Topic: Feedback on UI, and some suggestions

Boy, do I like my Chumby! What a great device! So many possibilities come to mind.

I'm using the new Control Panel, and I've a few suggestions.

Streaming Audio Source Options
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It's wonderful to see this! Very impressive. I would like to create my own "radio channel" of presents from my computer, as selecting radio stations on the device is a little tricky. I'm not loving the scroll mechanism for moving through the list of stations. Being able to select them on my computer would make that easier.

However, more importantly, I'd like to see very quick assess to audio controls from anywhere. I often need to pause, or mute, the device when listening.  Having to go to the Control Panel first isn't working. I'd suggest a special Audio Control page, with play, pause, mute, volume that appears very quickly when you press and hold, or double-tap, or shake or SOMETHING the device.


Widget Selection
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Can it be possible to get a little more control on cycling through the widgets in my channel? If I double tap the screen on the left or right, maybe it would quickly bring me through the list of widgets in my channel. Or just tap the device - there is an accelerometer in there after all ;-)

Is it possible that widgets would only be displayed in their cycle if something had changed since the last time they were viewed? That way if something catches my eye, I know it's new and I should look.

How about an option to display the time overlaid on every widget? Or overlaid a status icon? That way a widget could decide something important had happened - a new email, an ebay deadline - and set a little marker that was always visible? I think my concern is that everything that is displayed is of equal weight - I'd like a way of making sure the important stuff was visible with a glance!

Hmm. One more thing.. I don't know if Flash can do this, but how about a view that scaled nice widgets and displayed them all at once, letting me select the most interesting with a tap?

Channel Selection
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There needs to be a scrolling list of the channels on this page, as the four buttons just don't make any sense on their own here. How about making a "surprise me!" channel that you folks put your favourites into?


Social Networking
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If there was a way to share something quickly with a friend, then my friend would probably buy one of these! I mean, a page that allowed me to quickly send a note, or an icon, that only my friend would see. Suggestions: soppy ones, going for a pint ones, call me, here's my latest picture, make an amusing noise..

General Usage
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I suspect a lot of these devices will end up on bedside tables: I know mine is there now, and gets moved to my desk while I work. Whilst it's on the bedside, I would love it if there was a "count down timer" to switch off music after a set period of time. I'd like to listen to streaming audio or my ipod, and then have it shutdown by itself. And of course, wake up to my audio source.

(Hey, as I'm blind without my glasses, it would be great if it would READ out the time when I shook it - or the alarm went to SLEEP mode).

Easter Eggs
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As a would-be developer, is it possible to add some extra features that will read a channel/widget over my wireless network directly for testing purposes? Save me having to do sneaker net with a thumb drive, or bother your servers uploading my tests..


Ok, enough rambling. Thanks for a great device!

Re: Feedback on UI, and some suggestions

johnk wrote:

As a would-be developer, is it possible to add some extra features that will read a channel/widget over my wireless network directly for testing purposes? Save me having to do sneaker net with a thumb drive, or bother your servers uploading my tests..

This is already there - you can use a full URL to some other server for the widget.

Re: Feedback on UI, and some suggestions

Sweet, thanks!