BlinkStick Client 2.0-rc release

[arvydas]

I’m pleased to announce the long awaited release of BlinkStick Client application. The application has been completely redesigned with a massive amount of new features. Please note that all your current notifications can not be imported to the new application.

Features at a glance

• Supports all BlinkStick devices (Original BlinkStick, Pro, Flex and Nano)
• Supports all LEDs on devices
• Completely rewritten LED animation engine
• Completely rewritten ambilight notification with support for DirectX games
• New notification types include Moodlight, Application, RAM, Battery, Disk space and ability to remotely control BlinkStick client application via HTTP requests
• Customization of patterns and pattern animations
• Ability to select and test LEDs in the GUI for all supported devices

Overview page

The overview page lets you see and configure every connected BlinkStick. Each device is represented with an image and you can select and control the color of each LED connected to the device.

The configuration button next to the list of the devices lets you specify the number of LEDs connected to BlinkStick Pro, change the mode of a supported device and limit brightness.

Notifications

The notification window lists all your configured notifications for the device.

Notifications are grouped into categories.

• Test - lets you create a periodic test notification
• Ambilight - creates an ambilight effect behind monitor or TV, also works with DirectX games too!
• Moodlight - transitions random colors
• Application - automatically plays pattern when top level application changes
• GMail, IMAP and POP3 notifications are designed to let you know when new email arrives
• CPU, RAM, Battery and Disk Space - can either alert with a notification when usage is above limit or change color depending on the percentage
• Keyboard - play pattern when key combination is pressed
• Remote Control - allows remote control of the application via HTTP requests. Read more…
• BlinkStick.com - allows user to control BlinkStick remotely via BlinkStick.com website

Patterns

The application comes with patterns already preconfigured for you, but you can define your own pattern sequences. Play button next to the pattern name lets you preview the pattern on the emulator.

Settings

Settings pages lets you control if application is started automatically with Windows, change theme and configure logging.

Download

BlinkStick Client application can be downloaded by following this link:

• Windows: BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc10-x86.exe
• OS X: BlinkStickClient-2.0-rc9.pkg

Changelog

2017-12-19 2.0-rc10

• Improvements to application title detection
• Switched to HTTPS based API address for BlinkStick.com notifications

2016-03-20 2.0-rc9

• Mac OSX support, tested on Mavericks and Yosemite. Not all notifications are supported.
• New icons for UI
• Latest version of GTK 2.12.30 supported

2016-03-15 2.0-rc8

• Fix crash when BlinkStick is first time detected
• Optimize overall CPU usage
• Optimize ambilight notification to send data only when color changes
• Added duration parameter for standalone BlinkStick.com server

2016-03-07 2.0-rc7

• Keyboard notification to play pattern when keyboard combination is pressed
• Ability to use standalone BlinkStick.com server
• Option to turn off BlinkSticks when exiting application

2016-02-25 2.0-rc6

• Ability to specify channel for notifications to support all channels of BlinkStick Pro
• Improved pattern animations, now they are a lot smoother
• Improvements to remote control notification which adds support to specify channel, first and last LEDs. Support to set color or play pattern. More details can be found in the wiki page.

2016-02-10 2.0-rc5

• Improvements to moodlight. Transition from one color to another instead of switching, ability to configure animation speed.

2016-02-03 2.0-rc4

• Fix crash when settings folder did not exit on fresh install
• Improvements to ambilight support with DirectX 9, 10 and 11
• Stability improvements for BlinkStick.com connectivity

2016-01-14 2.0-rc3

• Fixed issue with a setting to override connectivity to BlinkStick.com

2016-01-07 2.0-rc2

• Fixed issues with connectivity to BlinkStick.com
• Fixed crash when BlinkStick inserted and removed quickly
• Fixed UI update after mode has been changed on a device
• Feature - Settings panel
• Feature - Run automatically on Windows startup minimized to tray
• Feature - Select logging level and open logs
• Feature - UI theme selection and additional Paper theme
• Feature - Button to quit application

2015-12-10 2.0-rc1

• Initial RC1 release

Previous Versions

BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc9-x86.exe
BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc8-x86.exe
BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc7-x86.exe
BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc6-x86.exe
BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc5-x86.exe
BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc4-x86.exe
BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc3-x86.exe
BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc2-x86.exe
BlinkStickClient-Setup-2.0-rc1-x86.exe

Feedback

Your feedback is very important to us. Please post your comments, questions and feature requests either as a comment or start a new topic in the forum.

[ddjazz]

Looks like a great tool in the making

[p0ke]

A very great tool Arvy!
The recognition of the different devices working well.

I have one little issue: With a square it always says: “Multi LED Mirror”. But in this mode it is not possible to control single LEDs or am I wrong?

[arvydas]

@p0ke, it should allow changing the LED mode or doesn’t it? There is a button to configure BlinkStick next to the combobox with the serial. I’ve just noticed that when you change the mode it does not update that on the overview page. Will fix that in RC2 release.

You can still use individual LEDs in Multi LED Mirror mode, however setting LED color at index 0 will affect all LEDs on the Square/Strip.

[p0ke]

Right, thats the point. No refresh on the main page. So it is not a problem.
Never know that you can control single LEDs in mode 3, thanks

[arvydas]

@p0ke yep you can

In mode 3 if you send data to report 0x01, then it lights up all LEDs, but 0x05 - 0x09 still work to control LEDs individually. This applies to Strip, Square and Flex with an exception to Flex that it only controls first 8 LEDs in mode 3.

[ddjazz]

didnt know that too , the wiki docs could use some updating

[timecapture]

With the 2.0-rc candidate none of the options work. I can’t change the color. I can’t change the mode. It’s on Inverse, which is correct by the way.
The serial number is a bunch of weird characters.

Client 1.0 works fine.

r

[arvydas]

Doesn’t look right. Can you please remind me the device you have?

[timecapture]

BlinkStick Pro v1.0.
This same weird serial number is also displayed in Client 1.0 by the way. But that one still works.

[arvydas]

Has it been showing up like that in Client 1.0 since you received the device?

[timecapture]

No, I don’t think so. It was like that suddenly but it’s been that way for a while. As it didn’t hinder the functionality I didn’t think much of it.

[arvydas]

RC2 released. Please check the top of the page for the new link.

[gryfenflash]

Ambilight is working with 1.0.3 Blinkstick, but it doesn’t with 2.0 RC2. That’s sad considering i mainly bought this to use it while gaming. Anything i can do ?

[arvydas]

@gryfenflash I’m currently looking into this amd will update with the prohress very soon.

[gryfenflash]

Good to know you’re working on this
Looking forward to the update, keep up the good work

[gryfenflash]

Are you planning on adding a way to choose a specific color ? Because now it seems that we only have 16 color choices. Could you add like a full spectrum thing ? I think 1.03 had this

[p0ke]

For what do you need this? The first page is only for testing the device. In the patterns you can already use the whole color pool and this patterns can be used in the notification.

[gryfenflash]

Oh right, i guess i just didn’t undertsood how was the app working