It has taken a few days longer than expected, but we wanted to iron out some last-minute bugs that had been reported, and release a more solid version. We don’t think most people enjoy updating their software every two days!

This is the list of fixes and changes in the 2007-02-19 release:

• Fixed problems with presence at local group in chat window.
• Blinking tab in taskbar when new message arives.
• Special characters in chat messages are now allowed.
• The server connection is now kept alive every 10 minutes, preventing random logouts.
• Presence problem in chat groups when an previous member reenters has been fixed.
• Fixed automatic connection (with auto-login checked) to an AP in private mode.
• Login process speed has been improved.
• Various minor revisions and changes in the GUI.
• Fixed transient non-Whisher status for registered or tagged APs, between no
• connection and internet available instances.
• Non blocker search buddy mechanism + limitation of result number when searching for all.
• WPA has been tested on a variety of access points and routers, and found to work.
• Access points with SSID length greater than 30 characters can now be registered.
• Fixed “deny friendship” message on destination buddy logout.
• Fixed regular expressions in chat messages, URLs are now always recognized and clickable.
• Copy/paste text from/into chat window has been implemented.
• Maximize button for all resizable windows has been added (thanks AustinTX for the suggestion).
• Fixed local storage update after unregistering/untagging an AP.
• AP connection process now uses the keys in the right order and does not retry with the same stored keys upon failure.
• Fixed problem with commenter’s identity in guestbook comments.
• Offline messages timestamp changed to GMT (server time), this will be adapted to the client timezone in a future release.
• Email address is no longer diplayed in user profiles.
• Enabling wireless adapters method has been improved.
• The installer now copies the required files specific for Windows 2000 (thanks to those who reported this and helped identify a fix).
• Various Online Maps improvements and Javascript errors solved.

Since we use Qt to keep versions across operating systems synchronized, the fixes that affect the common code base will be applied also the Mac and Linux (soon to be released) versions. The reason we are not releasing a Mac update is that we are waiting for a set of APIs from Apple which will allow us to make WPA much more stable. We’d like to sincerely thank Apple for the support they are offering us in this project!

To update Whisher, simply download it again, run the installer, which will uninstall the previous version and install the updated one.

Greetings,

We have just posted a new release of the Mac version (2007-02-05) on the website for download, which fixes the following issues:

- Scrolling in user search results would not scroll the actual text.
- User would not be logged out when computer entered sleep, and this also caused a freeze on the signals list. You could still see a delay between connection and the client showing that you are connected.
- High CPU usage seen after idle for a long time or connection to server lost.
- High CPU usage after error message box is displayed.
- Client would stall due to no internet connection.
- Login related crashes.
- Speed improvement when logging in.

The new release can be downloaded here and should simply be installed on top of the previous version.

Since the Mac version was a bit more unstable than the Windows version, we have posted this update so that participants in LIFT can get a much improved experience. Towards the end of the week a common update to both versions will be posted.

Many things have happened since we made Whisher public a few days ago. We’ve had many good reviews and comments, some bad ones, which are probably explained by this, and generally, a lot of attention from the media. We consider our launch a success, as we managed to be on the #8 spot in Technorati searches, and we are having a healthy rhythm of downloads and registered users.

Of course, not everything can be perfect, and we screwed up the forum and blog. Our idea was to provide a seamless integration between the accounts created through the Whisher client, and the login details in the forum and blog, so our users would not have to re-register each time. The backend mechanism worked, but the propagation of the accounts did not, resulting in a lot of confusion, and people not able to login to the forums and comment on our blog. We have now solved this, by setting up a forum and a blog separately from the main site, which you can still access using the links on whisher.com. For now, users will have to register again, while we apply the account propagation mechanism - this should happen early next week.

On the software side, we have received many comments and some bug reports, and we will be changing many things over the next days and weeks - so expect to see frequent updates. For example, the whole login / online / offline / connectivity issues will be merged, so you will not have to login after getting connected, the client will do everything for you with the minimum disturbance. Our development teams will also be very very busy fixing other bugs, and increasing the stability of the client, so stay tuned for news! When a release happens it will be announced on the main site, in this blog and in the forums, plus you may get a warning when you start the client (which can be turned off).

That is all for now, ahead of us we have 20 hours traveling back to Barcelona, after which we will be at full speed again.

Thank you all for your great support, and see you at the LIFT conference in Geneva, and at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona!

Whisher has launched!

Maybe you saw us at DEMO. Maybe you read about us on a blog, and maybe you have followed our below-the-radar signature for the last few months. So, you will be asking yourself, what is Whisher? Whisher was born out of two premises: one, that WiFi will (and should!) become salt & pepper, free for everyone, and ubiquitous; second, that WiFi, until now, was really boring. There were the early times of wardriving, when we used to enjoy toying with equipment, and chasing new WiFi networks, but over time, WiFi has become yet another access technology, with no personality, and lacking fun.

Whisher will let you do too many things to explain - it is better to download it, and check it out by yourself. We will dedicate the next few posts to explain the various features and possibilities Whisher offers.

One of the main highlights is that Whisher allows you to share your existing WiFi with others, without having to reconfigure your router, reflash it, or purchase additional equipment. If you have a WiFi router or access point, no matter what brand or model, you can share it with Whisher. Sharing can also be precisely controlled - with the whole world, or with just a group of buddies, creating community networks within the network.

2006 was a really hectic year, with development taking place in five countries across three continents, the coordination of which became a really complex task. It all came through, and we are very proud of our team, and what we have achieved over such a short period of time. So, welcome to the new era of WiFi, enjoy the ride!