Author Archives: Chris Smith

New Release of Flat Screen software.

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Chris Smith

We’ve released version 1.2 of our Linux appliance stack. The principal change is using a new version of the underlying Webconverger kiosk system, which now has much more robust networking, including the ability to support WiFi! You can download it … Continue reading →

Posted in Linux/PC | Leave a comment

Three-platform Software Release

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Chris Smith

I’m happy to announce that we have posted software releases of the Transit Appliance platform code for three hardware platforms: Chumby 8/Infocast 8-inch (22.9M Zip File) Chumby 1/Infocast 3.5-inch (22.6M Zip File) Debian-based “kiosk” Linux (226M ISO Image) All three … Continue reading →

Posted in Chumby/Insignia Infocast, Linux/PC | 6 Comments

Getting Ready for Transportation Camp

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Chris Smith

Transportation Camp West is next weekend, and I’m putting the finishing touches on my presentation about the Transit Appliance project. Please take a look and make suggestions! With the help of my co-developer Matt we also have San Francisco’s MUNI … Continue reading →

Posted in Presentations | 1 Comment

Next Steps – Defining Agency Adapters

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Chris Smith

I’ve completed a re-write of Transit Board™ to eliminate the server-side components and talk directly to the TriMet and NextBus arrivals web-services (in the case of NextBus, I’m using YQL, at the suggestion of my co-contributor Matt, to act as … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Leave a comment

JavaScript as a Key Technology

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Chris Smith

Both the appliance configuration tool and the Transit Board™ application are coded primarily in JavaScript. I’ll be presenting tonight to the Portland JavaScript Admirers’ group about how we’re using this technology. Here’s the presentation: Transit Appliance Project – pdxjs

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Beta Release of our Configuration Service

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Chris Smith

I’m happy to announce that we now have a beta release of our Transit Appliance configuration service available at http://service.config.transitappliance.com/ Currently it only supports TriMet (and Portland Streetcar, since Streetcar is included in the TriMet GTFS file). So you will … Continue reading →

Posted in Configuration Service | 5 Comments

The “Phone Home” Pattern and Roles in the Transit Appliance Ecosystem

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Chris Smith

The core idea for transit appliances is that they are from a user perspective, very simple devices. Ideally the only control is an on/off switch. To support this and to support deployment at scale, you want a device that can … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | 2 Comments

An Architecture Stack for Javascript Transit Appliances

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Chris Smith

Currently I’m aware of two “browser-based” transit display applications: Transit Board™ which is a hybrid of server-based and Javascript technology produced by yours truly for Portland Transport, and an as-yet-unreleased pure Javascript application that TriMet is working on. There may … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | 2 Comments

Infocast Pricing, Networking

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Chris Smith

My current favorite hardware platform for Transit Appliances is the Insignia Infocast (8″). At some point I need to do a post on the characteristics of this device that make it so friendly for this application… but that’s for another … Continue reading →

Posted in Chumby/Insignia Infocast | 10 Comments

Our Mission, Governance and Projects

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Chris Smith

The purpose of this site is simply to make it easier for “transit appliances”, devices that display transit information, to be created and deployed in as many form factors and with as many interfaces as are useful, ranging from “countertop” … Continue reading →

Posted in Meta | 1 Comment