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** Note: since this is pre-release some of this might change a bit. **
I think I finally have our A3 Appstore close to the way I want it. Here is an early look and explanation.
First, we have Google Play. Why do we need an A3 Appstore with Android Apps?
Many good reasons for A3 Appstore. Here are the main ones:
1. Even on the best Android devices like HTC One or Nexus7 tablets there are Apps that you cannot get out of Google Play Store. If you want an App that Play won't give you the only option is to get it off the internet and "sideload" on your Android device.....unless you happen to have your own Appstore.
2. In North America many guys are going to be running VPN's to get UK and other European content. Same with guys in EU to get USA content. Even with a VPN Google still knows your account is USA based and won't even show you geo-restricted Apps like BBC IPlayer. Not a problem, Apps like this are in A3 Appstore.
3. We have our own Apps specifically for A3. No reason to put them in the Google Play store or go through all that hassle since they are specifically for Amiko A3. By putting these Apps in A3 Appstore we don't have to preload them in the box and you aren't stuck with stuff you don't want.
4. XBMC 13.1 Gotham. Due to EVERYONE in an earlier poll saying they want this pre-installed it will come on your A3. However XBMC does update their builds and XBMC is not available on Google Play. Previously the only option was to download from the internet and sideload on your Android Device each time. With A3 you can do it from the Appstore with a few clicks.
5. Multiple versions of the same App are available in A3 Appstore. Sometimes a developer updates an App and it totally does not work on your device or is buggy. Sometimes a redesigned App just sucks and you want to use the older version. With Google Play you only get the one version. If you update and you don't like it you are stuck. A3 Appstore can offer multiple versions of the same App so you can choose. For example right now we have old version netflix (3.5) and the 3.6 version with the new look and feel. You choose.
6. Google Play can be confusing. I've been using Android for years and I still go to Play Store looking for "something" but no clue what. If I do find something to try sometimes I have to try several different Apps to find one that does what I want and works well. Google Play isn't always good at making suggestions or saying for sure whether something will work well for you. A3 Appstore has a much smaller selection of hand picked apps tested on the A3. Much of the selection is tailored toward A3 users: IPTV and VOD based Apps. Think of A3 Appstore as a starter for Android Apps and suggestions.
Google Play and A3 Appstore also work together for the most part. If an App is in our Appstore and also available to A3 from Google Play it will cross link with Play Store. When the developer puts out an update, Google Play will notify you (if you enable notifications) and you can get the new version direct from Play.
A3 Appstore also will check (every 24h by default) and let you know when we update existing Apps. This won't happen often since most cross link with Play Store for updates.
A3 Appstore is built on the open source F-Droid Client (the app on your A3) and fdroidsever on our back end.
So let's have a look at the A3 Appstore itself….
Some of the IPTV and VOD App selections
Games
After selecting an App its information screen comes up. Click "install" for the latest version or select another version when more than one is available.
The App downloads and the Spark2 Installer comes up. Press RED key to finalize installation. (This step may be omitted depending on how we package A3 Appstore in the release.)
Push notifications on Amiko A3 from Google Play and A3 Appstore letting you know updates are available.
I think I finally have our A3 Appstore close to the way I want it. Here is an early look and explanation.
First, we have Google Play. Why do we need an A3 Appstore with Android Apps?
Many good reasons for A3 Appstore. Here are the main ones:
1. Even on the best Android devices like HTC One or Nexus7 tablets there are Apps that you cannot get out of Google Play Store. If you want an App that Play won't give you the only option is to get it off the internet and "sideload" on your Android device.....unless you happen to have your own Appstore.
2. In North America many guys are going to be running VPN's to get UK and other European content. Same with guys in EU to get USA content. Even with a VPN Google still knows your account is USA based and won't even show you geo-restricted Apps like BBC IPlayer. Not a problem, Apps like this are in A3 Appstore.
3. We have our own Apps specifically for A3. No reason to put them in the Google Play store or go through all that hassle since they are specifically for Amiko A3. By putting these Apps in A3 Appstore we don't have to preload them in the box and you aren't stuck with stuff you don't want.
4. XBMC 13.1 Gotham. Due to EVERYONE in an earlier poll saying they want this pre-installed it will come on your A3. However XBMC does update their builds and XBMC is not available on Google Play. Previously the only option was to download from the internet and sideload on your Android Device each time. With A3 you can do it from the Appstore with a few clicks.
5. Multiple versions of the same App are available in A3 Appstore. Sometimes a developer updates an App and it totally does not work on your device or is buggy. Sometimes a redesigned App just sucks and you want to use the older version. With Google Play you only get the one version. If you update and you don't like it you are stuck. A3 Appstore can offer multiple versions of the same App so you can choose. For example right now we have old version netflix (3.5) and the 3.6 version with the new look and feel. You choose.
6. Google Play can be confusing. I've been using Android for years and I still go to Play Store looking for "something" but no clue what. If I do find something to try sometimes I have to try several different Apps to find one that does what I want and works well. Google Play isn't always good at making suggestions or saying for sure whether something will work well for you. A3 Appstore has a much smaller selection of hand picked apps tested on the A3. Much of the selection is tailored toward A3 users: IPTV and VOD based Apps. Think of A3 Appstore as a starter for Android Apps and suggestions.
Google Play and A3 Appstore also work together for the most part. If an App is in our Appstore and also available to A3 from Google Play it will cross link with Play Store. When the developer puts out an update, Google Play will notify you (if you enable notifications) and you can get the new version direct from Play.
A3 Appstore also will check (every 24h by default) and let you know when we update existing Apps. This won't happen often since most cross link with Play Store for updates.
A3 Appstore is built on the open source F-Droid Client (the app on your A3) and fdroidsever on our back end.
So let's have a look at the A3 Appstore itself….
Some of the IPTV and VOD App selections
Games
After selecting an App its information screen comes up. Click "install" for the latest version or select another version when more than one is available.
The App downloads and the Spark2 Installer comes up. Press RED key to finalize installation. (This step may be omitted depending on how we package A3 Appstore in the release.)
Push notifications on Amiko A3 from Google Play and A3 Appstore letting you know updates are available.
11 Replies
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4508 views
Ok thanks. I don't know anything about XMBC except that once upon a time I tried to make an XBMC machine using an old pc and Ubuntu Linux but found it exceptionally difficult and I gave up without ever having gotten one to work. The Linux worked fine, it was the XBMC that I couldn't get to work. The directions assumed that you have a Phd in rocket science and work at NASA. Linux people are harsh and unforgiving and don't like answering requests for help.
Someone stuck me with a PC running MyTheater and it's been nothing but unhappy days for me and I can't wait to be rid of it. In the past 5 years I've tried every kind of media system I could find to have a single device that does it all. Next month I plan to buy one of those SiliconDust tuners. I have seen people mention that it will work with the A3. Can you give us some idea how it would integrate into the A3?
As it is now, I have two tuner cards in a pc, one (which is deathly ill) that is a DVB-S2 tuner, the other is an ATSC OTA tuner that I use to get local TV from my antenna outside. The app is MyTheater and it treats the two tuner cards as if they are one single device and changing channels between the two sources is seamless. I press channel up and channel down and it goes from satellite to OTA as if they are all part of one big happy family. Well, it worked that way before the satellite card began to puke out. It would be magnificent if the A3 can behave in a similar fashion.
If you could kinda give us a little on how that would work, that would be wonderful..
Thanks!
Someone stuck me with a PC running MyTheater and it's been nothing but unhappy days for me and I can't wait to be rid of it. In the past 5 years I've tried every kind of media system I could find to have a single device that does it all. Next month I plan to buy one of those SiliconDust tuners. I have seen people mention that it will work with the A3. Can you give us some idea how it would integrate into the A3?
As it is now, I have two tuner cards in a pc, one (which is deathly ill) that is a DVB-S2 tuner, the other is an ATSC OTA tuner that I use to get local TV from my antenna outside. The app is MyTheater and it treats the two tuner cards as if they are one single device and changing channels between the two sources is seamless. I press channel up and channel down and it goes from satellite to OTA as if they are all part of one big happy family. Well, it worked that way before the satellite card began to puke out. It would be magnificent if the A3 can behave in a similar fashion.
If you could kinda give us a little on how that would work, that would be wonderful..
Thanks!
T
Brian @ Titanium knows more about the SiliconDust HDhomerun than I do but I do have one here running on XBMC. There is an Android App which is a couple bucks https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.silicondust.mg.upnp but apparently it is worth it if you have a newer SD than I do. Mine is too old to work with it or I'd have paid the $2.
I did the simplest and free method to get mine working on A3 and XBMC. Basically when you configure it using your computer you tell it XBMC is going to be your player. It then generates a bunch of .strm files. Put those on your internal SATA, the SD card, USB, network share or wherever A3 can read them and add that as a source in XBMC. You then go to it, click a channel and it plays. No real setup involved on the XBMC or A3 side.
There are more fancy ways to do it like I could have labeled the stations for mine or put subchannels into one strm file to start but I am lazy. One guy on my site has a HDhomerun setup with MythTV (I think) backend and he gets guide data VIA net and some other cool stuff.
One think I really love about the HDhomerun vs just a USB tuner is that I can watch it easy on any device. I can move from the A3 to the computer to my tablet very easy.
Oh, as I mentioned somewhere XBMC will already be installed on A3 so it is just a matter of playing with it and learning the basics. Assuming I can integrate it correctly for install in a ROM the good repositories and some other things will already be setup too.
Here are some pics of XBMC on A3 and my HDhomerun setup. Sorry, can't capture the live video to show that part.
I did the simplest and free method to get mine working on A3 and XBMC. Basically when you configure it using your computer you tell it XBMC is going to be your player. It then generates a bunch of .strm files. Put those on your internal SATA, the SD card, USB, network share or wherever A3 can read them and add that as a source in XBMC. You then go to it, click a channel and it plays. No real setup involved on the XBMC or A3 side.
There are more fancy ways to do it like I could have labeled the stations for mine or put subchannels into one strm file to start but I am lazy. One guy on my site has a HDhomerun setup with MythTV (I think) backend and he gets guide data VIA net and some other cool stuff.
One think I really love about the HDhomerun vs just a USB tuner is that I can watch it easy on any device. I can move from the A3 to the computer to my tablet very easy.
Oh, as I mentioned somewhere XBMC will already be installed on A3 so it is just a matter of playing with it and learning the basics. Assuming I can integrate it correctly for install in a ROM the good repositories and some other things will already be setup too.
Here are some pics of XBMC on A3 and my HDhomerun setup. Sorry, can't capture the live video to show that part.
T
Look up the Nobis NB09 at walmart.com. It was $99, offered free shipping, came with a free keyboard/case (which I broke) and has the same processor as the A3. I use it to do some of the A3 dev work and I've ran HDhomerun and the Spark2 Android App for the A3 on it. Decent tablet for the $$$ and probably does more than the $800 maxipad.
Cool, thanks !
Supporting Founder
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Apple has finally released their Apple TV 4K with built-in Siri and a microphone so it can respond to your queries even if you don't have the remote. It also increases in price, to $299. I had been planning on updating my current Apple TV 4K streamers, but that's $600 for the two of them, and that's a pass at this point.
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K. New Siri AI and hands-free control. Stunning picture and immersive HomePod surround sound. Works with your Apple and smart home devices.
www.apple.com
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234 views
S
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
they all do that anyways.. ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade..
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Edq2eavsQ
Direct YouTube Link - This Week in Space 232
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Edq2eavsQ
Direct YouTube Link - This Week in Space 232
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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2 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oRVxjGm0qtE
Direct YouTube Link - Tim Cook, Elton John & King Charles: A Royal Tech Event
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oRVxjGm0qtE
Direct YouTube Link - Tim Cook, Elton John & King Charles: A Royal Tech Event
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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1 views
TFLEV
Time for another AWESOME video from TFL Electric Vehicles!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyF_RH1m0mc
Direct YouTube Link - Watch the New Tesla Roadster Jump, Fly and Barrel-Roll in Mid-Air!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyF_RH1m0mc
Direct YouTube Link - Watch the New Tesla Roadster Jump, Fly and Barrel-Roll in Mid-Air!
0 Replies
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10 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0k5iT-OlpdE
Direct YouTube Link - The Apple HomeView
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0k5iT-OlpdE
Direct YouTube Link - The Apple HomeView
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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2 views
Pub Member / Supporter
2 Replies
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57 views
But.....if you like Tulsa King....looks like you would probably like this as well. I don't mind spin-offs as long as they don't involve a sassy niece who moves from the big cityAnother Tulsa King spin off.
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
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59 views
Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.
I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
2132 Replies
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214686 views
Tony as the director.
Would you rather have LaRoche ???Tony as the director.
No. Bring in someone new.
Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
I don't think Tim and Tony are that far apart in Age ...No. Bring in someone new.
Remember what Tony said to Tim when they first got back together ...
Tony said: I am the New Tony, Tim .... (something to that effect)
Tony has changed, he's been running his Security Business ... I'm sure he has grown up.
Give it time ... your judging the New Tony from the old Tony.
It sounds like Tim won't be around the Team much longer either.
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Might be worth a watch when it comes out. Looks like typical big corp against the little guy movie BUT....there is a reason this plot type is so oft repeated, it draws audiences.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-f9OGsKHd4
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-f9OGsKHd4
1 Replies
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13 views
Lifetime Supporter
If you're going try to read / listen to the book (can't recommend the audio book enough) before this comes out, I'd avoid trailers.
Trailer below, spoiling it to make sure you read the above bold message first. The book / audio book are fantastic. Go into this blind if you can IMO!
Kind of disappointed at how much they show. A lot still to see, but man, some good reveals in the book that are just served up here.
Trailer below, spoiling it to make sure you read the above bold message first. The book / audio book are fantastic. Go into this blind if you can IMO!
Kind of disappointed at how much they show. A lot still to see, but man, some good reveals in the book that are just served up here.
21 Replies
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717 views
"Project Hail Mary" should be on Prime Video starting Friday, July 3.
www.ign.com
'It Is Time Go!' — Project Hail Mary Is Officially Coming to Prime Video
Amazon has confirmed that Project Hail Mary will be coming to Prime Video.
www.ign.com
That's what I will be watching this weekend."Project Hail Mary" should be on Prime Video starting Friday, July 3.
'It Is Time Go!' — Project Hail Mary Is Officially Coming to Prime Video
Amazon has confirmed that Project Hail Mary will be coming to Prime Video.
