• From: Meridian, MS
  • Registered: 2012-04-30
  • Posts: 867

Topic: C1 firmware 1.08/ and other things

What was added to this firmware from the 1.07?
Are there any new updates in the future?
I was also wondering if there was a way to get all the chumby/infocast on the same page software wise and would that be easier to manage future changes?
Such as:
Could all infocasts become full chumbys? I have one I8 that thinks it is sort of a chumby but not totally. I like the I8 to C8 mod that is working on my I8. It has added My Streams which was worth the change.
Add further down the road...could Sony Dashes be modded to become Chumbys? I know their hardware is different.  Are there ways to bring all the chumby family together when Sony unconnects?
Lastly: I tried to get Chumby Lite to work on my Kindle Fire but doesn't seem Flash works. Supposedly there is an experimental flash on the unit but I can't tell if it works. Has the Chumby app been upgraded?

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.
  • From: Austin, TX
  • Registered: 2009-05-07
  • Posts: 472

Re: C1 firmware 1.08/ and other things

The Sony Dash is a lost cause.  Different processor from the C1 / C8 and locked down bootloader and shell.  The original Dash has the ability to also do things like Netflix streaming (which is part of the reason for the locking, I suspect).

unwiredben's Website

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,209

Re: C1 firmware 1.08/ and other things

We're still setting up the ability to build firmware images for all of the Chumby and Infocast devices, so I think at some point we'll start doing updates again.  I think we've successfully built at least a full C1 image from source recovered from a system backup made before Chumby closed.  It's not a huge leap to get from there to CC, I8 and C8 builds.

At this point, there's nothing we can unilaterally do about dash, since, as unwiredben says, they're completely locked down with keys only Sony has. Chumby, at one point, could make development builds, but they could only be applied to specially unlocked devices used for development purposes.  Most of the Sony-specific build infrastructure was dismantled when the Sony development agreement expired, typical for that type of contract. 

Any integration of production dash units into the current chumby ecosystem would require Sony's direct involvement, which may not be *completely* out of the realm of possibility.  If that's something you'd like to see happen, then the best thing to do is to let Sony know.

As to Android, the system has been made compatible with the currently deployed "chumby Lite" Android app in Google Play.  It *may* work with the older "chumby" (pay) app, however, I cannot update that version since I don't have the keys.  Both apps, of course, are dependent upon the availability of the Flash Player plugin, working in the Android WebView, something no longer supported by Adobe.  The app should still work with older Android devices that may still have Flash available.  Unfortunately, the license for the Flash Player included in the Chumby devices does not extend to Android.

Duane's Website

4 Reply by demarks51 (edited by demarks51 2014-09-26 07:01:35)

  • From: Meridian, MS
  • Registered: 2012-04-30
  • Posts: 867

Re: C1 firmware 1.08/ and other things

Thanks for the good info.
It seems like a catch 22 with the ChumbyLite app/Kindle Fire connection. There *seems* to be an experimental flash built in to the Kindle Fire but the last time I tried to use the ChumbyLite app on the Fire, it said that it needed flash. I guess I was not clear if some kind of updating on the Lite app has been made recently that would make it work now.
BTW can you list the changes added to fw 1.08b? It seems to be working great on I3.5 and C1 for me. I think I saw something that said it added WMA ability.
And I do not own a Dash but didn't want to invest in one if there really is not a future after Sony totally disconnects from it. It seems to be a matter of time before the screens go dark. Maybe they would sell the whole project to Blue Octy. It may get some of the Dashers off their back who seem to need support. It may not be an issue for them though.

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.
  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,209

Re: C1 firmware 1.08/ and other things

I don't think I have the release notes for 1.08, but I'll check.

In the case of Flash on Android, there may be some browsers on some Android devices that may support some version of Flash.  However, the "chumby" app uses the standard "WebView" in Android, so if the Flash Player is not supported as a plugin to WebView, it won't work.  Some of these browsers seem to have the Flash Player built into the app itself.

Duane's Website