Beginnings of a Windows Phone 7 app - quick question

[pugwonk]

Hi all - I've got a small selection of apps selling on Windows Phone 7. I've also been a Squeezebox user since pre-Logitech days and it occurred to me that perhaps I could listen to BBC radio in the car if I played it through my phone. I got an app up and running that starts server/stream.mp3 and then shows the web interface for your Squeezebox Server, embedded in the app. It plays my music, and appears to be able to buffer it fast enough even when I'm off wireless. Yippee!

Of course, the problems are that:

* The web interface (even the iPhone variants) is not very handy to use on the phone
* Using stream.mp3 means you're a long, long way behind whenever you change anything in the web client. I've added a "resync" button to reconnect to the stream, but it's anything but glamorous

What I'm wondering is whether I should publish this to the marketplace as it is. I'd have to make it free because of the various bits of crapness outlined above. Is this something that would be worthwhile for anyone?

I have the thing up and running, but obviously I'd need to do some work to make it available for other people (probably starting off with removing the hardcoded address of my Squeezebox Server).

Your thoughts,

Chris

[epoch1970]

I am an iPeng user (phone and pad), I know nothing of the W7P "ecosystem", but if I remember right, iPeng started its life as a skin for the server. It gathered a following and Pippin went to develop an app.

If W7P is at least a bit successful, then you'll probably make some users happy. Assuming you're willing to continue development beyond the first prototype stage, of course.

After all, iOS, Androïd and WinMo have a controller app.

Just my 2cts.

[Paul_B]

I have a Windows Phone 7 and really like it. For me I'd really want to use it as a controller akin to iPeng, either as a skin or an app. I've tried iPeng skin and it doesn't appear to render properly through IE on the WP7.

The reason I'm not looking for streaming is I also run WHS and I'm aware of an app to appear shorlty that will tie into WHS, http://www.whsphone.com/

Paul

[JAD1]

Hi all - I've got a small selection of apps selling on Windows Phone 7. I've also been a Squeezebox user since pre-Logitech days and it occurred to me that perhaps I could listen to BBC radio in the car if I played it through my phone. I got an app up and running that starts server/stream.mp3 and then shows the web interface for your Squeezebox Server, embedded in the app. It plays my music, and appears to be able to buffer it fast enough even when I'm off wireless. Yippee!

Of course, the problems are that:

* The web interface (even the iPhone variants) is not very handy to use on the phone
* Using stream.mp3 means you're a long, long way behind whenever you change anything in the web client. I've added a "resync" button to reconnect to the stream, but it's anything but glamorous

What I'm wondering is whether I should publish this to the marketplace as it is. I'd have to make it free because of the various bits of crapness outlined above. Is this something that would be worthwhile for anyone?

I have the thing up and running, but obviously I'd need to do some work to make it available for other people (probably starting off with removing the hardcoded address of my Squeezebox Server).

Your thoughts,

Chris

Hi Chris,

I've been running my HTC HD7 thru the paces. It looks like a keeper. I should be in good shape if MS follows thru with the appropriate updates. I would love a Squeeze APP. I'd clean it up though. It could be tough getting the following you want and you know some folks will be negative no matter what. But, bring it on!

[Paul_B]

Any update on a third-party app for Windows Phone 7?

[pugwonk]

I've not done any more work on making a "proper" variant, but I think I could reasonably easily make a version that plays the stream and shows the web site (as I mentioned above). Would anyone here actually pay for that?

Chris

[will biddle]

Hi all,
I am planning to get a Windows 7 phone from vodafone end of Feb and would definitely buy a squeezecenter app. I have a squeezebox duet at home and am loving it. I would be interested in using the phone as another way of controlling the squeezebox (instead of the duet controller), but I would also want to be able to use it to stream my music to the phone via wi-fi or 3G. Is this possible?
Cheers,
Will UK

[pugwonk]

Hi Will - it's easy to control the Squeezebox via the web interface (you can just use http://mysqueezeboxname and go from there. If you want to actually have a nice app to control it, someone would have to write that. That person might be me eventually if the demand for the phone goes up a bit and I finish some other projects.

Chris

[will biddle]

Thanks for the prompt reply Chris. I will check that out when I get the phone. Would I also be able to stream my music from squeezecenter to the actual phone and listen to it on the phone?
Will

[pugwonk]

If you go to http://mysqueezeboxname/stream.mp3 on the phone, it will open a stream to your device. However... I think as soon as you go to another URL to control the stream, the music will stop. You can control what appears on the phone if you go to the squeezebox user interface URL from another computer but, because of the way streaming music works, it will take a long time (perhaps minutes) for those changes to actually happen on the phone.

The app prototype I have now basically just does that - it starts the stream playing, then goes to the control URL. It's a pity I can't just send you the app and you could try it out!

I may polish up this thing and submit it to the marketplace for free to start with, to see whether it's okay for people's needs.

Chris