I know this may come as a shock, but the next thing from Skewworks…has nothing to do with GUI controls. I’ll allow time for you to gasp.
I wanted to try something in a slightly different direction, targeting both hobbyists and companies. Enter EmbeddedIdea (.com and .net) a service aimed at embedded applications.
Between a web service and NETMF dlls subscribers will be able to:
Host project update files
a) Control versions
b) Serve release notes
c) Require a product level for specific upgrades
d) Require an active account for product
Track and Manage active products/accounts
Use a customizable/brandable installer & updater
Enable connection required / authentication options in their products
Enable product license files
Send notifications per product or user
Track statistic
Enable social aspects (friends, messages, etc) which can be shared across all products
As always, I’m going to need testers. If you have a project or product that needs any of the above let me know and I’ll give the first 10 people 6 months free at the top level (6 months is in addition to any beta testing time).
Would it be based on Git or similar? Personally, I’m not interested in another place to store code. However, if you could make the services that are not available already on GitHub somehow available as a service that adds value to GitHub then I could see some value here.
The main focus here is the built-in embedded side. This isn’t a code repository replacement it’s meant for distributing updates to multiple devices without manual interface.
The device can either connect to the EmbeddedIdea site and check for updates or look in a specified location locally for an update.
The update is then automatically installed with a brandable updater.
The service also allows you to track information about your product users and build in requirements like having an active subscription, valid product license file, etc without having to do that work yourself.
Demographics would be displayed on a chart available to you anywhere you have a web connection.
You can also use the social aspect giving your users the ability to interact with each other, again without having any infrastructure work to do yourself.
Ok. I’m starting to get it. However, I would still recommend an API that could be integrated with Git so that this could become part of an automated release process that would be initiated from the Git side.
Of course, you know I’ll play with it. Delivery to a lot of devices isn’t something I would normally have a need for. My shop automation project I’m planning might could use it though if my devices are compatible. FEZ Mini?
@ Steve - I think I have your email so I’ll send you an invite as soon as I get the beta sites (yes sites) online. EmbeddedIdeas is going to have some direct hooks into Skewworks.
Since you’re the first one on board I’d be happy to start with any of the services you like; I’m also planning on adding “Product Registration” and “Survey” functionality.
If you don’t still have it (from the ODBII thread we had offline), it’s steve at steve presley dot net.
I’ll look through the features you’ve got listed and send you a list of the ones I would want, actually the use cases I would want that you can map to features and we’ll go from there!
Good to have right minded folks working on various aspects instead of each one of us trying to reinvent the entire wheel one patch of rubber at a time! Lord knows if you leave the graphics to me, it’s going to look like a 2nd grader did it (or VERY much like an ASCII/ANSI layout), so I’m especially happy for your work just in that aspect alone!
Lord knows if you leave the graphics to me, it’s going to look like a 2nd grader did it (or VERY much like an ASCII/ANSI layout), so I’m especially happy for your work just in that aspect alone!