For fans of XBMC, this should make you happy. Last night, the team introduced the first “user-friendly” version of the application, which actually runs alongside an additional media player, but makes for a much better user experience on the device. I personally have not tested it out yet, but people on XDA are reporting pleasant results so far. 

Down below, we have added in a link to the forum where you can download the necessary files and get to streaming. XBMC released a promo video as well which is embedded below, but I would probably stay away from that. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Download XBMC here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

First “User-Friendly” Build of XBMC Released For Android is a post from: Droid Life

Just a couple of days ago we wrote up that GameStick, an Android-powered portable gaming system, hit Kickstarter looking to help fund their project. In just 30 hours, they topped their $100,000 goal and are on their way to making the next big thing. 

To celebrate, the company has announced official support for XBMC and DLNA, which will turn your GameStick into an even more powerful tool while plugged into your HDTV. The two features will be pushed to the systems via firmware update sometime in September, but GameStick developers emphasized that the consoles will remain completely hackable.

Did you happen to pledge any money for one?

GAMESTICK REACHES KICKSTARTER FUNDING GOAL IN ONLY 30 HOURS

The Most Portable TV Games Console Confirms Support of XBMC And DLNA

GameStick Change Pledge Tiers to offer Developers Even More

London & San Francisco; January 4th, 2013; The team behind the GameStick raised a glass yesterday evening in thanks to the 1000+ Kickstarter backers that pushed them over their $100,000 funding goal in just 30 hours.

“The response from the Kickstarter community has been truly overwhelming. We are confident in our product and what we hope it will mean for gaming but we were taken aback at how quickly the message was adopted,” says Anthony Johnson, CMO, PlayJam.“There is no better feeling than having
hundreds if not thousands of people endorse your idea.”

The team has been busy keeping up with the hundreds of questions and requests that continue to come through the Kickstarter message boards and in response have today announced support for XBMC & DNLA, two of the most sought after features.

“While we are shipping as a dedicated games console, we are keen to ensure that users have the ability to hack the device if they so wish and will be providing support for XBMC & DNLA via an optional firmware update in September. We encourage users to hack the device – the time for
closed, proprietary systems is ending which bodes well for true innovation”, concluded Johnson.

GameStick is described as ‘The Most Portable TV games Console Ever Created’. The team behind the project are passionate about accelerating the race to change the face of big screen gaming with a product that will now, as promised, launch in April of this Year.

Supporters flooded to the Kickstarter page just moments after the campaign launched and began pledging. The ‘Early Bird’ pledge tier, giving backers the chance to grab themselves a GameStick at a discounted rate, proved so popular that it sold out in a matter of hours resulting in people moving in
droves to the next tier. At the time of writing, the average pledge towards GameStick was $98.

Interest from the developer community has been extremely strong with over 300 registrations on the www.gamestick.tv website and a new tier offering early access to the SDK and 30 days premium positioning within the games store having been added for $500.

GameStick will feature a purpose-built game store through which users will be able to browse and download content. The proposition will be powered by PlayJam’s existing Games Network for Smart TV which currently supports developers such as Relentless Software, First Star Software, and Disney.

To visit the Kickstarter page and pledge your support, please visit: http://kck.st/12SSvMO

GameStick Hits $100K Target in 30 Hours, Announces Support for XBMC and DLNA is a post from: Droid Life

Late last night, the development team at XBMC released the second beta for their application that brings a lot of bug fixes, and console controller support. For anyone using an Xbox 360, you can now use your controller to control the application, which is sweet. To top it off, they have fixed some audio issues, along with some other bugs that users submitted from the first beta.

The download link is below, so try it out and let the team know how it is.

Download: xbmc_Frodo-Beta_2

Via:  XBMC

XBMC Beta 2 Released for Android, Xbox 360 Controller Support and Audio Fixes is a post from: Droid Life

Things are heating up with XBMC in the Android arena. XBMC, if you haven’t heard, is a popular cross-media player that developers are working hard on getting ported successfully to Android. Nightly downloads are up and available as long as your phone falls into the list of NEON or non-NEON devices listed under the XDA thread.

Installers beware, this is a nightly so there is a laundry list of bugs that have been reported with this application so far. Since XBMC is geared towards larger devices, the battery drain on Android is significant and the application uses a lot of your phone’s resources, expect your device to be running pretty hot. If you can brave the list of bugs and get the nightly working on your phone then hit the source link below and find the apk that works for your device.

Via: XDA

XBMC Nightlies Available for Download, Still Pretty Rough Around the Edges is a post from: Droid Life

The OUYA project, born of Kickstarter, is a home run so far, and even calling it that might be an understatement. Every big Android project or developer seems to be hopping on the bandwagon with the game console and the latest development team would be the people behind XBMC. The popular media application has come from Mac, Linux and Windows and now to Android, giving users one place to view all their media. With the news today, XBMC looks to invade your living room through the OUYA console.

Even though XBMC for Android still isn’t quite official, the company promises that the code is going to be merged into the master line soon, and that the application will work well on the OUYA platform. Android developers seem to be working hard to make this new device much more than just a video game console. 2 days left to back OUYA, are you going to jump in before it closes?

Via: Engadget

OUYA and XBMC Get Together For Tailored Experience When the Console Launches is a post from: Droid Life

XBMC is a widely popular media center that is available for Linux, Mac, and Windows users. The good news for Android device owners is that it will soon be made available to us as well. Once installed on Android, users can access all of their on-device media files including music, video and photos, but also download from a large assortment of content add-ons that can be viewed while on a WiFi or data connection. 

For example, there is a working plugin for the website Funny or Die which seems to work quite well even on the test build. The developers posted an official teaser video which has since been made private. Here’s a little hands on from a community member with an early test build.

Feel like trying it yourself? You can download the test build right here. The app has not yet been optimized for smaller screens, but where there is a will, there is a way. In other news, the apk has been ported to even the Nexus Q and it looks to work well. Praise Android developers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via: XMBC

Cheers Bharath, Nick, Elementix, and Luke!

Official XBMC Headed to Android, Test Build Download Available is a post from: Droid Life