Another PodTrapper beta

[marwatk]

Hi guys,

This weekend I had much more time for features, and got a good swath of the top requested features implemented. I'm about to head over and create the Things you didn't know podtrapper can do wiki page. (Or start it, at least. Let me know if you have ideas for what should be on there).

One feature I got stuck on was this one:
Setting to only download audio episodes for mixed mode podcasts
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=623
I need some feedback on that to get it done. Check out that post for details if you want to help out.

Here's what did make this release:
* Fixed delay when switching to next episode in a playlist
* Mark Listened menu item
* Fixed 'show in BBMP' showing up in two settings screens
* Customizable download order per-podcast
* Sort and view settings are now podcast-specific
* Ability to rename a podcast
* Fixed issue with podcast download alert happening on deletion
* USB Connection should now resume properly after upon restart after PodTrapper crashes
* Keyboard shortcut for downloading episode also updates podcast 'G' when podcast is highlighted
* Downloads in permanent limbo will now fail themselves after 5 attempts
* Configurable rewind after unpausing
* Global menu item to return to PodTrapper when playing
* Default podcast icon for podcasts without their own icons
* Configurable battery low level


Let me know if you run in to any issues with it.

-Marcus

[Tripper_]

This version seems to be working well. Thanks for fixing icons. I really like the ability to rename podcast.

[bellemead]

The "View Downloaded Only" setting seems to have been moved to a menu item for each Podcast. It seems that this is part of the view settings that are now set per podcast. Not a big deal for me but maybe it should be included in the default podcast settings in a future version?

[mtech]

As always, thanks for your time on this. Love it.

One issue: I can no longer control a playing podcast. That is, once it is playing, I can not pause or stop or FF or REW a podcast using the on-screen buttons nor the shortcut keys (QW and OP on my BB8830). Weird. I'll use the Email Developer option now.

Could be my BB (been a bit tempermental lately, lots of restarts), but can't tell. Anyone else having this issue?

[arkolbus]

Works great so far. Really glad you fixed the latency between episode playback, and I'm looking forward to more resilient USB downloading. The only issue I have was one you didn't have enough information to fix (playback halting between episodes), and I've sent you my logs regarding that.

One issue: I can no longer control a playing podcast. That is, once it is playing, I can not pause or stop or FF or REW a podcast using the on-screen buttons nor the shortcut keys (QW and OP on my BB8830). Weird. I'll use the Email Developer option now.

Could be my BB (been a bit tempermental lately, lots of restarts), but can't tell. Anyone else having this issue?

Playback controls on my 8330 work just fine. I know that's not worth much, but they're very similar devices.

[mtech]

Playback controls on my 8330 work just fine. I know that's not worth much, but they're very similar devices.

Yeah, I suspect it's my device more than PT, but I figured I'd send out a beacon for same issue before I sit through a bunch of reboots and reinstalls! Thx.

[arkolbus]

Yeah, I suspect it's my device more than PT, but I figured I'd send out a beacon for same issue before I sit through a bunch of reboots and reinstalls! Thx.

I hear you. I really wish RIM would speed up the BB boot time.

[jayf]

Thanks Marcus for all your hard word. This is definitely the most used app on my phone.

It seems that episodes are still not being deleted automatically after they are finished if they are the last episode in the playlist.

Thanks again, couldn't live without it!

- J

[marwatk]

It seems that episodes are still not being deleted automatically after they are finished if they are the last episode in the playlist.

Thanks, J, I'll get that fixed. (Though worth noting they'll get deleted when you start up the next podcast, it has to do with where the delete happens. I'll definitely fix it at any rate).

One issue: I can no longer control a playing podcast. That is, once it is playing, I can not pause or stop or FF or REW a podcast using the on-screen buttons nor the shortcut keys (QW and OP on my BB8830).

I think I have a larger issue. Another user showed me similar logs, where the Player thread has essentially hung, so it wasn't processing input events anymore. Let me know if you find a case that you can duplicate. (Exiting and restarting PodTrapper should clear it).

-Marcus

[cadzilla74]

I give up trying to figure out Verizon's network, RIM's network, my Storm, every OS I've loaded and how any app is going to behave at any given time.

Having announced my admitted personal failures ...

I must say, since I installed the latest Beta of PodTrapper on my Storm 9530 running OS .167, I have never seen the phone or PodTrapper run so perfectly. Download speeds are off the hook and every episode (Vodcast or Podcast) arrive complete and assembled correctly. Every single one opens without error and plays all the way through regardless of length or file size.

I have no idea why this has happened, and I'm certainly not complaining, I'm just completely at a loss to explain why all the little annoyances I've been screwing around with recently trying to fine-tune and optimize the device have all disappeared without a trace (not just PT related either, a whole bunch of little glitches have vaporized).

Thanks as always Marcus for making constant improvements to your products. (PS ... my wife's 5 day old Curve proved defective and we got it replaced today. As soon as I'm satisfied this one works properly we'll be getting a couple of Honeydew licenses. It's the first app she asked for a link to).

[marwatk]

Heh, welcome to my world

I'm glad it's working, but I'm not sure I can take the credit. Downloading didn't change at all with this release, with the exception of perma-failing really old attempts. Nothing directly related to the network, though

-Marcus

[mtech]

One issue: I can no longer control a playing podcast. That is, once it is playing, I can not pause or stop or FF or REW a podcast using the on-screen buttons nor the shortcut keys (QW and OP on my BB8830).

I think I have a larger issue. Another user showed me similar logs, where the Player thread has essentially hung, so it wasn't processing input events anymore. Let me know if you find a case that you can duplicate. (Exiting and restarting PodTrapper should clear it).

-Marcus

I am that user (sp...@gmail) ! Will reply to that email now.

[marwatk]

Heh, no, I mean more than yours. I've had 3 or 4 now, so I definitely have a thread issue in there somewhere, but sadly it's not throwing an exception, just getting stuck, so there's no indication of where it is. Guess I have my weekend planned for me

-Marcus

[SHKaminski]

I really like having PodTrapper on the global menu. But it appears that it's there only when a podcast is playing. Is that the intent? Can it be there all the time (if the program is loaded)?

Thanks

[marwatk]

I really like having PodTrapper on the global menu. But it appears that it's there only when a podcast is playing. Is that the intent? Can it be there all the time (if the program is loaded)?

Well, I could, but that's handled (mostly) by the 'bring podtrapper to front on play/pause', no? What does everyone else think?

-Marcus

[mtech]

RE: Global Menu

I don't see it on my global menu when PT is not open (but is in background). Unless I am misunderstanding "global menu" which I assume to be the menu button when I am on the home screen.

[marwatk]

I don't see it on my global menu when PT is not open (but is in background). Unless I am misunderstanding "global menu" which I assume to be the menu button when I am on the home screen.

The bug you were seeing before with the playback controls was me not properly catching a permissions error when trying to register the global menu option, so it's likely you won't see it. You can try setting all your permissions to allow, but I'm not sure that was entirely it.

-Marcus