Mini -PC devices running Android & Melody Pods enables low cost audio networks for background music in business.

Today we successfully tested the Imito MX1 working with the network schedule system.

This small device reduces the cost of deploying a music network to a fraction of the traditional cost of devices such as the Nel-Tech iLink.

With a large choice of MiniPC devices available today, and options to have your own batch of devices built to your specifications there is more opportunity to create low cost, ‘hands off’ background music networks across businesses.

So, if you have a large enough audio network requirement, getting a Mini PC with an analogue audio-out to connect to the location’s audio amplifier and speaker systems as well as providing music on hold is straight forward.

You can set up the devices centrally with the music and settings required and ship them to your business locations with instructions for plugging in, or hand to your local integrators to install on your behalf. Once plugged in and powered up, the devices will open Melody Pods and call back to a central server to report service availability and royalty reporting for artist rights.

However many don’t come with analogue audio out and focus on HDMI as the way to output media, and digitally, to TVs since this is currently the target market for most manufacturers.

However, with HDMI – VGA convertors such as the HDelity easy to acquire, audio out, without connecting to a TV is readily available.

We tested the Imito MX1 along with the HDelity to output analogue audio to a powered speaker system and the solution worked perfectly well.

The Melody Pods’ schedule operated on time and changed playlists as set out by the schedule created online and downloaded to control the device.

Soon we will also test the overhead messaging / advertising schedule system and also an additional Mini PC with its own direct audio out socket so there is no need for an additional convertor.

These devices are also pretty future proof as well since they are powerful enough to play 1080p HD video and so with video becoming available soon at Melody Pods your business can just switch those services on without having to upgrade all your hardware.

Please enter your details below to enquire about how Melody Pods can help to set up your audio network with remote hands off devices such as the Android Mini PC.

Perhaps a little premature but I was keen to announce that we are currently working through the design and development of the tablet version of our background music player. This is a significant addition to our product range in that it provides a way for businesses serious about background music in their business to use a more suitable device than a smart-phone in many cases.

Tablets are more suitable than smart-phones for a number of reasons:

a) They are cheaper,

b) They provide more internal memory and thus can hold more music for playing a wider range of music,

c) The larger device display enables a clearer navigation and operation.

d) Less possible distractions from incoming communication sources, in particular, no text or voice calls if a client was using their personal smart-phone to double up as a music player.

More news soon.

Ref: MBJYMVQ4YFHQ

With Apple’s IOS still growing, but Android growing faster and increasing its market share of the smartphone OS market Blackberry and Microsoft are being left behind as (very) niche players.

See the Independent’s article here on the troubles at Microsoft with Windows 8. There clearly is some major alterations to the new OS that could impact on the costs of developing under the OS as well as hinder greatly its share of the smartphone market.

So from Melody Pods’ point of view, Windows 8 is not a platform to invest development in for the foreseeable future along with Blackberry ‘s new OS ’10’ our focus will continue to be to develop new valuable features for customers on the Android platform.