPad 2. As previously tested, the new feature is use the gyroscope to control XBMC.
The gestures are:

• Tap, hold and move/rotate the device left, right, up, or down this will mimicking the arrow keys on the keyboard. Release the tap will stop the action based on the gyroscope. This will give you an experience like you are conducting the XBMC to do what you want.
• Turn your device Up-Side-Down (the screen facing your table) when a media is played, will make the XBMC pause the media. Turn it back, will automatically play the media again. So if you have a little interruption when you watching movie, just turn your device and when done, turn it back. (If the screen locked, just unlocked it then wTouch will aware the condition of the device and tell XMBC to play the media.

There is another fixed on how displaying the cover images so it will stretch better and show the image within the screen

wTouch Version 0.3

I'm happy to announce new update of the wTouch, XBMC add on.

Change Log:

• Implements icons from Everaldo Coelho's Crystal Project Icons
• Browse Music Library now can find by genre first.
• Little tweak on media info bar, fix when use mobile safari (not installed as Web Application) on landscape mode.
• Fix overflow cover art.
• Fix centering icons in Browse menu.
• Adding installation instruction under Help menu.

Since today, I upload the project to google code.

wTouch Version 0.2.9.3 (Beta)

Racing with times :)

Now I'm considering this stage as beta, I do not think to put more feature for this time.

Still there is something need to be done, especially for images on browse functions.

• Client side sorting for Movies, TV Shows, Artists, Albums
• Fix addon.xml to be compatible with XBMC addons repository
• Browse Music have suffle option as first item to suffle the songs on the directory (use playlist). Selecting one song still play only the song directly (not use playlist).
• Add Browse Music Library, now support for browse by artists, albums, and songs directly.
• Drop default.asp, so XBMC 09xx and before, will not work anymore (it's only touch/gesture remote).
• Resizing Cover Art/Thumbnail now detect the screen resolution.

From now, I will submit the project to XBMC add-ons repository, and you need at least XBMC Dharma Beta2. So no need manual download from my site.

wTouch Version 0.2.9.2 (Alpha)

As XBMC already on stage beta 2 for new release Dharma, they also implementing on new addons system for web interfaces. In preparation for making package for the repository, I made a little progress.

For this version, I'm using build 33857 to build and test, and device iPhone 3GS

• Change icon and splash screen to match with the new XBMC splash screen.
• Change the background of media info.
• Tap on media info will showing Player Control in XBMC. Previously, the Player Control can be shown with single tap (enter key), but it changed that Player Control shown by key M.
• Fix css issue for title on media info, that may cap the text.
• Change sensitivity for swipe left and right, this should make the swipe left then back (ESC) and vice versa (TAB) perform better.
• Copying json.js and Default*.png images from poc to wtouch directory as the change on webinterface inside xbmc use addons system.
• Fixing the display of the Cover Art/Thumbail. Now the image is automatically resized based on iphone screen size. (480*320 resolution)

Download as usual at http://web1.spot.net.id/wtouch.zip

wTouch Version 0.2.9.1 (Alpha)

Since the development XBMC implementing new option to communication with, I'm trying to put it on the wTouch. But to be known, that the jsonRPC is still under development thus there may change between SVN and may break the new feature on wTouch. And if you want to try, you need to have the SVN build of XBMC.

This version I test under XBMC build 30092, older build would not work as there is a change in the jsonRPC api. And future build may broken as change happen in XBMC too.

New Feature:

1. Now Playing.
   The main display will change if there is media played on XBMC. wTouch will show the Cover Art (thumbnail) for the touch/gesture pad, and show status bar contain the title of the media and current time also remaining time.
   This feature is done automatically, so you no need to find where is the "Now Playing" button.
2. Browse Media
   There is new button in the main display to browse media in XBMC. You can select your media and let XBMC to play the selected media.

Known Limitation

• Cover Art/Thumbnail of the Now Playing image is not resizable. So if your Cover Art/Thumbnail of media is too big or too small it may inconvenience shown in wTouch.
• Displayed current time may not actual time, but it synced for every 15 seconds. So between the time the time may not shown correctly.
• As I'm using default images from poc web in XBMC, the images may not fit well, as the default poc web is use black background, while the Browse Media of wTouch use white background.
• Music just accesible by browse the media folders.

Download: http://web1.spot.net.id/wtouch.zip

wTouch version 0.2

I'm just give it a little update for fixing issue on

• Swipe left then right, mimicking escape key (Back)
• Swipe right then left, mimicking tab key (Toggle GUI)

Previously, it wil not recognize the swipe back when your finger back to around your first touch.

XBMC wTouch

XBMC is a great Media Center build cross-platform. While I like to use my iPhone to remote the XBMC, there is no free iPhone app that provide gesture base.

Why the need gesture based? Because on touch devices with no button, we lost the feel of physical button, we could not just feel where is the center button, then move finger for arrows, we need to see the devices to tap the right point. With gesture based remote, we does not need to care where we start to touch and were end, just how we move our finger.

More information please visit: Official Forum