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can OBihai modify firmware within existing OBi devices to work with API and GV

Started by justgrant, May 18, 2014, 04:10:09 AM

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justgrant

First, credit for this post goes to Rulo's recent query as found here... http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8069.msg52963#msg52963

In short, if not due to hardware, why can't (or won't) OBihai modify the firmware within our existing OBi devices (e.g. OBi202, OBi100, etc) to work with the new API and Google Voice?

Where API is defined as "Application Programming Interface."

Just curious.

justgrant

7Priest7

ObiHai repetitiveness have made it abundantly clear on other similar threads,
they have absolutely no intention of updating the firmware.

They already have our money, they don't care about customer satisfaction.

Usetheforceobiwan

If you are saying that an Obi should be able to provide a new means of access through the Hangouts API (assuming that it is possible to do this and that Google would allow it), it's not a question of Obihai not wanting to do it.  It would be several issues that need to be resolved in order TO DO it. 

1)  Do the Obi's have enough processing power to simulate internally a WEBRTC browser session that would be required to connect to the future means of accessing your Google Voice number? 

2)  Will Google permit external WEBRTC access to control a Google Voice number after GV is fully integrated into Hangouts?

3)  In what way will Google Voice be integrated into Hangouts?  Will the Google Voice login portal go away once integration occurs?

4)  What will happen to SMS and MMS?

5)  Is Google's future goal to do away with Google Voice (and issuing DID's) all together?

As you can see there are still alot of unknowns regarding the future of Google Voice both from technical standpoints and business standpoints.  Obihai has had to make their future plans on what they know now, not what they assume or anything based on rumor. 

Look, you paid ~$50 for a device that gave you free phone service for at least three years (if you have had one that long) and I don't think anybody should blame Obihai for decisions made by others and completely outside of their control.  Let's hope Google doesn't sh*tcan XMPP for a while with the hope that in the meantime, someone will come up with a way to connect to Hangouts to make everything work like it does today.

Crow550

I don't think Obihai is aware of this official API by Google. No 3rd party is yet. It just popped up out of the blue. I'm sure Google will announce it later on.

This is the first time Google has made an official API for Google Voice for 3rd Partys as the old method was a hack that Google did not ok.

Let's just chill since it's the weekend and give Obihai some time.

Feel free to E-mail them the info.

Also justgrant. I was the one who posted the link. He just quoted what I had already posted above his. Next time double check. It even says "Quote from: Crow550".

In the post below his I said: "It kinda just came out of nowhere. I found it while reading the comments on the G+ post that I posted. Looks like it was added on the 15th. Even some of the commentors are pointing out that it's new."

Plus I also already made a separate Thread on this: http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8092.0

giqcass

Quote from: justgrant on May 18, 2014, 04:10:09 AM
In short, if not due to hardware, why can't (or won't) OBihai modify the firmware within our existing OBi devices (e.g. OBi202, OBi100, etc) to work with the new API and Google Voice?

We have to consider the time/cost of bringing this kind of modification to a stable release.  Integrating something like this is not plug an play.  I think this can be done on the 2xx, 3xx, and 5xx series devices.  I am not so sure about 1xx series.  Obihai 2XX and 3xx series can do WebRTC already.  I have used the Obi WebRTC call feature on my Obi202.


http://www.obitalk.com/obinet/login/  (Top middle of the page is the WebRTC button.)
QuoteThis Call OBi button will allow you to call an OBi number directly from your web browser.*

Your call will ring the far-end phone(s) attached to the OBi device's PHONE port(s).

If you are logged-in to your OBiTALK account, and use the Call OBi button to call an OBi device set-up in the same OBiTALK account or a device whose Circle of Trust you belong to, the OBi Attendant will answer and you will be able to bridge your web call to a regular number using Option 2.

* For the Call OBi feature to work, the web browser must support WebRTC and the user must allow the use of their microphone / speaker for the call.  Google's Chrome browser supports WebRTC.  Only the OBi200, OBi202, OBi300 and OBi302 models may be called.  The OBi device must have OBiTALK Service enabled.

EDIT: I see one MAJOR issue.  This does not appear to be a web API.  The API was meant for IOS and Android.  IOS uses Objective C for apps Android uses Java for apps.  My digging suggest the Obi uses at least some Javascript but that isn't the same as full Java.  The API probably requires lower level access to part of the Android OS because it specifically requires 4.2.2 or greater.  That suggest dependent functions are baked right into the OS.  This might require reverse engineering of some libraries to operate on an Obi and that would be a violation of TOS.  On the other hand this is good news for the Raspberry pi community.  With an Android distribution being worked on full Hangout support will likely be possible in the near future.
Long live our new ObiLords!

Crow550

Do we know for sure that the API uses WebRTC though?

Let's just take a breath and see what Obihai can do with the API.

justgrant

Quote from: Crow550 on May 18, 2014, 03:22:54 PM
SNIP
Also justgrant. I was the one who posted the link. He just quoted what I had already posted above his. Next time double check. It even says "Quote from: Crow550".

In the post below his I said: "It kinda just came out of nowhere. I found it while reading the comments on the G+ post that I posted. Looks like it was added on the 15th. Even some of the commentors are pointing out that it's new."

Plus I also already made a separate Thread on this: http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8092.0

Sorry about that, Crow550.

Correction noted.

justgrant

Rick

Quote from: Crow550 on May 18, 2014, 10:06:43 PM
Do we know for sure that the API uses WebRTC though?

Let's just take a breath and see what Obihai can do with the API.

I'll bet a cup of coffee that they won't even look at it.  They're done with the business of dealing with consumers directly.  New phase is supplying boxes to third parties that do the configuration and support.

Crow550

Quote from: justgrant on May 19, 2014, 06:44:02 AM
Quote from: Crow550 on May 18, 2014, 03:22:54 PM
SNIP
Also justgrant. I was the one who posted the link. He just quoted what I had already posted above his. Next time double check. It even says "Quote from: Crow550".

In the post below his I said: "It kinda just came out of nowhere. I found it while reading the comments on the G+ post that I posted. Looks like it was added on the 15th. Even some of the commentors are pointing out that it's new."

Plus I also already made a separate Thread on this: http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8092.0

Sorry about that, Crow550.

Correction noted.

justgrant

It's cool.

justgrant

Quote from: giqcass on May 18, 2014, 09:15:18 PM
We have to consider the time/cost of bringing this kind of modification to a stable release.  Integrating something like this is not plug an play.  I think this can be done on the 2xx, 3xx, and 5xx series devices.  I am not so sure about 1xx series.  Obihai 2XX and 3xx series can do WebRTC already.  I have used the Obi WebRTC call feature on my Obi202.

http://www.obitalk.com/obinet/login/  (Top middle of the page is the WebRTC button.)

QuoteThis Call OBi button will allow you to call an OBi number directly from your web browser.*

Your call will ring the far-end phone(s) attached to the OBi device's PHONE port(s).

If you are logged-in to your OBiTALK account, and use the Call OBi button to call an OBi device set-up in the same OBiTALK account or a device whose Circle of Trust you belong to, the OBi Attendant will answer and you will be able to bridge your web call to a regular number using Option 2.

* For the Call OBi feature to work, the web browser must support WebRTC and the user must allow the use of their microphone / speaker for the call.  Google's Chrome browser supports WebRTC.  Only the OBi200, OBi202, OBi300 and OBi302 models may be called.  The OBi device must have OBiTALK Service enabled.

EDIT: I see one MAJOR issue.  This does not appear to be a web API.  The API was meant for IOS and Android.  IOS uses Objective C for apps Android uses Java for apps.  My digging suggest the Obi uses at least some Javascript but that isn't the same as full Java.  The API probably requires lower level access to part of the Android OS because it specifically requires 4.2.2 or greater.  That suggest dependent functions are baked right into the OS.  This might require reverse engineering of some libraries to operate on an Obi and that would be a violation of TOS.  On the other hand this is good news for the Raspberry pi community.  With an Android distribution being worked on full Hangout support will likely be possible in the near future.

Thank your extremely informative for your post, gigcass.

If my interpretation is correct, and it my not be, it appears that Firefox and Opera browsers will also work with WebRTC [http://www.webrtc.org/] . . .

WebRTC is a free, open project that enables web browsers with Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities via simple JavaScript APIs. The WebRTC components have been optimized to best serve this purpose.

Our mission: To enable rich, high quality, RTC applications to be developed in the browser via simple JavaScript APIs and HTML5.

The WebRTC initiative is a project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera. This page is maintained by the Google Chrome team.

. . . it's a shame we cannot simply use our phone(s) connected to SP1/2 SP3/4 on OBi202's with WebRTC instead of audio out (from sound card or related device) for headphones/earphones, a boom mic/microphone, and an approved browser (as noted above).

Thanks again for your post, gigcass.

justgrant

Ostracus

Quote from: Rick on May 19, 2014, 10:51:51 AM
Quote from: Crow550 on May 18, 2014, 10:06:43 PM
Do we know for sure that the API uses WebRTC though?

Let's just take a breath and see what Obihai can do with the API.

I'll bet a cup of coffee that they won't even look at it.  They're done with the business of dealing with consumers directly.  New phase is supplying boxes to third parties that do the configuration and support.

Hopefully their level of support is better for third parties than it has been for consumers, otherwise nothing gets better, and maybe worse.

giqcass

Quote from: justgrant on May 20, 2014, 04:47:58 AM
. . . it's a shame we cannot simply use our phone(s) connected to SP1/2 SP3/4 on OBi202's with WebRTC instead of audio out (from sound card or related device) for headphones/earphones, a boom mic/microphone, and an approved browser (as noted above). 
If/When WebRTC becomes more common place I expect to see plenty of services that combine the SIP and WebRTC in a way that will make this possible.  That's just speculation on my part but it seems quite likely assuming WebRTC becomes widely adopted.  Their appear to be companies already testing this cross compatibility.  You of course could get a nice Bluetooth handset to make things a little more convenient in the interim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p9mc1KSpzk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FayPPU6ame8


Quote from: justgrant on May 20, 2014, 04:47:58 AM
If my interpretation is correct, and it my not be, it appears that Firefox and Opera browsers will also work with WebRTC [http://www.webrtc.org/] . . .

WebRTC is a free, open project that enables web browsers with Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities via simple JavaScript APIs. The WebRTC components have been optimized to best serve this purpose.

Our mission: To enable rich, high quality, RTC applications to be developed in the browser via simple JavaScript APIs and HTML5.

The WebRTC initiative is a project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera. This page is maintained by the Google Chrome team.

There is nothing wrong with your interpretation.  It's more a matter of implementation.  It seems that despite the hype the companies supporting WebRTC can not agree on all aspects.  All browsers are not compatible with each other due to the codecs they use.  All Chrome users can call each other but it may be a problem for a Chrome user to call an Internet Explorer user for example.
Long live our new ObiLords!