Is Web 3.0 here? We don’t know, but Kore 3.0 certainly is! Shiny, decentralized and software-based, it’s ready to take over your old, centralized, atom-based remote.
As a major release there are lots of changes, too many in fact to list here, but the main ones are:
Migration to Google’s Material 3 UI guidelines, which include:
Complete review of themes and colors, adding support for light and dark modes based on the device’s settings, and for dynamic colors, which change the UI colors depending on the current wallpaper (only available on Android 12 and up);
Update of buttons, text boxes, icons, images, etc. to the latest UI standards;
Review of transitions between sections and within sections;
Redesign of most of Kore’s screens, namely:
The Remote screen, adding the current playback state, and better media controls, allowing for direct control of what’s playing;
The Now Playing panel, adding the current playback state and media control buttons;
The Movies, TV Shows, Music and Addons screens, which went through a redesign, particularly on the actions section. All the previously available actions are still there, they just got moved around (well, except for the IMDb link, which was often broken, and therefore was replaced with a generic Google search). Note that the “Play locally” function is now called “Stream”, which is more appropriate and concise;
The Artist details screen, to show the artist albums beneath its general information instead of on a separate tab;
The connection status indication (connecting, not connected or connected) has been improved and made explicit on the various screens;
The top app bar is collapsible where appropriate, and the remote section allows the background image to use up all the screen;
Redesign of the notifications
Integrating them with Android’s media notifications, which allows for better control of what’s playing when Kore is not in the foreground. Note that, if the media notification disappears after a few minutes even though something is playing on Kodi, that’s caused by aggressive battery optimization settings which forcefully stop the notification. This happens with some manufacturers that don’t follow Android’s guidelines, in a futile and artificial attempt to extend the battery life, and the solution is to check the device’s battery settings applied to Kore (the way to do it depends on the specific device, more info can be obtained at https://dontkillmyapp.com/ );
… and lots and lots of code cleaning and generic bug fixing (like for instance, fixing the access to media storage in the local files section).
Given the level of changes, there certainly are bugs lurking around. If you find one, please let us know at the forum or on GitHub so we can make Kore a better remote.
Hi, everyone! I am Mohd. Shaheer, Computer Science undergrad in freshman year. I am a GSoC contributor working on the project “Finish the web interface” for Kodi. I have been working on this project for the past 3 months. This blog post contains my experience through phase 2 (Final evaluation) of GSoC and an overview of my work during that period.
In my previous blog, I wrote about my work up until the mid-evaluation of GSoC. You can find it here.
Phase 2 (July 25th — September 5)
This phase turned out to be more challenging than the previous one.
During this phase, the first functionality I worked on was “Implementing the Video playback” which involved working on the following pages — Music Video, Movies, Tv Show, Seasons, and Episode.
I started with the videoid_int page, which contains information about a music video. Before that, I noticed that we didn’t have a working Music video page (previously implemented). There were some inconsistencies with its routing, with the json-rpc calls which fetched the metadata and with elm json decoders. So, I fixed these issues first.
I worked on the front end and created its UI from scratch which included rework of the music-video card UI. The basic approach in order to implement video playback functionality was by using JSON-RPC Files.PreparedDownload method, we can get a PreparedDownload path for the file which we want to play by making a request in this manner :
We can expect the returned PreparedDownload path to be something like – "vfs/%2fhome%2fxyz%2fVideos%2ftest.mp4" which we can be fed into the src of the html5 video player (“http://localhost:8080/vfs/%2fhome%2fxyz%2fVideos%2ftest.mp4”)
An issue arose when we tried to do so — CORS Policy. Since we were sending an HTTP request to fetch the JSON data from the Kodi RPC server, we were facing issues with it. Therefore to work on it during development, I suggested using an extension in a browser that allows CORS. Web sockets, which were used to retrieve json data, could have made things much simpler, but during development, things don’t always go according to plan :).
Videoid_int page
In Chorus 2, the video playback was done through a pop-up window that had an HTML5 Player. To make the user experience better, I implemented a modal for it.
In a similar manner, I implemented the video playback functionality for the movideid_int page where I implemented the page’s UI from scratch, worked on its routing, modified json decoders, and created new ones from scratch.
movideid_int page
Tvshow pages required more time and effort than others. I implemented its UI, front-end, and backend from scratch. I also had to create two new pages from scratch — The seasons and the Episode page. I created new objects and decoders for each of them and wrote JSON RPC calls to fetch data for them.
Tvshowid_int page
Season page
Episode page
Another functionality that I worked on was “Filter functionality” for all the pages. I created a fully working front-end and wrote filter methods that would filter the objects based on particular fields such as genre, artist, album, etc.
Filter functionality + reworked Movie card UI
While working on the functionalities, I also reworked the UI of previously implemented cards and pages. For example:
Top Music Page
Before
After
Album page
Before
After
On September 5th, the official coding phase of GSoC ended. It was a great learning experience and my first internship in freshman year. I learned a lot and would love to keep contributing to Kodi on this project and help in any way possible.
Again I would like to thank my mentor – Razze 😄 – and Kodi Community for being so supportive, and helpful, and for making sure to give positive feedback about my work which kept me motivated.
Time for another Alpha release for the upcoming Version 20 “Nexus” release of Kodi.
As always, thanks go out to all contributors for their work – not only those in Team Kodi, but also to all the third party users that choose to roll up their sleeves and fix an issue. Everyone appreciates you for making Kodi better!
Release notes
Addons
Some crashes in addon installation and repository checks have been corrected (ksooo, howie-f)
AlwinEsch has implemented a large feature to allow multiple instances of the same binary addon.
This allows, for example, two instances of a PVR addon (e.g. PVR.HTS) to run using different backend provider instances. The usage of this will require updates from the various binary addons that will start to happen, so if you are interested in helping your favourite PVR addon to implement this, check out the above PVR.HTS PR, as well as the following PVR.Demo PR
Database
ksooo has been optimising various things in our db wrappers for better performance (link)
Several improvements around our Font/Glyph Handling code from several team members (ksooo,thexai,sarbes) – improvements that should help low power machines in particular, but all platforms generally.
Are you eager to improve your home? If so, then you might want to explore the different types of technology available to invest in. There are lots of examples here worth exploring. The trick is to find the right option for you which will provide the greatest value. Here are some ideas to consider right now.
First, you should think about adding a smart home system to your property. These are budget friendly and easy to install. However, for a completely seamless level of interaction, you may need the support of a contractor for the initial setup.
Smart home systems are available from a range of different brands including Samsung. As such, it’s worth exploring the different options that are available on the market today. For instance, some systems provide you with the opportunity to set smart routines. This essentially means that the tech will respond seamlessly to perform connected results at certain times of day. In the morning, this could include bringing your lights on slowly or raising the blinds in your bedroom. In the winter, it might mean turning on a heated floor system. It all depends on your personal needs and what you require.
Security Tech
You might also want to think about upgrading your home with the right security technology. Believe it or not, crime rates are on the rise right now. So, it does make sense to ensure that your family is protected with the right systems in place. In terms of the different types of systems that you can explore, you might want to store with a CCTV setup.
CCTV systems act as useful deterrents and may prevent criminals from considering breaking into your home. Systems like this are also useful because they can provide peace of mind. You just need to set up your system the right way. For instance, it’s important to ensure that they are not recording anyone else’s property without their permission. This can result in a legal headache that you will definitely want to avoid.
Other security options worth exploring include smart locking systems. Smart locking systems provide homeowners with more control over entry points. You can even use systems like this to check when someone has arrived home. This is useful if you have independent children and you want to make sure that they get back home from school at the right time. Research also suggests that these smart locking systems provide greater benefits compared to other similar alternatives.
Entertainment Choices
In terms of entertainment choices, there are countless tech options that could be worth exploring. For instance, you might want to set up a home entertainment system in your property. This can be the perfect space for watching movies and enjoying shows on the best screen possible. If you are interested in this option, then you will need to choose between a TV and a projector system. Both options provide significant benefits. However, the latter is a lot more expensive. This is due to the fact that you need to purchase everything separately. The good news is that you can get the tech that you need for less than you might imagine with solutions such as Net Voucher Codes. This will allow you to save a fortune when you are upgrading your home entertainment technology.
Remember, the best image is just one piece of the puzzle. There are other choices that are important here too. For instance, you need the right sound set up. In some cases, this could include a complete surround sound speaker system so that the sound hits you from every angle. This can provide an incredibly immersive experience.
The kitchen is by far one of the most important rooms in your house. The right kitchen choices could add as much as 25% onto the real value of your property. This is great news, but what do buyers want from a modern kitchen? The majority of buyers will be keen to ensure that they have a kitchen filled with the latest tech.
For instance, you might want to invest in a smart fridge. A smart fridge will guarantee that you can check what you have in your fridge while you are out. It can also remind you to put certain items on the shopping list each week. You can also use a smart fridge to come up with recipes based on the ingredients you have available or the type of dishes that you might want to try.
Another great tech choice for the kitchen would be a heat induction hob. Also known as a smart hob, a system like this will only heat the surface of the pan you are using. This can stop you from wasting a fortune on energy that you don’t need.
Bath Tech
Alternatively, you could think about exploring technology for your bathroom. Bathroom tech comes in all different styles. For instance, you could think about adding a smart shower to your home. As well as making your bathroom just a little more luxurious, a smart shower can give you everything you need for a great morning routine. A smart shower is even more eco-friendly. This is just one more way that you can keep your energy costs and specifically your water bill under control. A smart shower will alert you when it reaches the optimum temperature. It can also reduce the flow of water depending on your preferences. This tech can even play music for you while you shower, providing the perfect, peaceful way to wake up after a long sleep.
Another great tech choice for the bathroom would be heated floors. These will be useful during the winter months when the floors can feel ice cold after you step out of the shower. It’s just a matter of ensuring that you hire a contractor to complete the work the right way. Low quality standards of work can impact the enjoyment and comfort that an addition like this will bring to your home. Ultimately, you can spend a little improving your bathroom and ensure that it’s a dream come true.
Finally, you might want to think about investing in maintenance technology for your home. A great example would be a smart vacuum. As the name suggests, a smart vacuum incorporates smart technology. Essentially, it will clean your home without you ever needing to lift the finger. Say goodbye to spending hours on the vacuuming. A smart vacuum will do all the work for you. The only issue you’ll need to bother yourself is with the stairs. This tech isn’t quite advanced enough to handle that job just yet. But upgrades are being designed every day.
In terms of other maintenance choices, you could also think about options such as self-cleaning equipment. One example would be a self-cleaning oven. This does exactly what it says on the tin and will stop you needing to worry about cleaning your oven regularly. You can get similar systems including the dishwasher too. It’s just a case of finding the right choice for your needs and your budget. Ultimately, this type of maintenance technology will save you time and ensure that you have more to spend on your family, social life, or even your business goals. It can even help reduce stress levels too.
We hope this helps you understand that there are countless types of technology which can dramatically improve your home and ensure that you are living the tech dream. These are just some of the options that we think are worth your time and consideration when upgrading your property.
https://dimitrology.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Cool-Tech.jpg10661600Dimitrologyhttps://dimitrology.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/WEBSITE-LOGO-2020-SMALL.pngDimitrology2022-08-31 17:24:082022-08-31 22:00:13Cool Tech That Will Dramatically Improve Your Home
Hello Kodi community. This is Scott, the founder of TheTVDB. There has been some confusion related to the availability of our API and the various Kodi scrapers for TheTVDB. Hopefully I can provide some clarity.
TheTVDB was originally written in a weekend in 2004, with features and data slowly expanding with varying degrees of thoughtfulness. Inevitably, some mistakes were made and the industry has changed considerably in the years since. Through a complete restructuring of data a few years ago, we attempted to not only correct past mistakes, but also become more flexible in how we accommodate edge cases and non-traditional series.
This rewrite forced us to create a new API that correctly represented the new data structure and was built using more scalable technology. We included a transformation layer that continued to allow the old legacy APIs to function using the new data structure, but it takes a lot of time and money to run so we can’t leave it up forever. In the two years since, we tried easing the transition away from the legacy APIs:
We announced that we would eventually be shutting down the legacy APIs, but stated that we would provide enough time for developers to update their code.
We reached out to key systems that rely on our API, like Kodi, to ensure a smooth transition.
We contracted an experienced Kodi developer to write updated TV and movie scrapers that work off our new API and the latest versions of Kodi. Kodi’s board graciously offered feedback throughout this process.
We’ve restructured our moderator and support tools and teams to make sure we can support developers and users switching to the new API.
Note that as before, our API remains entirely free for end users of the Kodi TheTVDb library scraper (and, indeed, for many other projects). We do have a subscription service for anyone wishing to support our site, but it is entirely optional and not required to use the scraper.
Our current plan is to turn off our legacy APIs at the end of 2022. All Kodi users should switch to our official TV scraper by that time, as all other TheTVDB scrapers will cease to function. Anyone that wants to try out our movie scraper as well is welcome to do so, but the scrapers are entirely separate and do not require each other to function. Note that this conversation is very much about scrapers, but the API change may well impact other add-ons which use the legacy model. We don’t want to adversely impact any users, so please get in touch if you’re a developer who might be affected.
I hope everyone can understand how we got to where we are and why we need to take these next steps. We’re available for support within the scraper threads (TV, movies), but prefer issues to be reported directly on the Github repos (TV, movies). Detailed information about configuration is available on the wiki (TV, movies).
Thank you all so much for your ongoing support of TheTVDB through the years.
Hello – okay – new teeth, that’s weird. So, where was I? Oh, that’s right… Barcelona!
Well, we did it. After a couple of years of pandemic-induced isolation, we managed to get most of the team together in early April for the first time in forever. We successfully brought people in from as far afield as western Canada and Australia, from Europe and from India, for a few days of brainstorming, hacking, direction-setting, updates and, yes, beer. Without straying into politics, we had notable absences, of course, from our Russian and Ukrainian team members. Stay safe, guys: you were genuinely missed.
As a break from our normal day-by-day account, this year we’re writing this as a retrospective of the whole conference, so you get the flavour of everything all in one go. Think of it as a badly-consumed tapas, then… so, off we go.
As usual, topics were many and varied over the days, including:
SAKE: Simple ASCII Kodi emulator – an emulator for Kodi add-ons that can run and debug all the basic Python stuff
PVR multi-instancing – so you can have multiple copies of the same PVR addon (e.g. for different backends)
v20 and release management – a general conversation about how we do releases, when, communications to the community, etc.
Generalised timeshift – extending the existing PVR timeshift mechanism to a broader capability, perhaps to be rolled back into core Kodi code (instead of duplicating in every PVR addon)
TheDataDB – a special guest slot from a former Team member, talking about more generalised metadata storage – lyrics, logo artwork, etc. – separate from e.g. episode listings
Smart home – ideas and existing developments to integrate home automation into Kodi in various ways
LibreELEC update – a broad update on developments around one of the major platforms for Kodi
V4L2 status update – HDR, DRM, ffmpeg patches, and everything to do with core video display on Linux platforms
Binary addon sandboxing – ideas around improving security and resilience by improving compartmentalisation of binary addons
C++ 20 – options and plans to modernise our code to current standards
Jenkins deep dive – an overview plus challenges and opportunities around the open source automation server we use to test/build
Board stuff – internal governance and oversight of all things Kodi
Android maintenance and Play Store – our ongoing issues with a lack of Android devs, and implications (e.g. our current inability to update in the Play Store because of API versions)
Flatpak – how we maintain an support our Flatpak, general Flathub changes and how to improve the user experience in the future
GSoC 2021+2022 – Google Summer of Code – updates on students’ work, plans, mentoring, and so on
There were also things we can’t really talk about – top secret plans, and bar bills, for example – but this gives a flavour of what we discussed. There’s enough here to keep us all busy for many years yet, and that’s before new stuff inevitably gets added.
In the meantime, please delight in a picture of your favourite open-source devs, relaxing in the sunshine after a hard day huddled around laptops and projector screens.
Slightly delayed Alpha 2, but here we go. We had a bit of a wild ride more due to behind the scenes update and changes – however, the good news is that it’s given us more time for fixes and additions.
Release notes
Platform Specific
Android
Fix a stutter when the Kodi Android app was opened, closed and opened again. One of our team members (@thexai) noticed an issue with a recent PR that caused media stuttering to occur only after the app was opened and closed and reopened again without a force close. @ksooo has come up with a fix, so hopefully playback should be a better experience over Alpha 1.
Android and Apple systems have had their Python version bumped to 3.9.13 in accordance with the latest release of the CPython 3.9 series. Of note, there have been fixes by the CPython team specifically for issues raised by Kodi community members around some crashes. Thanks to those members raising the upstream issues, and the fantastic CPython team for fixing them.
Please note, this does not affect any of our Windows releases, or if you are using Linux.
Fix an instance of Closed Captions not working. A forum member was able to provide an extremely helpful sample that allowed @enen92 to track down an issue with closed captions not working correctly. Incidentally, this also fixes Closed Captions for some Inputstream.Adaptive streams as confirmed by @CastagnaIT.
SSTV is offering a great deal for the best IPTV service online, with 4K, Full HD and HD streams and an immense VOD section, just £105.00 or $131 for 4 simultaneous connections. This Summer Special offer is limited to just 150 customers, so get it while it lasts!
SSTV has a great selection of almost any channel, complete USA and local USA, UK, Canada, Latino, Spain, Germany, Nederland’s, Italy, and a lot more in stable and high quality streams. Their service is offered worldwide with several servers and it will work on any device: FireTV, Android TV, Apple, Roku, Windows, STB, KODI, VLC and more! The recommended app is Smarters for SSTV but of course you are free to use whichever you prefer. And with 24/7 support you can get support if you have issues setting it up or even with requests and PPV.
Since the offer is for 4 simultaneous connections, you can also share it with friends and family for even a better price, making the best IPTV service also the best affordable service you can get! For the offer and more by SSTV visit the link here.
https://dimitrology.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SSTV-Offer.jpg515297Dimitrologyhttps://dimitrology.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/WEBSITE-LOGO-2020-SMALL.pngDimitrology2022-06-05 21:56:012022-06-05 21:56:07Summer Special for 4 connections by SSTV
So, here we go, with no further ado, we’d like to present the first Alpha releases of Kodi 20.x “Nexus”.
This is a major release, so, as you’d expect, it comes with many new features. However, it will inevitably cause problems for some people, which is why we’ll go through a more traditional Alpha/Beta/Release Candidate model. As such, then, please be aware that installing this will inevitably break things, and we’d really like your help at that point to identify the problems and get them fixed.
Initial support for M1 native including native windowing/input handling PR NOTE: We do not provide prebuilt M1 dmg’s. Any devs willing to work on ironing out the many corner cases of the native windowing implementation, don’t hesitate to ping @fuzzard on the forums if you have any questions.
New setting to use 10 bit swapchain for SDR videos. Improves video quality and more precise colour conversions: YUV to RGB, limited to full range, shaders, etc. This is true even if video output is limited to 8 bit RGB by system or graphics driver. PR
Improved DXVA2 (HW video decoding) performance by sharing decoding and rendering surfaces. Avoids video copy operations and drastically reduces video memory usage on NVIDIA and AMD graphics using recent drivers. PR
i8n support
Harfbuzz rendering for scripts with open type font shaping features PR
Add support to add video HDR type info to a video list item
Function for removing orphaned dependencies recursively PR
If you want to take the plunge, you can get Alpha 1 from here. Select your platform of choice, and look in the “Prerelease” section. Again, though, please: expect some breakage, don’t use this as your daily installation unless you know how to get things working again, and please share your experiences back with us so we can really get going on those bugs.
As usual – well, it is open source – you can see what’s changed between v20 and v19 here. It’s a long list…
Planned the most amazing trip that you couldn’t be more excited about? Don’t forget that you need to take an organized approach to your getaway.
The truth is that when it comes to heading off abroad, there are lots that you need to do and prepare before you jet off. This means that it’s extremely easy to forget to deal with one of the most important things because there’s just so much to do and think about.
The good news is that if you’re properly prepared for your trip, you can ensure that nothing gets forgotten, it’s simply a case of being a smart planner, that’s all. Once you’ve nailed the planning part of the process, you can head off on your trip without a care in the world.
Wondering what it takes to be smart about the approach you take to your next trip abroad? Below is a guide to all of the ins and outs of planning a trip abroad and making sure that you are as properly prepared as possible for it.
Start with getting your itinerary right
An important place to start, when it comes to planning your trip, is with your itinerary. If you fail to get this organized and in proper order before your trip begins, it will lead to absolute chaos. So, it pays to take the time to get your itinerary all planned and sorted out beforehand, so that you don’t need to worry about it while you’re away.
A great way to plan your itinerary is using a travel app, so that you have easy access to it while you’re away. Instead of having to worry about carrying a piece of paper with you, you can simply refer to your phone and check on your schedule as and when you need to.
If you want to send your itinerary to family members or friends in case they need to contact you while you’re away, there are various apps that you can use to do this. Alternatively, you can opt to email your itinerary to yourself and anyone else who needs a copy of it.
Make insurance a priority
When you’re heading off abroad, it’s important that you’re smart when it comes to your approach, which is where taking the time to put adequate insurance in place becomes so important.
Not only do you need to put insurance in place for yourself and the people you’re traveling with, it’s also important to ensure the items that you’re taking with you, just in case your bags get lost in transport or you fall victim to burglary while you’re away. If you are traveling with the help of a motorcycle, you might want to think about knowing who the best motorcycle accident lawyer is so that you have their details ready. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to get into an accident but it does mean you need to prepare yourself.
For instance, say you’re taking your rather expensive watch on holiday with you to wear when you go out for dinner, you might want to put insurance in place to make sure it’s covered should anything happen to it while you’re away. If you’re going to do that, it’s important to understand the value of your watch, which you can learn more about here.
Pack smart
If there’s one mistake that you don’t want to make when you head off abroad, it’s failing to be a smart packer. This means thinking about what you actually need to take with you (and what you could leave behind), and how to make sure that you’re able to take all of that with you.
If you’re worried that your cases might weigh more than the allowable limit, look at purchasing an extra allowance beforehand. It’s usually far cheaper to buy this before you travel, rather than when you arrive at the airport. If you think that you might end up buying lots of souvenirs while you’re away, buy an extra case to take with you (and pay for extra baggage) so that you can bring them back more easily.
Ideally, you want to pack everything that you think you might need while you’re away, from clothes and accessories to essentials like chargers and devices – and anything else that you think will be useful while you’re exploring. It’s always helpful to write a checklist for your suitcase so that you’re able to tick everything off as you pack it and make sure that nothing important is forgotten.
There you have it, a guide to how you can make sure that you’re properly prepared for your next trip. Take note of the tips and advice above, and you can ensure that your next break away goes without a hitch – and that whatever happens while you’re away, you’re covered for.
https://dimitrology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Important-Things-To-Prepare-For-A-Holiday.jpg7191280Dimitrologyhttps://dimitrology.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/WEBSITE-LOGO-2020-SMALL.pngDimitrology2022-04-01 10:45:152022-07-23 09:29:38Heading Off On A Trip? Make Sure That You’re Properly Prepared
