empeg-car software beta-11 release.

* Versions:

empeg-car player 0.86
emplode          0.88
empegUpgrade	 0.88
emptool		 TBD
kernel           2.2.14-rmk5-np17-empeg25

* Notes

*  General

This release makes changes to the configuration of your empeg-car that will
not be revoked by installing a version prior to beta8b.

When submitting bug reports to bugs@empeg.com please put each bug in a
separate email - this helps us to classify bugs and to archive the reports
when the bugs have been fixed.

Release notes are not cumulative. If you are upgrading by more than one
release then please read each set of release notes. These are available at
http://www2.empeg.com/upgrades/test/all_notes.html

You should not run this version of the player with an earlier release of
emplode or this version of emplode with an earlier release of the player.

*  Installation

Download either the consumer or developer images and emplode (or emptool)
from the empeg-car upgrades site.

You should install the new emplode or emptool before installing this
release. If you fail to do so your empeg-car unit will not function and it
will be necessary to apply the upgrade again using the correct version of
empegUpgrade or upgclient.

Remove the power connector from your empeg-car and connect your empeg-car
to your computer using the supplied serial cable. Do _not_ reconnect the
power to your empeg-car.

The upgrade can be installed by serial only. Select Upgrade empeg-car
software from the Tools menu and either enter or browse for the upgrade
file. Click Next and select the serial port that your unit is connected
to. Click Next again.

When instructed to do so by the upgrade program plug in the empeg-car
power connector. The upgrade should then be applied.

* Changes:

*  player:

It is now possible to quickly toggle between the last full screen text
visual and the last full screen graphical visual by holding the bottom
button on the unit.

The now and next visual now correctly updates when items are appended to a
playlist.

The separate IR bugfix has been rolled in.

Shuffle now works immediately and therefore more like a CD player. On long
playlists it may interrupt the audio for a little while. Shuffle can be
toggled by pressing zero on the remote control.

Running order tweaking support has been added. You can dynamically tweak
the order of the currently playing running order. This works by scanning
forward from the next track trying to find a track with a matching field
and swapping it with the next track. e.g. pressing 2 on the remote control
during playback will find the next song by the same artist as the current
song and ensure that it is played next (if it exists). If the next track
already fits the criteria then subsequent tracks will be swapped, so
pressing 2 three times will cause the next three tracks to be by the same
artist as the current track (if such songs exist in the remainder of the
playlist). 2=Artist, 3=Source, 5=Genre, 6=Year. You can also swap the next
track with another later in the running order at random by pressing 8.

Many other changes that we can't remember.

*  emplode:

Basic ID3v2 tags are now supported.

Many synchronisation protocol problems have been solved. Most of these
wouldn't cause the synchronisation to fail but they may have caused delays
whilst synchronising.

Other minor changes.

*  empegUpgrade:

Minor changes.

*  emptool

Many improvements have been made. A new version should be available soon.

*  developer

* Known bugs:

The empeg hangs if connected via USB to a machine that is switched
off. Removing the USB cable fixes the problem.

The emplode install program doesn't restart the computer when necessary to
ensure that the empeg-car device is found. This is not always essential.

The emplode program doesn't check whether files are valid MP3 files before
downloading.

The same PIN may be entered for more than one tune/playlist - the empeg-car
will play the first one it finds.

Plugging more than empeg-car into a single machine via USB may confuse
emplode.

It is not currently possible to play WAV files on the unit.

Mike Crowe 2000/06/24 16:14 BST
mac@empeg.com