“We are very proud of this solution”

Donatello Trisolino and Marco Cappellacci have been using their Xibo based solution since June 2017 at the Università degli di Urbino Carlo Bo in Italy.

“We have been using a digital signage system based on Xibo at our campus from June 2017 to provide real time information for events, news, exams, lesson times and much more.

“We currently have 18 screens distributed over multiple buildings, which we can control centrally allowing us to program campaigns and distribute personalised information for events to each individual building.

“We are very proud of this solution, Thank you so much Xibo!”

Donatello Trisolino - Webmaster
Marco Cappellacci - System Administrator
https://www.uniurb.it/ateneo/identita/portale-web-di-ateneo/digital-signage

The average end user doesn't care about software versions, but they do care how fast they get bugs fixed and new features provided, and for us developers, this means releases. So, lets talk about releases!

TL;DR; To cut a long story short, our next release after 1.8 will be 2.0.0 and from then we will use MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH version numbers.

With the recent release of 1.8.5 the Xibo project can count 23 releases on GitHub and 46 releases on our previous system. We've always considered the indicator of a major release that contains substantial new features to be the middle release number, the "SERIES" in the following, STEP.SERIES.MINOR. This means 8 series releases since 2009, or a little over a year between them.

In reality we often put small new features into the MINOR release number and a MINOR release typically arrives every 2-3 months. There are always a set of bugs fixed in these type of releases too - almost always with over 10 items and sometimes as high as 100 items resolved. Why am I writing about this? Well, there are some problems with it that we want to try and address. These problems, in no particular order, are:

• MINOR releases contain features and bug fixes
• MINOR releases can be simple to deploy, but can also be complex, depending on their content
• MINOR releases are hard to do and take a long time
• Therefore, bugs are fixed quickly but released slowly
• SERIES releases are HUGE containing hundreds of issues and features
• SERIES releases happen very infrequently and represent big changes in functionality
• It is hard to know what you're going to get in a release
• Windows Player updates are joined to the Xibo CMS release, which often means you need the CMS from release X and the Player from release Y
• Xibo is 14 years old and still on version 1, STEP releases never happen

These factors mean that end users are reluctant to upgrade to a MINOR release, as they might get new features or a breaking change, but equally they wait far too long for a SERIES release containing the feature they want. In other words, updates are perceived as risky or inconvenient and we understand why!

xkcd.com

What to do?

We want to improve on this for all future releases after the current SERIES by changing the way we do things. Our next release after 1.8 will be 2.0.0 and from then we will use MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH version numbers. This will work as follows:

• MAJOR: Significant new features which change the way the product works. These will require user training and Player upgrades. Relevant examples from 2.0.0 are the Playlists and Interactive Signage functionality.
• MINOR: Small new features which compliment existing functionality, such as new Widgets, additional fields, permissions, dashboards. These will not require Player updates unless the new feature is needed or significantly change existing functionality.
• PATCH: Only bug fixes, no changes to functionality, no Player updates.

We will also separate the Player and CMS releases so that the next Player release will be v2. This means that if you are running CMS 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.1.0, 2.x.x, any v2 Player will be compatible, and the latest v2 Player will support all features. If you are running CMS 3.x.x you will need the latest v3 Player, etc.

To make this change in numbering clear, we will skip 1.9.x and go directly to 2.x.x. All planned features for our 1.9 release will be included in 2.0.0.

Commercial Player licensing

Xibo for Android and Xibo for webOS Player licensing will remain unchanged for existing licence holders of 1.6, 1.7 or 1.8 licences - you may continue to use your version of the software in perpuity as before.

The next release of these Players to contain the significant feature changes of 2.0.0 will be called v2, and upgrade licences can then be purchased to go from one major version to the next.

From then onward those licences are valid for the whole of v2 and the next upgrades charged at v3, v4, v5, etc.

To conclude

We've really thought about how we manage development and the release cycle here at Xibo HQ. We hope that the above steps will move us in the right direction - towards a more stable product, which gets fixed fast and improved gradually, with well defined releases.

Spring Signage are pleased to announce Xibo for Android v1.8 R104. This release works with Xibo CMS version 1.8 and has legacy mode for versions 1.4, 1.6, 1.7.

Features and Issues resolved in this release:

• Setting the date from the CMS didn't work on devices running Android 6.0+
• Devices that go offline for long periods of time caused Xibo to stop with a memory leak
• Cases where a 00:00:00:00:00 mac address was generated weren't being black listed and caused licensing issues

Download Xibo for Android R104.

Download Xibo for Android R104 for DSDevices J18 and J19.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found in the FAQ. It’s also well worth having a look at the Knowledge Base.

If you have a white label build of the application it is available in your account.

We are pleased to announce our 6th bug fix release for the 1.8 series of Xibo. The codename for this series is “Tempel”.

A new CMS is available with this release, with 22 resolved issues. We recommend that all users running 1.8 upgrade their CMS to this release.

The release notes are available in the manual and the download is available on Github.

“each and every Veluba® out there can stream advertising and information all centrally controlled by the Xibo CMS”

Veluba® brings Xibo to the streets (and cycle lanes) of London!

“We are an app based Eco-Taxi service in Central London which provides an environmentally friendly, cheaper and faster alternative travel solution for Londoner’s short journey needs.

“Our electrically assisted tricycles or ‘E-Bike’s’ can travel practically anywhere using bus and cycle lanes, permitted pathways as well as roads. These hard shell covered taxi’s are fitted with seat belts and CCTV cameras as well as digital signage screens.

“Each E-Bike has a Xibo Player installed so that every Veluba® can stream advertising and information all centrally controlled by the Xibo CMS and display onto 21-inch screens fitted in each and every vehicle. We wanted to give Veluba® passengers more than just their usual journey and Xibo allows us to do just that. Passengers can view relevant information about their surroundings as they travel as well as advertisements or indeed anything else using Xibo digital signage software.

“By including Xibo not only do we have a great new mode of travel we also have a unique mobile advertising platform, a marketing first on the streets and pavements of London!”

To find out more about Veluba® please visit http://veluba.com

We are pleased to announce our 7th bug fix release for the 1.8 series of Xibo. The codename for this series is “Tempel”.

A new CMS is available with this release, with 8 resolved issues. We recommend that all users running 1.8 upgrade their CMS to this release.

The release notes are available in the manual and the download is available on Github.

Spring Signage are pleased to announce Xibo for webOS v1.8 R10. This release works with Xibo CMS version 1.8.3 onward.

This release fixes 3 minor issues and 3 improvements with the Player:

• Fixed slow downloads when send file mode is Off in the CMS
• Fixed unable to download code 22 error
• Fixed missing Connect to CMS menu item when SI Server Setting on the Monitor isn't set to local.
• Send a power on/off history log message
• Allow adjustment of monitor settings through Display Settings Profiles and Commands.
• Allow locking of USB ports and the OSD on-screen menu via Display Settings Profiles.

Download Xibo for webOS R10.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found in the FAQ at the end of the installation guide. It’s also well worth having a look at the Knowledge Base.

If you have a white label build of the application it is available in your account.

The General Data Protection Regulation will replace the existing Data Protection Act 1998 and bring the UK in line with data protection law and best practices across the EU.
Advances in technology and the growing amount of personal data generated has led to a need to update the existing law to provide better data protection for all.

GDPR and your consent, what does this mean?
The new GDPR legislation is far-reaching, and amongst the new requirements are stricter rules surrounding email communications.

We must have your consent in order to contact you regarding products and services we think may be of interest.
We must also make it easy for you to update your preferences incase you change your mind later.

So what next?
We have included consent options at time of purchase where you can elect to opt in to be kept informed by email along with options to subscribe to specific product information.

These preferences can be updated at any time from the Customer portal > My Account section. Our emails also contain unsubscribe links allowing you to choose to opt out of further mailings.

Over the coming weeks we will be contacting customers regarding email consent options to ensure that mailings from Xibo at Spring Signage are sent only to customers that have explicitly given consent. We will also be publishing our updated privacy policy over the coming month.

Transactional emails which contain information that completes a transaction or process such as invoice reminders do not require consent.

We will always endeavour to only share information with you that we feel is relevant and useful and will never share your personal details with other companies for marketing purposes.

Thank you from us all here at Xibo for your continued support!

We're excited to bring you an early look at the Layout Designer in 2.0 - an overhaul of our existing designer based on 100s of user stories and feedback. We've kept the same core concepts you know and love, but made them more accessible and fun to use with a new user interface.

In this "Upcoming in v2" series we will giving you a sneak peak at the things we're working on for the next major Xibo release. In many cases you can still influence the direction we're taking and your feedback in the comments is welcome.

The idea

Designer 2.0 brings together 5 core ideas into a simple to use package. These are:

• Navigator: a Layout mini-map that can be expanded to add, move and size Regions.
• Timeline: the Layout shown as a time series - Regions shown vertically, Widgets horizontally.
• Properties: a unified properties panel to replace the popup forms. Adjust the selected objects properties without losing your place.
• Viewer: a unified viewer for seeing Layout, Region, Sub-Playlist and Widget Preview.
• Toolbox: search your Library and Modules to drag and drop Widgets anywhere in the Timeline.

The pain points

The new interface has been designed from the start to cater for the "pain points" Xibo has with the old designer. Amongst other things it will have core support for:

• layering
• transitions
• large numbers of Widgets
• big differences in the durations of Regions
• Playlists and Sub-Playlists

A key difference will be that it will not open forms on top of your workflow, allowing for a more intuititve designing experience.

The technology

Xibo's new designer will leverage browser technologies to present a user friendly experience without page refreshes. It is being written in JavaScript using native objects and DOM manipulation with jQuery.

Particular attention is being paid to performance, so your 50 image deep slideshow should be handled like a breeze.

The work we're doing will also pave the way for offline designing, undo/redo and much more.

The progress

The new designer is being developed for release with the first 2.0.0-alpha release. We're making sure we have good foundations to build on and have therefore been working on the structure rather than the usual appearence!

Things are coming together and testing well, below you will see an unstyled screenshot of our current progress.

Watch out for the next post in this series which will look at another exciting upcoming improvement for v2.

We're excited to bring you an early look at a new feature for v2 - reusable Playlists. This is an extension to the existing Xibo capability of adding Widgets in sequence to a Layout Region, allowing you to reuse these Playlists across multiple Layouts, administer them separately and combine them with other Playlists.

In this "Upcoming in v2" series we will giving you a sneak peak at the things we're working on for the next major Xibo release. In many cases you can still influence the direction we're taking and your feedback in the comments is welcome.

The idea

Playlists in v2 bring together 2 core concepts - the Reusable Playlist and the Sub-Playlist. Reusable Playlists are a simple concept, taking the existing Region Timeline and making it accessible from a new Playlists page.

Sub-Playlists then allow reassignment of reusable Playlists to new Layouts, with options for mixing two or more Playlists together.

The options allowed are:

• Sequentially - put the playlists one after the other in order
• Round Robin - take one from each list and then repeat
• Evenly - automatically decide how often to take from each list so that there are no items left

If the Playlists assigned contain a different quantity of Widgets, the following can be done with the left over:

• Append - add left over Widgets to the end of the list
• Drop - use the smallest list as the total length and drop the rest
• Repeat - use the largest list as the total length and repeat the rest

Of course, you can have a Sub-Playlist with only 1 Playlist assigned.

Playlists will also have their own permissions, so it will be possible to create users who only have access to modify a Playlist.

The pain points

Playlists in v2 have been designed to address the most common feedback we've received for the way Layouts and Regions work. This means we've included:

• optional usage
• reusability across multiple Layouts
• multiple Playlists per Region
• created/edited independently of the Layout Designer
• from and to dates on Widget assignments

The technology

Playlists have been added to the core CMS, meaning they are fully integrated with the new work undertaken to improve the Layout designer and the robust XMDS and XMR communication with Players. A complete Layout file (XLF) will be generated containing the "realised list" of Widgets from the Playlists configured on that Layout.

The progress

Playlists and Sub-Playlists are being developed for release with the first 2.0.0-alpha release. So far we've laid the foundations for the functionality and will soon be moving on to improving the user interface.

Here is a snip of the Sub-Playlist edit form:

Watch out for the next post in this series which will look at another exciting upcoming improvement for v2.

Spring Signage are pleased to announce Xibo for Android v1.8 R105. This release works with Xibo CMS version 1.8 and has legacy mode for versions 1.4, 1.6, 1.7.

Features and Issues resolved in this release:

• Widgets not updating fast enough
• The Display going offline at random times due to the collection interval not being adhered to exactly
• Overlay Layouts not appearing when they should do in the schedule.
• Monitor Videos during playback to ensure they end at the correct time.
• Allow XMR to be completely disabled with the DISABLED keyword in the XMR Public Address
• Move XMR into a separate process to prevent issues with XMR causing "black areas" on the Layout.

Download Xibo for Android R105.

Download Xibo for Android R105 for DSDevices J18 and J19.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found in the FAQ. It’s also well worth having a look at the Knowledge Base.

If you have a white label build of the application it is available in your account.

We are pleased to announce our 8th bug fix release for the 1.8 series of Xibo. The codename for this series is “Tempel”.

A new CMS is available with this release, with 34 resolved issues. We recommend that all users running 1.8 upgrade their CMS to this release.

The release notes are available in the manual and the download is available on Github.

We are pleased to announce our 9th bug fix release for the 1.8 series of Xibo. The codename for this series is “Tempel”.

A new CMS is available with this release, with 11 resolved issues. We recommend that all users running 1.8 upgrade their CMS to this release.

The release notes are available in the manual and the download is available on Github.

Currencies Module

Any users of 1.8 using the Currency Module should be aware that releases prior to 1.8.9 will cease to calculate the "Percentage Change" due to a 3rd party data source moving behind a pay wall. More information can be found in the Release Notes.

Widget Caching

This release fixes regressions introduced in 1.8.8 relating to the caching of Widgets. More information can be found in the Release Notes.

We're very excited to be releasing today a "Technology Preview" of our forthcoming Player for Linux.

We're aiming to gather some feedback from the Community on how well the Player runs on the various types of hardware that you anticipate running a Linux Player on, as well as seeing what issues might be encountered.

To that end, we've put together just the rendering engine of the Player and four sample layouts that we'd like interested parties to run on their systems, and give us some feedback about how things work. The sample layouts contain images licenced under the CC0 Creative Commons licence, and we thank the artists and photographers for their kind permission to use those images and videos.

We're targetting here users of Ubuntu 16.04 64 bit initially. The code should build on other platforms, but we've provided binaries for the above only.

Full instructions on installing the Player binary are provided in the release which you can find on Github here:

https://github.com/xibosignage/xibo-linux/releases/tag/0.2.1-a

Full source code (under AGPLv3) is provided in the same repository.

Assuming that the Player broadly operates as expected in the majority of cases, our attention will now move to the CMS interaction and we will release further early testing releases as is appropriate.

In additon to testing the packaged layouts, if you'd like to try your own content with the Player (although note not all media types are supported yet), then you can do so by connecting a Windows Player to your CMS, deleting the contents of the Player local library directory, and then setting that layout as the default layout for that display. Then allow the Player to download the layout completely, and stop the Player. Take a copy of the Player local library directory, and then copy that on to your Linux test computer. Pass the fully qualified path to the library directory you copied to the Player and it will attempt to run it.

Please leave any feedback in the comments for this blog post and we'll try to pick up any issues from there.

With an array of guides and an extensive knowledge base our Community website is a very useful starting point to help you on your way with all things Xibo.

Whether you need guidance with the basics to set up a Simple Layout...

… or interested in DataSets and how to use them to Display Meeting Room Bookings

Our Guides section will take you through Xibo features in worked examples or step by step instructions making it easy for you to follow and have a go yourself!

Need guidance with our value added services? The Knowledge Base category has many great resources to point you in the right direction.

Take a look today and see how you can get the most out of your Xibo!

Xibo in the Cloud, Xibo for Android and Xibo for webOS all come with free access to the commercial Helpdesk for technical support, just open a ticket!

For self hosted solutions who would like added peace of mind with a guaranteed SLA, our Support and Maintenance contracts will grant nominated users unlimited priority access to our technical support team. Contact us for more information.

Spring Signage are pleased to announce Xibo for Android v1.8 R106. This release works with Xibo CMS version 1.8 and has legacy mode for versions 1.4, 1.6, 1.7.

Features and Issues resolved in this release:

• Video regions sometimes went black after a period of time and became stuck.
• Occasionally the splash screen would appear for a whole collection cycle (due to a corrupted schedule message).
• RS232 commands did not have permission to run - permission is now asked for and defaulted, but it is up to Android whether this is remembered after a reboot.
• Changes to XMR configuration were not actioned until after a reboot or application restart.

Download Xibo for Android R106.

Download Xibo for Android R106 for DSDevices J18 and J19.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found in the FAQ. It’s also well worth having a look at the Knowledge Base.

If you have a white label build of the application it is available in your account.

Use DataSets to design and store tabular data so you can easily produce Layouts that will automatically update from information held in a created DataSet.

DataSets come in two parts..

• The DataSet (Data structure and data)
  
• The Display (DataSet View / Ticker / a source of data for a custom Module)
  

Once defined in the Library the DataSet can be reused across multiple DataSet views and Layouts!

Take a look at our handy guides which will walk you through how to simply display 'Meeting room bookings' or build an ‘Hours since last incident’ counter which show you how you can easily utilise DataSets with Xibo!

If you're hosting your own Xibo CMS and using the Google Traffic widget to show local traffic conditions, you may have received an email in the past week from Google explaining that there are going to be some changes around the way that the Google API that widget uses will be charged.

Prior to July 16th 2018, Google gave everyone 25,000 map loads per day at no cost, which was plenty to display traffic maps for most peoples needs. If you went over that limit, then you could enable billing on your account, give them a credit card number, and they would charge you a small amount for the extra map loads.

Unfortunately, Google are changing that pricing structure so that all access to the Maps API is now billable, and the cost per map load is increasing significantly. Our understanding based on the numbers we have been shown is that it's an increase of around 15 times the prior cost.

That may mean that you will shortly be getting significant bills for using the Maps API from Google.

We strongly suggest that if you are using the Google Traffic widget, you check what your usage is currently and find out what that is going to cost you month on month under the new billing structure. You may then wish to limit your usage, or cease usage on that basis.

In the interim, we are discussing what options there are for reducing the amount of calls Xibo makes to the API, or swapping to an alternative data source provider.

Cloud Customers will receive a separate notification if these changes will mean we have to limit or remove the Google Traffic widget from the Cloud hosted CMS, or if we will require you to provide your own API key for Google Maps in the future.

Ever wanted Xibo to turn the TVs connected to your Players on and off automatically? Well thanks to DSDevices and the DSCS9, now you can!

Using the HDMI-CEC protocol, the DSCS9 Player can send a command to the TV over the HDMI cable connecting the two together telling the screen to power on and off. You can trigger that command to be sent directly from the Displays page inside your Xibo CMS, or via a Xibo Schedule.

We've published a guide over on our Community Site to help you get up and running with the new functionality straight away.

https://community.xibo.org.uk/t/android-cec-screen-power-on-off-with-dsdevices-dscs9/14727

We're very excited to be releasing today a "Technology Preview" of our forthcoming Player update for Windows. This will be a rewrite of the existing Player, updated to use newer technology.

We're aiming to gather some feedback from the Community on how well the Player runs on the various types of hardware that you already run the current Windows Player on, as well as seeing what issues might be encountered.

To that end, we've put together just the rendering engine of the Player and four sample layouts (plus the default layout) that we'd like interested parties to run on their systems, and give us some feedback about how things work. The sample layouts contain images licenced under the CC0 Creative Commons licence, and we thank the artists and photographers for their kind permission to use those images and videos.

We are not yet in a position to release the source code for this Player, however it will be AGPLv3 licensed and uploaded to GitHub as per our other releases.

You can download this preview here: https://github.com/xibosignage/xibo-windows/releases/tag/0.0.1

Assuming that the Player broadly operates as expected in the majority of cases, our attention will now move to the CMS interaction and we will release further early testing releases as is appropriate.

In additon to testing the packaged layouts, you can try your own content with the Player (please note: not all media types are supported yet). To do this connect a current Windows Player to your CMS, delete the contents of the Player local library directory, and then set that layout as the default layout for that display. Allow the Player to download the layout completely, then stop the Player. Take a copy of the Player local library directory, and copy that on to your test library. You can then enter the Layout ID to run when you start the new Player.

Please leave any feedback in the comments for this blog post and we'll try to pick up any issues from there.