• Registered: 2009-10-12
  • Posts: 9

Topic: Feature request: Preload resources before widget change

I've noticed that some widgets that load things after the widget itself loads (for example, the facebook widget) sometimes take quite a while to load those items. Is there any way chumby can preload the next widget in the background so that we don't notice this? Perhaps the next widget could be downloaded in the background into a buffer and then switched to the screen when it is due to play? Is this possible? Perhaps Duane could let us know...I'm sure I'm not the only one to have issues with this...

It might not be such a problem in the states, but loading from Australia for example can take several seconds (I've even seen odd cases where the 30 seconds I have the widget set to play expires before the resource loads). Loading from US sites in the UK where the chumby is also now on sale would also take significantly longer due to latency and http handshaking time...

  • From: Austin, TX
  • Registered: 2009-05-07
  • Posts: 472

Re: Feature request: Preload resources before widget change

I think the HTTP cache idea that I want to work on would help this a bit, as it would be far more likely that the widget and its assets would be local to the device the next time it comes up.  It only would work on a Chumby One or a Classic with a USB drive attached, though.  See http://forum.chumby.com/viewtopic.php?id=4549.

unwiredben's Website

3 Reply by caeci11ius (edited by caeci11ius 2010-01-10 03:43:14)

  • Registered: 2009-10-12
  • Posts: 9

Re: Feature request: Preload resources before widget change

That would certainly help (at least for loads after the first one), but I'm running the original Chumby and don't really plan on attaching a USB drive ;-). Essentially here, I'm not so much interested in reducing data traffic (I don't run webcam widgets etc so my traffic is relatively low, though it'd be nice to have a way to get an exact figure) as I am in just having the widget come up instantly when it's time for it to come up. I can't see any reason this would be a difficult thing to do, just involves loading stuff up a bit earlier. Would take a bit more RAM though...still, there's 64MB in there, so there should be plenty of space...

I will add though that reducing data traffic is important in markets such as Australia. There is no such thing as "unlimited" internet here (I hear the US is starting to lean this way too after having issues with network saturation)...everything comes into the country via 3 or 4 international links, the capacity of which is very expensive. That said, at least it's MUCH cheaper than it is in New Zealand...caching is good, and the more stuff that gets cached the better. I don't know if resources get cached at the moment, but if they don't, perhaps they should. I'm only running 8 or 10 widgets per channel, so there should be a good bit of space in the 4MB data cache for putting stuff given the maximum 100KB/widget...

  • Registered: 2011-03-19
  • Posts: 1

Re: Feature request: Preload resources before widget change

I want my apps to change every 15sec, so I can get a quick overview without watching for 30min. The problem is that several of my (popular) apps take almost that long to load, apps like Gmail and Facebook. If they just would stay open and switch rather than have to fully reload, I would enjoy my Chumby much more.

Almost every time I look at my Chumby, it's at a Loading screen.

Since apps are the focus of the unit, should this not be implemented in the standard software rather than requiring a hack?

  • Registered: 2011-03-20
  • Posts: 4

Re: Feature request: Preload resources before widget change

Voting +1 for this feature.