JRT Studio Blog - iSyncr, Android, and other cool stuff

Where is the "Quit" button in Rocket Player?

Submitted by on Thu, 05/30/2013 - 00:00
I get this question a lot. Where is the exit button? The app is totally hogging all of my resources. My phone will be so much faster with a quit button.

These comments are misguided. Android is not Windows. It isn't even Linux in this regard. Android handles loading and unloading apps on its own. Apps have a maximum heap size and cannot grow beyond a set threshold. Hitting the back button until you are out of an app is the "best" way to close it and have it release any resources. There is nothing wrong with your Android device's RAM almost being full. RAM usage does not equal battery usage. In fact, removing Rocket Player from memory takes more battery power than just leaving it hanging out there.

What happens when I hit pause and back out of Rocket Player?
After two minutes of inactivity, Rocket Player will shut down its main audio service and release any system resources it might have been holding. Rocket Player as an application will remain in inert in memory until the OS removes it because it needs the space. This is a GOOD thing. Rocket Player will load faster the next time if it didn't need to be unloaded for something else.

What is the "TinyHeadsetService"?
If you have "Settings->Operation->Headset Settings->Begin Play On Connect" set, then Rocket Player will always have a "TinyHeadsetService" running to listen for headphones being plugged in. This takes no juice from your phone and Android will still remove this service from memory if something more important needs the RAM. If you want to disable this, untoggle "Begin Play on Connect" and reboot your device.

Some other music application has an exit button. Rocket Player should too!
Not so. Just because someone else refuses to respect the Android Operating System doesn't mean I should too. If you want the behavior of Rocket Player to change due to an exit button, that is different. Email us at [email protected] and let's talk about what you want and why. An exit button isn't really what you want, but maybe we can figure out what change in behavior you'd like

For a more gory details about Android's lack of an exit button, please see goo.gl/wEYH0.

 -Justin

Tablet Interface in Rocket Player

Submitted by on Thu, 05/23/2013 - 00:00
According to Google in its Android Developers Blog post in April this year, tablet optimization is growing quickly and the opportunities for developers to design specifically for tablets has never been better!

With these things in mind JRT Studio is proud to announce its first phase of tablet optimization in Rocket Player!
Rocket Players initial tablet optimization focus's on showing you songs without a modal dialog.
We would love to hear what you think of the initial tablet optimization, please drop us an email at MusicPlayer@JRTStudio or on Twitter and Facebook. 

Rocket Player 2.1 - New Themes, New Features

Submitted by on Tue, 05/21/2013 - 00:00
Rocket Player 2.1 now has three new free themes to go along with its growing list of free features!

The new themes focus on the primary colors already released in the Play Store (Red, Blue, Purple) but with a flat black theme!

Themes

Holo Blue
Dark Red
Dark Purple



These themes are already available the Play Store and will be coming to the Amazon Appstore soon.

Holo Blue
Dark Red
Dark Purple

Features

Rocket Player 2.1 also brings us lyrics support for embedded lyrics as well as lock screen options return!

Embedded Lyrics
Lock Screen options (Return)

We decided to bring back lock screen options based upon the response we received via email and reviews from listeners and supporters from our 2.0 release.

We hope our listeners enjoy these new themes and features in Rocket Music Player.

Keep rocking with Rocket Player!

Rocket Player 2.0 Released!

Submitted by on Sat, 05/04/2013 - 00:00
Rocket Player 2.0 now available on Google Play! The new version features:
  • Personalize Rocket Player with purple, blue and chrome downloadable themes
  • Flip through your tracks faster than ever with new album art gesture support
  • Shuffle smarter with a new algorithm
  • Add a playlist to another playlist to save time
  • Save the “Now Playing” playlist as a new playlist to keep permanently
  • Customize your lock screen with the new lock screen widget (4.2+)
We have not forgotten our Amazon Appstore listeners and supporters. 
Rocket Player 2.0 is not yet available in the Amazon Appstore. Amazon is currently reviewing the update and the new theme apps.

Lastly, for our Google Play users, we apologize for the constant app updating. However, we are committed to fixing all of the issues we can. Thanks to all those that have contacted us with different crashes and issues.


Rocket Player 2.0 Is Now In Beta

Submitted by on Mon, 04/22/2013 - 00:00
Today we are releasing Rocket Player 2.0, our free android music player, to the public via the XDA forums. At this time, Rocket Player 2.0 is still a beta product, but we'd love your help in testing it. In return, you will get early access to our rockin' new features such as the purple and blue themes, gesture support and more.

For a full list of the new features and to help us test the beta, please go to the XDA forum page.


Fix it February

Submitted by on Mon, 02/18/2013 - 00:00

Rather than put off our Spring cleaning until Spring, February has been declared as "Fix it February" here at JRT Studio.

Check out the recent updates to JRT Studio applications.

iSyncr for PC (4.0.6)
iSyncr Desktop (PC - 4.0.9)(Mac - 4.0.5)

For those of you keeping score out there that's (8) new versions released from JRT Studio in a little over a month and a half aimed at improving customer experience and of course providing the features our supporters have requested!

 NEW Feature: Rocket Player Search Support (1.6.0)
 NEW Feature: Rocket Player Folder support (1.7.0)

Got an issue with a JRT Studio application or a feature that you'd like to see? Send us your wish list!
We've already heard from several of you, but we want to hear from everyone who has been syncing, listening and supporting us! Please reach out to us on these social platforms, or please drop us a correspondence via email.

Cheers!

Rocket Player Missing In Play Store

Submitted by on Tue, 02/05/2013 - 00:00
Update 2/12/2013: After updating Rocket Player to 1.7.1 today, it seems the Play Store is allowing tablets to install Rocket Player once again. I have no idea why and still have no reason from the Play Store team.

 Update 2/6/2013: The Play Store team got back to me, and said "Our records indicate that your app is currently published on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrtstudio.AnotherMusicPlayer If you're still having trouble, please let us know and we'll be happy to assist you further." Obviously, they have yet to read an actual sentence of my email explaining that Rocket Player has suddenly stop showing up as available for tablets. Hopefully the canned responses will end soon and they will begin looking into the issue.

 2/5/2013: Rocket Player is not showing up in the Play Store for tablets at this time. I am convinced the issue is on Google's side. I didn't update any filtering parameters for Rocket Player during this update. I have contacted Google about this issue on 2/5/2013. I'll update this post when they fix the issue so that everyone can enjoy this update.

The better news is.... Rocket Player got an awesome update to version 1.7.0 today. This update adds two great features. Feature one is a folder view. You have been asking for folder view. So I added it. As this feature is brand new, I want to hear back from you about what you think of it. The second new feature is the ability to select which folders Rocket Player will scan for new music. While the defaults should do you justice, it is no longer a deal breaker if they don't! Just update Rocket Player to scan where you store your music.

 Cheers!

 Justin

iSyncr Featured on BBC Click

Submitted by on Sat, 12/15/2012 - 00:00





The BBC program Click, a tech program about how digital technology affects our lives around the world, released a glowing review of iSyncr.

"It couldn't be easier to manage your music through whichever Android player you favor. . . It just works."

Kate Russell, points out that iTunes does not cooperate outside of its Apple platform. However iSyncr allows iTunes to be unlocked and accessed on the Android platform over USB or WiFi.

There are other applications that may seem to be just as easy as iSyncr, but as Kate points out:

"The beauty of this app is that you do not need to go through the pain of transferring your music, movies and podcasts over to another music management platform . . . Automatically, with zero drama or complication, which is just how it should be when it comes to listening to your music."

We could hardly agree more Kate!

Take a look at the full Webscape segment with Kate

Google Now Degrades Android To Sell Music

Submitted by on Thu, 12/13/2012 - 00:00
Android was only 2-5% of smart phone sales back when I first wrote an app. Back then, I fell in love with Android's openness. If one of the shipping apps had a bug, no problem! Just download the source code for the app and fix it. Andy Rubin, the father of Android, went so far as to call Android "the definition of open" on Twitter.

But this openness is dying. The web browser app you used to be able to view the source code for? It's now Google Chrome. You can't have the source code. The "Music" app has become Google Music. Want the source code? Google says, "no." Can third party music players stream music? Google says, "no, music bought from the Play Store needs Google Music." The 50+ music players that already exist have to compete with this built-in competitive advantage. In the same store, no less.

Google close sourcing most apps that ship with Android is one thing. Google keeping its streaming service to itself is another. Google Now takes it to a whole new level.

Here are the steps to use Google Now to play something in Google Music.

1.) Type a song name
2.) Press on the song

Here are the steps for all 50+ aftermarket music players, including a top 10 paid app.

1.) Scroll to the bottom of Google Now
2.) Press the three vertical dots
3.) Press "Settings"
4.) Press "Phone search"
5.) Select that you want to see results from the app and uncheck Google Music
6.) Back all the way out to the original search screen
7.) Search for the song on the whole world wide web
8.) Scroll all the way to the right of the bottom bar
9.) Select "Phone"
10.) Select the song to play

Want more proof they are lowering Android's integrity in Google Now? Just do a voice search and say "What's this song". While I have SoundHound and Shazam installed on my Nexus 4, Google Now only uses Google Music to match the song and show me an ad. It doesn't bother to ask which app I'd prefer.

This is not Android's style. This goes against everything Google preaches. The Android way is interoperability for customization and choice.

I guess I was fooled. For a couple of years, Android was fair and open. Now only the bare bones operating system is open. And if your app's market cap is big enough, Google is going compete with you and win by pushing your app to the bottom. In the old days, I would go submit a patch to the "QuickSearchBox" app that ships on Android, but guess what? That's gone closed source too. It is now called "Google Now" and it is Android now.

Unable to Download from Google Play

Submitted by on Tue, 12/11/2012 - 00:00
Update: 12/12/2012 : Google Play Store has contacted us to let us know the problem should be resolved now.

This morning, December 11, 2012, we have received numerous complaints from Google Play customers being unable to download JRT Studio applications, some receive an "Error 941", others simply pay for an app, but it never downloads to their device.



Fixing "Error 941"
If you are seeing the error message "Error 941" Try the following to resolve: 
1. Try clearing cache and data in the Play Store app. Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> All 

2. If that does not work uninstall the Play Store update and try to update again.

Fixing "App Not Downloading With No Error"
If you are not receiving an error, but the app is still not downloading, please try using one of the following links to re-download the app. We have a confirmed case where this worked.
iSyncr for PC
iSyncr for Mac
Rocket Player Unlocker

If you do have a purchase that shows up multiple times on your Play Store bill, contact us at [email protected] and we will work to issue you a refund of the additional purchases. In the cases we've checked this morning, the Play Store automatically canceled all second attempts at purchases the app.




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