XBMC Android App Review

Screenshots of free Android App "XBMC Remote Control"

So XBMC has released an "official" app for Android.  Pretty bad ass, really.

This is a really easy app to set up, and of course it's free.  I've used it on both a Nexus One and HTC EVO, both running v2.2 of Android (Froyo).

First thing first, you need XBMC running on your computer for this remote (duh).  From there, in the XBMC settings, you can enable HTTP remote control.  Specify a port (default is 8080), provide a user, and password.  That's it.

Open up the app on your phone and you can add your XBMC as a host.  The app on the phone will ask for the IP address of the XBMC machine (likely 192.168.X.X), the port, user, and password.  From there, you can head back out to the home screen in the app and it will automatically attempt to connect.  If it doesn't connect go ahead and exit XBMC on the machine and restart it.  I found that solved the first connection problem very easily.

Once you're connected to the XBMC host from the phone, the remote app will give you a home screen.  In the above pic the home screen for the app is the 3rd pic from the left.  TV, Movies, Music, Pictures, Remote Control, etc.  Clicking any of these will begin population of your media content.  This is actually pretty cool because the remote control app gives a great thumbnail and library UI.  Have a gander at this example of TV:

Example of App displaying your XBMC TV Library

Pretty freaking cool huh?  Same thing with movies.  This is a top down list, so you just continue to scroll through the list to find what you want.  Very slick.  Very responsive too, very little lag over even a bad wifi connection (low signal).

The remote control portion of the app is a little rudimentary, but it does give you all the basics.  Think pause, play, exit, menu, back, vol up/down, etc.  Control is intuitive and again responsiveness is awesome.  Press a button, your XBMC machine will begin playing, or whatever.  I found very very little lag.

This is definitely a must-have app for any XBMC user that has Android phone.

Head on over to XBMC org and check it out!  Download is free from the Android Marketplace.

Steve Jobs and his crappy Apple TV v2 can go suck it.  Nobody wants that POS box in their house.  Get yourself a PC for the same cost (it'll be way more powerful, more versatile, but likely in a larger box - who cares).  Install XBMC.  Get remote control and enjoy yourself.

I give the Android App for XBMC Remote Control a 4 out of 5 possible stars.  Only reason it gets 4 and not 5 is that the remote control portion itself is, like I said, a little rudimentary.  It doesn't have "all the buttons", which of course, we geeks *need*  (lol)

I should also mention that this app will *not* stream content from the XBMC to your phone.  You can't access your library and play movies on the phone.  That's not what it's designed for, it's designed to your phone into a fully functional remote for XBMC, and allow you to browse the library, etc.  Which it does flawlessly.

Leave a comment if you're already using this app or have a hint/tip/trick to contribute!

HTC EVO 4G - No Notifications for Mail going to Folders - WTF??!!

A word to the wise...something is fubar with HTC (and/or Android v2.2 Froyo)



You don't get notifications for email that is routed to folders.  So everyone out there on Exchange/Outlook with rules that route emails from the inbox to folders are screwed.  Which includes me of course.

The iPhone does this, and so does WinMo.  I had an iPhone 1st gen that did this just fine.  WTF guys?  Do you not use rules?  Don't give me some crap about being on Exchange/Outlook and how the "cloud" is so much better.  BS.  Everyone's place of business is on Exchange/Outlook.

Just to be clear, the HTC EVO 4G with Andoid 2.2 (Froyo) does support Exchange folders.  It does not, however, support notifications or a "new mail" or even a number of new messages display for email folders.  You must click Menu > Folders > Select the Folder, for the phone to refresh the mail in that folder.  Can you say BS?

The icing on the cake is the weak ass UI for the mail folders.  Just a flat listing, no heirarchy.  Folders with long names?  Your screwed.  Sub-Subfolders, haha, wait till you see that in the list.  (In the video, jump forward to 2:00 to see him show the folder listing, notice how it's just a flat list you have to scroll through - MAJOR BUMMER!)

Take it from an EVO 4G owner, this is one area where HTC/Android is BEHIND in the smartphone war.  And, I think, for a good number of business users this will be a big "aww, wtf guys, comeon, REALLY??!!"

Watch the above video for a good demonstration of Exchange with HTC EVO 4G.  Note:  the guy goes off about global contacts.  Yeah, yeah, we get you can call people from the global.  Cool.  Now how about my damn email folders?  He's also using Android 2.1 in the video, but for all intensive purposes the mail application on the HTC EVO 4G has not changed from Android 2.1 to Android 2.2.

Boxee Releases New Version! Free Movies!

So Boxee has put out a new beta version.

Boxee.tv

The major update is the inclusion of a Movie Library, FREE.  Much like the existing TV Library, this scrapes together free movie content from all over the web.

(For those of you that don't know, Boxee has a free TV library that brings together TV content from Hulu, Comedy Central, Fox, and others in one user interface.  Great for your PC/Mac/HTPC.)

The libraries (TV, and now Movies) are definitely one of the best features of Boxee.  It's awesome to see them expand the concept from TV to Movies now.  Who needs Netflix?  Well, not quite...you're mostly looking at older content on Boxee - you won't get the latest blockbusters for free ya know.

Head on over to Boxee and download it!  You won't be disappointed. 

note:  don't forget, both Boxee and XBMC work great with your remote control!

Sharepod Review (and some CopyTrans) -- Copy your iPod!

For copying music, video, pictures from an ipod to the computer without iTunes....SHAREPOD!

Why?  Because iTunes sucks.  That's why.  iTunes if fuck1ng terrible.  If you are too lame to see that, I can't help you.  Stop reading.

If you've made it this far, you are looking for a way to copy music (or anything else) directly from your ipod to your computer.  Or somebody else's iPod.  Hello, music sharing..."May I borrow your ipod for 5 minutes" (ripppp)

Two good applications for this are:

1. Sharepod
2. CopyTrans Manager

To understand the differences quickly, look at this way:

• Both will get the job done
• CopyTrans Manager has "more features" (i.e. bigger software)
• Sharepod is free

The choice is yours.  Both Sharepod and CTM can easily copy files back and forth from ipod to computer.  No iTunes bullshit.  Need all your songs from your ipod copied to your laptop?  Done.  Want to add videos without the hassle of iTunes?  Done.

I'll give Sharepod the nod because it's free.  But if you know what you're doing...so is CTM.

Enjoy the sharing, and always remember, tis better to give than receive!

(CTM screenshot below)

Sick Beard is Sick!!

Review of Sick Beard program for Win/Mac and anything that can run Python.

Sick Beard is by far one of the coolest PVR applications out there.  If you aren't familiar with PVR applications like this one, also see:  Episode Butler

I'm not going to get into a pissing contest over which application is better, suffice to say I use Sick Beard.  Sick Beard is sick.  Need I say more?

PVR applications like Sick Beard serve some really awesome purposes:

1. They catalog any and all existing TV content you may already have saved
2. It organizes (moves/renames/etc) your TV content for you
3. Adds NFO, picture, and other data files to TV content for your favorite media library
4. Shows you any missing episodes, special features, or extras you may be missing 
5. Shows you when the next/upcoming episodes are for your TV shows (day/time/etc)

But the best part of Sick Beard is the automation.  Sick Beard provides integration with NZB search/index and usenet downloaders (SabNZB, Newsbin, etc).  This is where the "PVR" comes in - kinda like TiVO - you tell Sick Beard what to look out for, and it takes care of the rest.

SickBeard allows you to manage TV Show downloads

You can go from TV Show name or Episode to...Fetched NZB file from search provider to...
Usenet reader download to...
File renamed, moved, and added to media library

Example of SickBeard file/folder structure after processing

Without interruption.

Three cheers for Sick Beard!!

note:  check out my other post on integrating SickBeard with Newsbin for more screenshots!

NEWZBIN IS BACK UP!!

Title says it all!  The uber site NEWZBIN is back up and online!!

According to their news bulletin, there is still a lot of work to do, but here are the basics:

• it's up and online, some folks were waiting on dns...also check your cache if you're having problems.  it's been online for a day or two now.
• supposedly accounts and credits are getting transferred (according to their news bulletin) but I was unable to login with old credentials...YMMV
• no payments or credits are being accepted currently
• search and nzb download appear to be fully functional!

In summary, go get your FREAK ON over at NEWZBIN

I've always firmly believed in "getting, while the getting is good." 

Recall the legal story leading to shutdown, the liquidation, the heist of the source code...this is just one of those stories that keeps getting better, and better.

Top Free HTPC Applications

I dropped CableTV quite awhile ago, but honestly, with a HTPC (Home Theatre PC) I don't miss a thing.

Now that all the major content providers are pushing their TV on the web its much easier for folks to walk away from the CableTV bill, and still get "TV".  Nevermind HD OTA (High Definition Over-the-Air) antennas...I'm talking just web here.  There's a truckload of content out there right now.  Free.

If you have an HTPC, and/or have dropped cable and own a computer with an internet connection (preferably high speed), you should be familiar with some basic apps:

1. XBMC
2. Boxee
3. Eventghost
4. ImgBurn / DVD Decrypter

XBMC is probably one of the oldest and well known apps for HTPC it would be ashame if this were the first time you were hearing of it.  Free, open source, and it'll play just about anything.  Great UI for use with a TV, including old TV's, or new TV's.  Playing HD, SD and just about everything.  File formats galore.

Boxee is newer, but is actually based largely on XBMC (check the credits).  The key difference, I think, between Boxee and XBMC lies in the additional Boxee Apps and "social networking aspect".  Boxee is an excellent app to use for free TV.  Boxee can scrape together all the free content out there (Hulu, CBS, Fox, Comedy Central, etc) and display in one easy UI.  Very user friendly.  Very easy.  Try it.

Eventghost is small app that makes it easy to drop the keyboard and stick with a typical "TV remote".  Especially if you own a learning remote, programmable remote, or Logitech-Harmony-style remote.  With Eventghost you can basically push a button on your remote, have Eventghost "ghost" that input and perform any number of different actions on the PC.  Translated:  Hit button on remote, turn on XBMC.  Hit button on remote, turn PC on/off, etc.

ImgBurn and DVD Decrypter are probably some of the easiest and most reliable ways to rip any existing content owned on disc to the hard drive.  Add this to your library, and suddently a gigantic DVD/HDDVD/BluRay shelf full of discs becomes one neat little library of 1's and 0's on your HTPC hard drive.  Imagine your entire movie library at your fingers...






So that's it, basic 4 apps for HTPC.  And you drop CableTV.  Do it!