Pull December 2010 Release
Another month, another Pull release 😄 This month isn’t a very feature-rich release, but it includes some vital features and new ideas:
New Parsing Engine
Internally in Pull, we’ve added a new parsing engine that now handles broken feeds. The scenarios we’re catering for:
- Incorrectly encoded content in the description. Ted Talks — I’m looking at you.
- Feeds using DTDs. The Let’s Talk Geek podcast used to break because of this.
- Incorrect date and time formats. The 702 Podcast is an example of this.
What this means for you as a podcast consumer is that more podcasts are now available for you to subscribe to!
Battery Support
If you’re on batteries (i.e., unplugged laptops), downloading can strain them, so we’ve added an option to prevent downloads while on battery. This can be controlled in the settings dialog.
Online Detection
There’s no point attempting to download if you’re offline (waste of CPU, memory, batteries, etc.), so we now check with Windows whether you’re online before initiating downloads. This can also be adjusted in the settings dialog for cases where you’re online but Windows fails to detect it.
Better Hardware Use
We now optimize downloads based on the number of CPU cores available, ensuring efficient use of your system’s capabilities. This can be tweaked in the settings.
Sync Support
Pull now includes a basic sync system, allowing you to easily sync downloaded episodes across your devices. This intentionally basic implementation helps us understand user needs. Please provide feedback on this feature.
Twitter Support
Another new feature is a one-click way to share podcasts and episodes you’re listening to on Twitter! It’s still basic and may break in some cases, but we’ll improve it in the January release.
Minor Features
- UI and theming improvements
- Better last-resort crash handling
Looking Forward
For the January release, we’re implementing several major features:
- Grid overhaul – We use grids to list podcasts, episodes, downloads, and logs. In January, we’ll overhaul them with filtering, searching, persistent customizations, and performance improvements.
- UI Enhancements – Focused on making the UI more intuitive while giving power users greater control.
- Twitter – Better support, including bit.ly for URL shortening.
Here’s a sneak peek at the current development progress:
