Oh, the fun and frustration of technology in the home. We now have thirteen(!) devices in the house that depend upon, or use, the Internet.
I’ve come across another quirk with playback from Logitech’s Squeezebox music server. The good news is that Logitech has a PC client called SqueezePlay. The bad new is it’s beta code, and it shows. Squeezeplay lets you choose which Wi-Fi radio in your home network you want to control. The player called Neptune is the Chumby One in the kitchen.
The interface is a slightly modified Squeezebox Radio screen, which is very nice…
… but if it plays on the PC — and that’s a big if — it sometimes sounds almost like Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music!
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2010/JAN/Squeezeplay.mp3]When you don’t hear anything, that probably means control has reverted to the Squeezebox Radio. I assume Logitech can fix this, and I’d be delighted if they would help Chumby develop a Squeezebox UI, because their products really don’t compete directly with one another.
Well, ya got me beat, but then your headcount at home is higher. My box count didn’t include the FiOS HD DVR, so that’s one more. Out of 14 total, eight are Wi-Fi.
Wired: 3 desktops, SlimP3, Squeezebox Duet Receiver, AppleTV,
Wireless: 7 laptops, Chumby, Wii, iPod Touch
MoCA: 2 FiOS HD set-top boxes
I think that’s it for things that actively connect to the internet. There are two active routers, a managed ethernet switch, and a UPS with a network interface. And the neighbor’s PC’s that sometimes connect to the open wireless network I provide.
There — I knew I could be crazier than you in one area…
I had an exception error once when closing the Squeezebox control panel, but the service itself has been solid. The phone system has speaking caller ID.
Right. I think the core is pretty reliable, but it is a very rich and extensible environment, so at the edges you will find less predictability. For instance, I have a plugin that allows the service to be aware of incoming phone calls and pause the music and display the phone # on the display 🙂
Actually, the early adopters were using something called the SlimServer, before Logitech bought Slim Devices. I’ve been waiting for the right product, and the Squeezebox Radio is it.
Hmmm. Sounds like the Early Adopter Phase. I’ll wait until you deem it reliable!