EEVblog Electronics Community Forum

EEVblog => The AmpHour Radio Show => Topic started by: apex on March 11, 2011, 04:34:20 pm

Title: New player?
Post by: apex on March 11, 2011, 04:34:20 pm
Hi!
As an day-zero amp-hour listener,
I wanted to do something, to improve the site.
As the old player ain't really nice,
I though of a new one.
Would you like to have a new one, or would the old suffice.
Here are two images of what a new player could look like:
(source images from the eevblog)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_0-YJjJmvHSw/TXpOhYoe3YI/AAAAAAAAAGE/bCHsS6WtF-s/s512/play.png)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_0-YJjJmvHSw/TXpOiDk-TII/AAAAAAAAAGI/r-J0QBYEaXs/s400/pause.png)

What do you think of it?

apex
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: FreeThinker on March 11, 2011, 04:57:31 pm
Took me a while to realise what you were getting at  :). As I tend to listen to the amphour while viewing other pages (wbotw etc) it's players skin is of little consequence.Nice job though.
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: Mechatrommer on March 11, 2011, 07:11:40 pm
use mirror to make your picture more realistic. look at the shadow. btw, what the hell this dmm will do... play? pause?
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: apex on March 11, 2011, 07:25:30 pm
play and pause?
yes, of course!
And it will show the remaining mAh!

apex
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: EEVblog on March 11, 2011, 11:43:24 pm
Awesome!
Although I have no idea how it would interface to the current player.
Also, the form factor just isn't right, it takes up far too much screen real estate.

Dave.
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: mikeselectricstuff on March 12, 2011, 12:29:19 am
Awesome!
Although I have no idea how it would interface to the current player.
Also, the form factor just isn't right, it takes up far too much screen real estate.

Dave.
Pen style DMM?
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: FreeThinker on March 12, 2011, 11:21:57 am
Awesome!
Although I have no idea how it would interface to the current player.
Also, the form factor just isn't right, it takes up far too much screen real estate.

Dave.
Pen style DMM?

Logic Probe?
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: apex on March 12, 2011, 01:14:12 pm
Give me a picture of an electronic "something" and I'll give it a try.
Maybe it could be like an alternative player.
It would be a Java Applet.
That's why I made a poll.
I don't know if everyone would appreciate this, due to Java being watched critical for security reasons.

apex
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: tweek on March 12, 2011, 05:38:39 pm
Personally I usually fire up the player and go back to work, so I don't much care what it looks like, but I do have 2 thoughts:

1 - the IT curmudgeon in me would implore you to not add Java as a requirement to listen to The Amp Hour.  Flash is basically ubiquitous (more so these days than java) and gets the job done just fine.

2 - The existing player is integrated into wordpress via the podpress plugin.  I've never run a wordpress site, but I have to imagine this makes it very easy for Chris and/or Dave to publish content.  Anything that goes against the grain of the podpress plugin's structure would likely create a tax on their already not-so-copious time.  What you would want to do is skin the existing player.  From what I can see, they are currently using the 1pixelout player (aka the Wordpress Audio Player) for The Amp Hour.  AFAIK, this player supports themes (i.e. you can set the color of all the UI elements), but not skins.  QUICK DISCLAIMER: I'm talking out my ass here since I've not done any of this.  I think the path of least resistance to change the look of that player would be to use another player that integrates with podpress and also allows skins.  The Xspf Jukebox http://blog.lacymorrow.com/projects/xspf-jukebox/ (http://blog.lacymorrow.com/projects/xspf-jukebox/) seems to fit this bill.  You can see some skin examples on that page, and they have docs on that site that tell you how to make a new skin.
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: EEVblog on March 13, 2011, 05:22:58 am
Give me a picture of an electronic "something" and I'll give it a try.
Maybe it could be like an alternative player.
It would be a Java Applet.
That's why I made a poll.
I don't know if everyone would appreciate this, due to Java being watched critical for security reasons.
apex

Any new player would have to be compatible with the Podpress plugin used on the Wordpress site otherwise it's just extra work at our end.

Dave.
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: apex on March 13, 2011, 10:14:21 am
Well, a new skin would be an idea I think!
It's less work than doing an Applet and if it works, it is great.

apex
Title: Re: New player?
Post by: Simon on March 13, 2011, 09:01:33 pm
I've not had time to listen in a while, but I usually just download it so time wasted on me but cool idea. What about just having the DMM screen and maybe a couple of buttons under it ?