Welcome back to another month of the hottest news, views and developments in the world of live video, WebRTC and real-time communications.
Highlights from this month’s issue of Real-Talk include a new study that reveals the skyrocketing adoption of telehealth; innovators predict the future of remote collaboration will be powered by augmented, virtual reality and telepresence robots; and Facebook turns to teens to boost its live video chat app Bonfire.
Welcome back to our monthly news wrap where we bring you the latest news, views and developments in the world of live video, WebRTC and real-time communications.
Looking back on October, Facebook unveiled its AI-powered video chat device for living rooms with reports a video calling product for TVs is on the way; Apple doubled down on AR with the acquisition of a real-time video editing startup; Verizon looked into the future of communication with live holographic video calling; and executives explored how video meetings are powering the remote work revolution.
Last week, we released OpenTok v2.15, the latest version of our Client SDKs. We wanted to update you on some of the great new features included and how you can use them.
Audio Enhancements in Web and Windows SDKs
In opentok.js 2.14 we added the ability to switch cameras using the Publisher cycleVideo() method which was really well received. Version 2.15.0 of opentok.js and our Windows SDK add the ability to switch to a different audio source. In opentok.js you do with using the Publisher setAudioSource() method and in Windows you use the AudioDevice.SetInputAudioDevice method. The obvious use-case for this API is to allow your users to switch microphones without needing to create a whole new publisher. But it can also be used to switch to other supported audio sources, for example loading audio from an audio file, or creating custom audio. In opentok.js you do this using the setAudioSource() method and passing a custom audioTrack. In the Windows SDK you do this using the AudioDevice.setCustomAudioDevice method and passing a custom audio driver.
In an effort to make our APIs more accessible and easy to use, we’ve spent some time improving all six of our server SDKs. The OpenTok Server SDKs provide a convenient way to to interact with the OpenTok REST API in a variety of languages. Please note that these enhancements will not break your implementation should you choose to upgrade.
As we all know, the widespread adoption of tablets and smartphones has made it easier than ever to stay connected to family and friends, no matter where in the world they may be. Live video is the next best thing to being in the same room with loved ones, enabling a deeper connection than a phone call alone can provide.
However, one group that has been slow to adopt live video is the senior community. Not having grown up with the wide range of digital devices we use today, the complexity can be intimidating and overwhelming. Tiny controls and screens can be tricky for those with vision or mobility issues, and what should be an enjoyable experience can deteriorate into one that leaves seniors feeling frustrated and isolated.
Welcome back again to our monthly news wrap where we bring you the latest news, views and developments in the world of live video, WebRTC and real-time communications.
In September’s issue of Real-Talk, Microsoft unveils its mixed reality app with video calling to provide field workers with remote assistance; brands are increasingly turning to interactive live video content to engage customers; telehealth providers go global; and banks are urged rethink in person customer experiences with interactive digital communications.
Europe has the highest smartphone penetration globally with 84% of the population on mobile. Enabled by internet speeds that race ahead of the world and highly competitive broadband prices, Europe has pioneered many live video communications applications.
From major financial institutions like RBS launching live video for wealth management, to Babylon Health bringing online doctor consultations to the UK, and customer experience innovators Unblu and InfoCert – businesses across Europe are using live video to transform user experiences. With the power to reduce fuel costs and carbon footprint, enhance education, plus improve patients’ lives, the rise of real-time video communications in Europe is a force for social good too.
Here is a closer look at some of the most innovative applications of live video in Europe:
In this blog we look at how to connect OpenTok Live Video sessions with traditional PSTN phone calls. We will demonstrate how to connect an OpenTok session to PSTN with an audio stream that connects through OpenTok SIP Interconnect to a Nexmo SIP-PSTN Gateway.
OpenTok SIP Interconnect is a general purpose SIP capability that can be used to connect to many different kinds of gateway or other SIP systems. TokBox is now part of Vonage, so in this blog we will use our own Nexmo programmable communications APIs to bridge the call.
In April, we announced updates to our pricing and packaging, which allows TokBox customers to have more flexibility with the ability to add-on features a la carte to their accounts. With this in mind, we’ve been hard at work over the past couple of months to make our entire user experience more flexible and allow users to have more control in configuring their OpenTok projects.
Today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve made several improvements to the Account Dashboard, which provides users with more self-service functionality. These updates will make it faster for users to configure their OpenTok projects and make quick changes, and to gather critical information on the add-ons they have access to.
Welcome back to Real-Talk, where each month we bring you the hottest news, views and developments in the world of live video, WebRTC and real-time communications.
This month’s news was all about group video. WhatsApp rolled out 4 person video chat; Facebook introduced a feature that lets groups watch videos together; and Apple came up against the challenges of building multi-party video announcing delays to group FaceTime. In other developments, the combination of AR and live video is poised to transform communications across industries, and of course some big news of our own!
