2004-12
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MaximumPC Magazine named Squeezebox the "Best Wireless Device" in their special December Gear Of The Year issue. They also reviewed Squeezebox in March.
This beautiful Wi-Fi powered music streaming box delivers audiophile-quality sound to multiple rooms in your home. It's easy to use, and extremely reliable.
2004-11-21
Parade Magazine features Squeezebox in this year's Better Living With Technology issue in the article Take Your Media Center To The Next Level. See the article here: Page 1, Page 2, text.
...Kellie—a self-described "non-techie"—was skeptical. 'I don't really like gadgets,' she says. 'Then I realized I could relax on the couch and pull up my favorite Harry Connick Jr. songs without going near the computer. I was hooked.'
2004-11-17
Slim Devices is thrilled to report three major updates:
- Squeezebox has a bold new look: four metallic styles from which to choose, each masterfully hand painted by a local artist. Classic black "soft-touch" is still available, but the new styles are simply breathtaking to see in person. New photos are on the home page.
- SlimServer 5.4 is now available. This release is all about radio and RSS news. We've added support for WMA and Vorbis radio streaming, plus a diverse selection of stations from several internet radio partners. Our press release details the benefits of this major SlimServer update.
- CD ripping! Slim Devices can now handle the chore of loading in your tunes from your CD collection. MP3, WMA, AAC, and pure lossless formats including FLAC are available. Our ripping service is dead simple - we'll take care of all the details. Your CDs will be returned along with your whole library in compressed format on a DVD-ROM. More info here.
There is a lot of new information on the web site. Please take a moment to check it out!
Best regards,
Sean Adams
CEO, Slim Devices
2004-09-21
The winners for the Plugins Contest have been posted. Congratulations, folks! Check out the great ideas the members of our community have come up with!
2004-09-17
Tom's Networking has a new review of Squeezebox.
(A) strong combination of smart and beautiful (and isn't that what we are all seeking?)
2004-08-20
Linux Magazine has a feature article about Slim Devices, SlimServer and Squeezebox and includes an interview with our own CTO, Dean Blackketter.
2004-08-10
EETimes has a front page feature article, "Digital audio startup finds edge in open-source code" about Slim Devices and another article about our founder, Sean Adams.
2004-08-05
Slim Devices is sponsoring a Plugins Contest. Create a great plugin for SlimServer or Squeezebox and win valuable prizes!
2004-08-03
Slim Devices is pleased to announce a major update to Squeezebox. We've replaced our venerable 2-line text display with a beautiful new graphic display.
Shipping TODAY are three new products:
- Graphic Squeezebox (wireless) $279
- Graphic Squeezebox (wired) $199
The new Squeezebox display has 280 x 16 pixels, providing a stunning interface appearance as well as advanced animation capabilities. Our web site has just been updated with photos of the new interface.
Along with this new hardware, we are pleased to announce two major software releases:
SlimServer V5.3 beta, featuring an enhanced user interface that takes advantage of the new display. This release adds improved fonts, as well as graphical elements in the user interface. Also included (for developers) is a preview of our upcoming visualizer feature, which can display high-speed audio visualization at up to 100 frames per second!
SoftSqueeze version 1.0, by Richard Titmuss, adds support for the new Squeezebox graphics capabilities and is included in the 5.3 beta release. Please give it a try to see how the new display works.
Also, over the next few weeks, many new software capabilities will be added to the graphic Squeezebox - what you see today is just a starting point for this versatile display.
Thanks everyone,
Sean Adams
CEO, Slim Devices
2004-07-21
MobilePC Magazine has reviewed Squeezebox and awarded it 4 1/2 stars and named it a Mobile Choice!
Needless to say, we love the Squeezebox...if music is your thing, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
2004-07-07
Salon.com editor Scott Rosenberg has reviewed Squeezebox on his blog:
Once set up, the Squeezebox instantly transformed my music-listening life: suddenly, all the music I'd been listening to on mediocre computer speakers, or on my Ipod, was available at the click of a remote on the much more pleasing living-room stereo that had fallen into digital-music-age disuse.
2004-05-04
A Stream Come True...Songs sounded full and textured, and they generally sounded better than on most MP3 players we found.
Reproduced with the permission of macHOME, © copyright macHOME, 2004
2004-05-04
joy reminiscent of my first auto-reverse cassette player
2004-04-28
All in all, the combination of terrific hardware engineering and a fantastic approach to supporting software makes the Squeezebox a great choice if you want a way to play mp3s anywhere your wireless can reach. It's very good to see a company intelligently approach the free software community and build a very good product, and better business, on top of it.
2004-04-28
It's beautifully designed and easy to use. Integrated Wi-Fi means you need neither cables nor adaptors. There's also support for a host of formats, including AAC, and the new lossless compression system, FLAC." ... "An elegant bridge between PC and hi-fi. Buy one.
2004-04-13
2004-04-14
Slim Devices Inc. reduced today the retail price on their popular network music players—Squeezebox Wired, the ethernet-only player, will retail for $199 and Squeezebox Wireless, with built-in wireless support, will retail for $279. These prices are effective immediately through Slim Devices' web site.
Read the full press release here.
2004-04-13
The popular UK computing site, The Register, has posted a review of Squeezebox, written by Tony Smith, and has give it a 90/100 rating and called it "a joy to use."
With my Music folder copiously filled with classical, rock and spoken word repertoire, and an extensive if eclectic playlist ticking away on the Squeezebox, I settled down with a large glass of Wirra Wirra Church Block to enjoy this realisation of a dream I've had for nigh on 20 years: tens of thousands of songs, all no more than a few remote control button presses away.
2004-04-13
Andrew Laurence, who reviewed SLIMP3 for TidBits a year ago has a new review of Squeezebox entitled "Good Vibrations From Squeezebox" and calls it "a heck of a nice product."
While I was writing the SLIMP3 review, my wife and I noticed that we played music more often, and more easily. The seamless access to the music heightened our use and enjoyment a great deal, similar to the yield one gets from TiVo. After I sent the demonstration unit back to Slim Devices, we noticed its absence. Forced to once again shuffle CDs, we lapsed into old habits of leaving the same set of discs in the player and suffering through commercial radio. Now that we've gotten our hands on the Squeezebox, I just might have to buy one for the entertainment center.
2004-04-12
MacWorld editor Jason Snell has published an Editor's Note about using SlimServer to stream your music from home to work using the excellent Softsqueeze application.
I have been impressed with Slim Devices' Squeezebox (4 mice, April 2004 issue) and its predecessor, the SLIMP3, for some time. But even if you don't have $249 to spend on an awesome network music player for your stereo cabinet, you can take advantage of Slim Devices' remarkably good server software to stream your home music library to your work.Read on...
2004-04-05
Rich Siegel has written a terrific audiophile-oriented review of Squeezebox for the Mac Developer Journal. You can view the PDF here.
The Squeezebox is an admirable product, an excellent choice for audiophiles (and for anyone else who cares about the quality of sound playback). With it, you can make the most of any stereo, from an inexpensive pair of powered speakers to a top-of-the-line sound system.
Great technical content specifically tailored for you by Macworld and O'Reilly & Associates awaits your discovery at Mac Developer Journal. Click here to subscribe.
2004-04-02
MacWorld has posted a great review of Squeezebox by editor Jason Snell.
Squeezebox is the perfect device for anyone who wants a seamless stereo-component experience from an iTunes music collection. Its support for wireless networking reduces a major hurdle in bringing MP3s to the living room, and its digital outputs and ability to play uncompressed audio make it a must-have product for audiophiles.
2004-04-01
Slim Devices introduces our latest product, the Dorku Tubular Music Player.
2004-03-09
Tech TV's The Screen Savers did a head-to-head comparison of Squeezebox and two competing products. Squeezebox was their top pick!
My favorite is still the Squeezebox, it's got by far the best audio quality...
You can view a clip in either QuickTime (6.4MB) or MPEG4 (13.7MB) format (which works great with QuickTime or VLC).
2004-02-19
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The March 2004 issue of Maximum PC magazine has reviewed Squeezebox, rated it a perfect 10 and awarded a coveted Kick Ass award!
The excellent interface and server software make this a must have for any audiophile.
2004-02-19
The March 2004 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine has a three page review of Squeezebox.
I've yet come across a slicker device for getting digital music off the computer and into your living room stereo system.
[I]n a time when the rights of corporations seem to take precedence over the rights of consumers, it's nice to see a small company supporting groups that are at least trying to shift the balance toward the consumer while continuing to make great, innovative products.
2004-02-01
The Arizona Mac User's Group has posted a review of Squeezebox, written by Arthur Whalem and given it 5 AMUGs out of 5! Quote:
If you are looking for an elegant way to play MP3, AIFF and internet radio without dragging your computer over to the home theatre or stereo, Squeezebox is the solution. The beautiful 40x2 vacuum fluorescent display with AIFF and digital outs looks and sounds great with any home theatre.
2004-01-28
mymac.com has posted a review of Squeezebox by Owen Rubin and has rated it a 5 out of 5!
If, like me, you want access to MP-3s on your stereo, and moving your computer to the stereo is just not an option, this is the device for you. With so many options and methods of control over your music, plus a large open source community making it more cool every day, there is really no other alternative as cool as this.
2004-01-08
Slim Devices' Squeezebox was awarded Best of Show at MacWorld 2004 by IDG's Macworld, the premier Macintosh magazine and Web sites. "Macworld Best of Show Awards" represent a highly-coveted honor within the Macintosh industry and are presented exclusively at tradeshows that feature Mac products.
2003-12-23
SynApps has reviewed Squeezebox and given it 5 smiles out of 5!
Well engineered second generation device. Gives you a feel of what the home network will be like.
2003-12-19
The French magazine MacAndCo has done a brief review of Squeezebox.
Translated: It's certainly the most complete product of our selection.
2003-12-10
Designtechnica has posted a new review of Squeezebox on their site and given it 9 out of 10!
The Squeezebox by Slim Devices does just about everything we would hope out of a networked music player. It can handle compressed and uncompressed digital music and play it back on any audio connection you may have. It looks and sounds great and is incredibly simple to setup and use. With a host of analog and digital outputs, a bright display and connectivity to wired or wireless networks, it is useable for anyone with a digital music collection that wants to listen outside of their computer room.
2003-12-09
Popular Mechanics has posted a review entitled Squeezebox Makes Digital Music Easy.
Move over, AudioTron. There is a new gadget that lets consumers play their digital music collection through their home stereos--and it is easier, more compatible with more computers, and more stylish.
2003-12-05
Perl.com has an interview with Dean Blackketter, our charming and talented CTO, about SlimServer, Squeezebox, Perl and the SlimDevices commmunity. Check it out!
2003-12-04
Doug Bedell of the Dallas Morning News has reviewed Squeezebox.
Suddenly, that great leap between computer and entertainment center can be reduced to a pleasant stroll.
2003-12-03
Slashdot's CmdrTaco has reviewed Squeezebox.
The elegant web interface, the amazing customizability, the simplicity of installation, and the flexibility of server applications really make this a no brainer.
2003-12-03
Canada's Globe and Mail has reviewed Squeezebox:
Support for wide array of operating systems; great sound quality; easy setup; hobbyists can modify both the hardware and software platforms.
Our developers are hard at work adding WMA support right now!
2003-11-13
Two Icelandic publications have published reviews of SLIMP3 and love it.
Our Icelandic dealer, Klikk, has posted some information from the reviews from the computer magazine Tšlvuheimur (a great little device for those that want to free their MP3 collections from their computer) and the main daily newspaper, Morgunblainu (fantastic solution, simple and works very well).
2003-11-11
Designtechnica has posted a great review of SLIMP3 on their site and given it 9 out of 10!
It is easy to setup and control, sounds and looks great, and is actively supported by its developers and fans.
2003-11-09
GQ Magazine features SLIMP3 in their special section "Streamlining Your Sound System" in the November issue.
2003-09-29
Tech TV's The Screen Savers did a feature on SLIMP3.
You can download a Small (3.8MB) or Large (10.5MB) version clip in MPEG4 format, which works great with QuickTime or VLC.
2003-09-18
PC Magazine UK has posted a short review of SLIMP3.
Stylish but unobtrusive...Extremely well thought-out.
2003-09-17
Joshua Wachs of MacNN posted a review of SLIMP3 and gave it 5 out of 5 stars!
...SLIMP3 has quickly become my favorite gadget in the house.
2003-09-11
The Arizona Mac User's Group has posted a review written by Arthur Whalem and given it 5 AMUGs out of 5! Quote:
If you are looking for an elegant way to play MP3 files and internet radio without dragging your computer over to the home theatre or stereo, SLIMP3 has the solution. The vast features of the SLIMP3 player and server make it a wonderful addition to any computer network. The beautiful 40x2 vacuum fluorescent display and small foot print have a high wife appreciation factor too. Let SLIMP3 open your MP3 world.
2003-08-04
BBC News has posted a terrific feature about Slim Devices and the SLIMP3 on their site.
2003-07-23
Hometoys e-magazine has just published a review of the SLIMP3 up on their web site:
I wish all modern devices were as well designed and open as the SLIMP3.
2003-07-12
The Dutch magazine MacFan gives a great review of SLIMP3 in the July/August 2003 issue. They gave it a MacFanScore of 4.5 out of 5 Happy Macs!
2003-06-13
Kevin Kelly has written a nice review of SLIMP3. He writes Oh, the joy! I have wanted to do this for so long, that I can't express how happy this little gizmo has made me. It's a dream completed.
2003-06-01
The Japanese magazine MacPeople gives SLIMP3 4 1/2 out of 5 stars! Read the review.
2003-04-01 Slim Devices is pleased to announce the SlimDRM. Finally an answer for secure digital audio!
2003-03-28
The Gadgeteer has done a review of the SLIMP3 player and they love it!
2003-03-13
SLIMP3 Network Music Player was awarded MacWorld Magazine's coveted "5 Mouse" rating. This award honors outstanding products designed for the Macintosh platform. "Thanks to SLIMP3, even my stereo has gotten MP3 savvy," said Rick LePage, Editor-in-Chief/VP of Content of MacWorld.
The MacWorld panel of independent experts evaluated the product according to its innovative appeal, usability, usefulness, and affordability. MacWorld's award for Slim Devices' SLIMP3 Network Music Player will be showcased in the April 2003 issue of MacWorld magazine and on http://www.macworld.com . With this distinction, MacWorld readers will know that SLIMP3 is a product they can purchase and recommend with confidence.
2003-01-05
Slim Devices has a new look! Today we rolled out our new web site and logo. If you find any problems with the web site, please contact webmaster@slimdevices.com.
12/29/2002
Slim Devices will be exhibiting at the San Francisco MacWorld expo, which runs from January 7th through the 10th. If you would like a free guest pass, please email macworld@slimdevices.com. Our booth number is 4019.
12/9/2002
SLIMP3 is a MacWorld 18th Annual Editor's Choice Finalist in the "Digital Media Device" category!
11/12/02
The SLIMP3 Server and player firmware have been updated with lots of new features and bug fixes! We recommend all users upgrade to the new software. Visit our Downloads page and grab the latest versions.
09/27/02
We have moved to a new location in Mountain View, CA.
09/27/02
Paul Raposo was kind enough to digitize TechTV's The Screensavers' review of the SLIMP3. The segment is about five minutes long, so this is a big download.
- SLIMP3 review, Quicktime format - Sorenson codec, 23MB
- SLIMP3 review, MPEG 1 format - 60MB
09/20/02
A review and demonstration of the SLIMP3 will air tonight on the TechTV channel. Tune in to The Screen Savers at 4PM Pacific, 7PM Eastern time!
09/12/02 We have new resellers in Australia and Canada:
Kawartha TV & Stereo (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)
Tel: 705 742 3434
Email: sales@kawarthatv.com
You can either order through their web site, or you can see a demo at their retail location: 188 Park Street South
Teleris Networks Pty Ltd (Surry Hills, Australia)
Tel: 02 9331 1083
Email: sales@teleris.com.au
Web site: coming soon
09/11/02
All back-orders have shipped as of today. SLIMP3 is now in-stock again.
09/06/02
SLIMP3 has officially been declared "lustworthy."
Pat St-Arnaud of Applelust.com writes:
The SLIMP3 is a refreshing exception to mediocrity; Small and unobtrusive, elegant and stylish, it does exactly what it claims to do, and once properly installed and configured (a ten minute job) melts in the background to work its magic.
One word: Cool!
Kids, don't drink and solder.
08/29/02 Minor update to major software release!
Version 3.0b2 is now available. This release fixes several bugs found in the 3.0b1 release. Visit our downloads page to view the release notes and download the new version.
08/29/02 Major software release!
Version 3.0b1 is now available. This beta release includes both SLIMP3 server software and new firmware. The Windows version is now a proper standalone GUI application - just unzip it and double-click to run. In Mac OS X, we now synchronize with the iTunes music database. There's a new Finnish translation. This is a big update - here's the complete list of what's new. Click here to download the new version. Thank you, Sam Saffron, for the Windows GUI!
Availability updateWe're currently dealing with some production delays. More inventory is expected to arrive within a week.
08/16/02
We now have power cords for EU and Australia. We do not have UK power cords at the moment, but our reseller in London does.
We're out of stock again. Man, we blew through that batch of players fast!. More inventory is coming in about two weeks, so please preorder.
07/26/02 New Review @ Moddin.net
Wow! John Newman gives the SLIMP3 a perfect 10/10. The review includes some nice photos of the display, and screenshots of the software running under Windows.
Availability updateThe SLIMP3 has been on back-order for the last three weeks, due to shortages on some specialty components. Our manufacturer confirmed yesterday that they will resume production on Tuesday of next week, and that we'll have finished goods by the end of the week. They'll send them overnight, and we will be shipping all of the back-orders the same day that this shipment arrives. So please put in a pre-order to ensure that you receive a unit from this next batch.
Also, note that our retailers in Europe still have the SLIMP3 in-stock, and are shipping now.
07/17/02 Slim Devices has a new CTO!
We're pleased to announce that Dean Blackketter has joined Slim Devices as our Chief Technology Officer. Within this role, Dean will be responsible for directing new product design, software development, and technology partnerships. He has been heavily involved in the development of the SLIMP3 since we first released the product, and we're pleased to finally have him aboard our executive team. Thanks to his incredible efforts, the SLIMP3 has already become the most advanced audio product on the market.
Dean's impressive career includes more than fifteen years of experience in developing cutting-edge software and hardware products. Prior to joining Slim Devices, he worked at WebTV and Microsoft as the architect for the WebTV interactive television platform, and at Apple Computer as a senior scientist developing the QuickTime and QuickTime Conferencing products.
"I am excited to be able join Sean and the rest of the Slim Devices community to make the SLIMP3 player even better and begin work on some incredible new products." says Dean.
06/19/02
Another review! This one's a good read, and there's an interesting discussion attached to it as well. Grahams walks through the out-of-box experience, points out his favorite features, and answers some questions about using the SLIMP3 with iTunes.
06/04/02
Tom's Hardware has written a review of the SLIMP3. Shawn Watters goes into great detail, with screenshots of the web interface, photos of the unit, and detailed specs.
05/29/02
Version 2.3 is finished. This release adds two long awaited features, a Mac OS X Aqua interface, plus the ability to synchronize multiple players. For our Mac OS X customers, we are now shiping the SLIMP3 software as a proper standalone application, with a nice Aqua interface for controlling the server software. Just drag it to your hard disk to install. You can also put in your dock.
The synchronization feature is something you won't find on any other MP3 player - if you have more than one SLIMP3, you'll love this. You can link players together into groups, and synchronize their audio outputs. The players will all share a common playback queue, and each one can be controlled individually for browsing music, adjust volume/brightness, etc.
05/22/02
Slim Devices goes global!
We now have three retailers in Europe, and all have the SLIMP3 in stock right now. European customers can save on shipping and import costs by ordering from:
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K55 (Zürich, Switzerland)
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www.ihavetohave.it (London, England)
Online ordering is available now! |
www.slimp3.dk (Denmark) Email: slimp3@ivida.dk Now shipping to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Greenland! |
Also note that these companies are shipping the SLIMP3 with the correct AC cord for Swiss, English, and Scandinavian mains.
05/20/02 There's a new review of the SLIMP3 at MP3 Newswire!
04/17/02
Version 2.2 is now available! This release is mainly performance improvements, plus a few important bug fixes. [download now]
Last chance to buy case upgrades. If you have one of the first edition players and would like to upgrade to the new case design, please do so before the end of April. We will be stocking these upgrade items only for the next two weeks. We also have the switching power supplies available as an upgrade for the hand made prototype players that shipped in September.
03/15/02
Version 2.1 is finished! [download now]
Thanks Robert, John, Scott, and Dean!
03/14/02 New stuff on the web site
The documentation section of the web site has been freshened up, with some new screen shots of the SLIMP3 showing how the user interface works, and new features which will be released this week in V2.1.
A new page has been added with feedback from our customers. Case upgrades are on the way!We will soon have an inexpensive case upgrade available for owners of the first-generation SLIMP3. They will be only $15, or free if you order a second player. Sorry for the delay - we only received a smallish quantity of the new cases, so we've had to save them for people who are ordering new players.
02/27/02 The new cases have arrived
You asked for it... it's finally here. Today we received new cases for the SLIMP3. The front is made of smoked acrylic, and the back of the case fully encloses the guts of the SLIMP3. We're building a bunch of them right now, and they will begin shipping on Friday. It looks slick! We have just updated the photo on the home page, and we will add some more photos tonight. If you order a SLIMP3 today, it will ship with this new case on Friday.
We're in PC World Magazine!
Check out the new April edition of PC World, on page 54.
02/17/02 New server software
Release 2.0 of our server software is now available for download. This is the most substantial update we've released so far, and includes a slew of new features, including the ability to browse an index of ID3 tags as well as the hard disk structure. There are many improvement in the web interface, including localization, "skins", the ability to control multiple clients from a web browser, and dramatically improved performance when serving large playlists. The complete change log will be posted shortly.
Interesting review
David Fred has written a very detailed, technical review of the SLIMP3, which he sent to a mailing list of home automation buffs. He concludes:
...It is clear that the people who designed the SLIMP3 have a clue. They designed a product they wanted to use themselves, and those are invariably the best products...
Please also note that the RF interference has since been fixed - we are providing repairs free of charge to customers affected by this.
02/01/02 The price of the SLIMP3 has been reduced to $249
Thanks to the growing popularity of the SLIMP3, we were able to get better pricing on components and offer it at a lower price.
Our firmware source code has been released
We have decided to publish the assembler source code for our firmware under our Slim Devices Public Source License. The license allows you to use, modify, and distribute the code for certain non-commercial purposes. Please read it carefully before downloading the source code.
New nightly snapshots of the SLIMP3 server software
Every morning at 4:00AM PST, we are automatically generating a release of our latest development version of the SLIMP3 Server. This is development-stage code, and is virtually guaranteed to contain bugs, but it will always have newer features than the the stable releases posted on our main downloads page. We've placed these here only to make the current code more easily accessible than through sourceforge CVS.
We were on TV!
The SLIMP3 made a brief appearance on the TechTV channel, on The ScreenSavers. Thanks TechTV!
01/01/02 1.8 was released today! Download
12/27/01
Nicholas Clark has given our web site a nice facelift. Great work!
12/18/01
12/13/01
SLIMP3 will ship early next week, in time for Christmas delivery! The players are shipping out from the factory today.
12/11/01
Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda has written a review of the SLIMP3.
The new switching power supplies arrived today. These are much smaller than the regulated "wall-wart" supplies, and they work on 100 to 240VAC. I only have the AC cords for the US, though. The cords are interchangeable, so overseas customers will just need to pick up the correct two-prong cord for their mains. I'll post some photos shortly.
12/8/01
I just got back from visiting our manufacturer, Ventura Electronics Assembly. They're doing a fantastic job, and production is ahead of schedule. We probably will have something to sell in the next week or two. They were kind enough to let me take photos of the process - very interesting stuff.
12/2/01
11/22/01
Availability
The manufacturing process is moving along, but it's been much more painful than I expected. The most annoying problem so far is that the power connectors (yes, a friggin $0.68 part) were not in stock, so we have to wait for them to come from the factory in Taiwan. Fortunately I have some of these left over from our first batch, so we should still have some players ready by Christmas. The remotes (RM-V201 this time) and RCA cables arrived yesterday. The new switching power supplies are expected in two weeks. Hopefully we'll have some good news on the players in the next week or so, when I visit the manufacturer to help with the assembly and programming.Firmware
DHCP is working! Firmware update v 1.1 is almost ready. With this new firmware, the SLIMP3 can now configure itself and locate the server completely automatically. You don't have to enter the IP addresses any more, although you can still use static IPs if you want.Server software
Tons of new stuff! We're not quite ready with a stable release; it'll be a couple more days. Dean has made a lot of UI and performance improvements, and playlists are much easier to manage now. Also there's a bunch of new stuff under the hood, including an animation framework, high-resolution timers, and a scheduler for cooperative multitasking.
11/01/01
Woohoo! I just quit my day job... yesterday was my last day, so I'll be working on Slim Devices full time again.
I just placed an order for a larger quantity of SLIMP3 players, so we should have them in time for Christmas. Also 110/220V switching power supplies are on the way - they're also built-to-order, but I think we'll have them by the end of November.
10/24/01
Sorry it's been a while since I've updated this page - I'll try to post news more frequently.
Availability
Last month, we shipped the handmade players to the first people who had signed up for preorders. Unfortunately we did not have nearly enough of them for everybody who has been waiting. We're getting set up now with turnkey manufacturing, but it has taken longer than I expected. Once we've done the first automated batch, it should be much easier to get more inventory as needed. I will post another update as soon as I know when they'll be ready.Server software
Version 1.6 is now available on the downloads page. It works on Unix and Windows - MacOS is broken at the moment. There are many new features and the UI has changed a bit. Please see the "README.BUTTONS" file for more information.
SourceForge
We're now using sourceforge for bug tracking and feature requests, as well as CVS. Both developers and non-developers are welcome to submit bugs and feature requests. Also if you want to stay abreast of the server development effort, please sign up for the slimp3-dev Yahoo Group. It's heavy traffic, but you can choose to receive a daily digest if you don't want to receive all the individual emails.
10/04/01
Dean Blackketter has just submitted an HTTP interface and a new playlist manager. See the comments in CVS for a list of all the new features. Some bits are still a little rough - we'll make another release soon.
There is a new Yahoo group, slimp3-dev, for discussing server development.
9/24/01
Daniel Sully has submitted a re-write of the SLIMP3 server. Just a few of the improvements are:
- use strict and -w
- include files moved to modules, in lib/SLIMP3
- Proxying to shoutcast servers
- Playlists
- Displays ID3 tags
9/19/01
Over the weekend, I posted the 1.0 server, and a copy of the firmware image that will ship with our first players. Mainly the changes have been a lot of code cleanup, a new setup utility, and many platform-specific tweaks for Windows and MacOS.
The bootloader server is still kinda kludgy - currently it's used for factory programming and setting the MAC addresses. A user-friendly bootloader will be released with the first firmware update.
The last of the supplies are the Sony remotes, which I was hoping to receive last Thursday. Supposedly they were drop-shipped from Los Angeles on Monday - so I expect them today. I guess the airlines are still a mess.
#1 on Google for "Ethernet MP3"!!!
9/12/01
Please make a donation to the American Red Cross
9/5/01
I have set up the project "slimp3" on sourceforge, so everything is now in CVS. I'm still playing around with all the sourceforge features - will have some mailing lists set up shortly.
The boards are now finished and tested, and we're starting on the final assembly process. Once everything is assembled, we need to program each player with it's unique MAC addresses. Then they get one final test, and we'll start shipping. We'll be taking pre-orders shortly - stay tuned!
8/27/01
- A couple of FAQs are now posted, plus a description of the SLIMP3's user interface.
- Tons of new photos, including what the final shipping product will look like!
- I have posted a snapshot of the source code
8/25/01 Slashdotted!
Other news:
- 100 boards are almost finished.
- Power supplies, remotes, and displays are on the way!
- We received the plastics
- I've been doing some work on the firmware - sleep mode now works
8/19/01
Busy weekend... We have a couple dozen boards finished and tested - just need to get the plastics done and we're in business.
The server now runs on Windows and MacOS9, as well as Unix/Linux. It doesn't take much to get a Perl program to run on all three - mainly just dealing with the differences in path names and the binary/text file mode in Windows (took me a while to figure that one out...). Also it looks like both ActivePerl and MacPerl allow you to create standalone exectuables, so probably you won't have to install a Perl interpreter to run the server.
TAP plastics is working on the stands. They're going to be cut and drilled using a laser, so the finished pieces will look a bit nicer than the one pictured on the home page, which was cut out by hand. Also I'm using a slightly different color - "bronze" instead of "smoke". It makes the VFD look *very* sharp!
I still don't have a firm shipping date, but I expect it will be the first or second week in September - probably not this month as I'd hoped. Please sit tight, and check back here for updates.
Finally, thank you everyone for all your email - the feedback has been very encouraging!
8/16/01
From the article:
It's nice to know that in this age of multinational conglomerates there are still a few people working hard in their garages looking to innovate. I came across the SLIMP3 recently, which is an example of such entrepreneurship.
Cool!
8/15/01
Took a break from soldering to work on the server software. It now works with any number of player clients talking to a single instance of the server. CPU usage on the server is really low - I left two players running all day at 384Kbps, and the server process used only 6 minutes of CPU time on a PII/400. So it should be possible to service a few dozen players even on the lowliest Linux PC.
8/11/01
We've been working on assembling our first fifty units. I tried getting quotes from several contract manufacturers - they wanted $50/unit to do the assembly on 100 boards. I thought that was a bit ridiculous, even if it is a smallish quantity. So we're doing them by hand!
It's going much faster than I expected. It takes me about two hours to assemble a single board. However when we do a whole bunch of them, one component at a time, we average about 40 minutes per board, which is not so bad.
So, if you know of a shop that will do automated surface amount assembly at reasonable prices for small quantities, please drop me an email.
7/26/01
Not much news due to a week's vacation and moving to a new appartment. Rico ordered 100 boards last week, we should be getting those in just a few days.
I have a cool looking plastic stand for the player - will post a picture tonight. Hopefully I can get TAP Plastics to make these...
6/17/01
It's probably a bit silly, starting a development log after so much of the R&D is already done, but what the heck. Status:
We have most of the components needed to build our first batch - still need to order the power supplies, displays, and remotes, but much of this can be ordered in smaller batches once we get rolling. I hope to have the first units ready for sale in August
Several prototypes of the latest PCB design (rev 6) have been built and tested.
The Xilinx CPLD design has been thoroughly tested, and no changes have been made for the last 6 months. I don't forsee a need to make changes, but just in case, the JTAG pins are connected to the PIC, allowing for future logic reprogramming over the net.
Main firmware is looking good. Thoroughly tested, no known bugs. There is a handful of features I'd still like to implement before we ship, but nothing critical.
Just finished rewriting the bootloader client. Needs a bit more testing. This is the most important part of the software to get right - as long as the bootloader doesn't have any major problems, everything else can be reflashed later (well, so can the bootloader, but it's not as easy).
The bootloader server has also recently been rewritten (ported from Perl to C, many changes). There is still some testing to do, and user-friendliness features to add.
Not much work has been done on the SLIMP3 server lately - all the basic features are there, and it works great. It hasn't been thoroughly tested on Windows/Mac, so the initial release will be Unix only.
So, things are right on track. I've got a few more pages and lots of pictures to add to the web site before I open it up.
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