September 25th, 2010
Shion 3.0α8 is now available.
Please read the following release notes carefully.
This is an alpha release for Shion 3. This software is still very much under construction and has some very rough edges. In no particular order, some of the current major issues:
1. The RemoteBuddy interface remains unimplemented.
2. The DVR, Bluetooth, GPS, and camera devices have not yet been implemented.
3. The menu items leading to Shion web pages remain incomplete, pending the completion of the new Shion website.
4. Networked controller support (SmartLinc, EZServe) is not present in this release.
5. Sprinkler support is currently missing.
6. Changes in the device configuration from the preferences panel (modem & controllers) require an application restart to take effect.
7. (Shion 2 Users) You will need to reenter your devices, as the migration code is not yet complete.
This release introduces the following improvements:
1. Updated Shion 3 icons.
2. Fixes for automatic updates.
This release has been tested with the PowerLinc 2414U, PowerLinc 2412U/S, CM11A, and CM15A controllers.
Please submit any feedback in the comments below.
September 13th, 2010
I recently received some feedback from an iPhone beta tester that I would like to address. While his comment was made with respect to the iPhone client, it’s also very relevant to the Shion 3 desktop client:
So really the only thing I could say is what impression the app makes when I’m using it. And I have to say that I’m a little confused by all the options I encounter. To me, it looks like a lot of more advanced options are immediately visible, while the most used one are hidden away. Turning on and off a light is about the only thing I would want to do (or activate an action). But to turn on a light I have to use a pull down menu to activate it. The whole graph page looks complicated (this one goes for the desktop application as well) and I’m not sure what it even means, let alone why I would need to see it – reasoning as an average consumer.
I want to preface this discussion with the admission that I agree with the comments and that the current iterations of Shion 3 and the iPhone app are a bit more complex from an interface perspective than it should ultimately be. I’m constantly working to make my interfaces more straightforward and fluid, but I still have a way to go. However, some of this added complexity is unavoidable and it reflects my plans for where I want to take Shion in the medium and long term.
Read on for the full explanation.
March 27th, 2009
I wanted to post a quick blog entry about what’s going on with the company and its products. It’s been several weeks since my last update, so here goes: 1. General state of the company: Over the last month, the company received its first check from a client, which was a great morale booster. (Several [...]
December 4th, 2008
As the previous post indicates, Audacious Software is now something more than a checking account to accept donations and Amazon referral income. Given my impending independence, I wanted to share some plans for the Shion application. Sometime during the next month, I hope to release Shion 2. This will be an architectural reworking of Shion [...]
November 28th, 2008
My apologies for the lack of recent updates. I’ve been quite busy with school and other affairs, and I haven’t had a whole lot of time to blog lately. One of the things that has kept me busy is establishing Audacious Software as something more than a checking account where I direct Amazon referrer income [...]
