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Looks like 3rd party Support is here!!! Free service continues!!

Started by ant17, May 19, 2014, 09:58:09 PM

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ant17

Google Hangouts has a new Telephone API for 3rd Party support:
« on: May 17, 2014, 06:18:59 pm »
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Appears to be new 3rd Party Support for Apps and Devices.

https://developers.google.com/+/hangouts/telephone-oauth

Contact Obihai, GrooveIP, Talkatone and such & let them know. Wink

This is official 3rd Party support from Google. The previous way was a hack that was not okay by Google. Keep that in mind.

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 make an announcement eventually.

Kage

The question though is the third party support only for Google-approved applications or any third party device? If it's the latter then I expect we'll be seeing many gadgets on the market soon that will work similar to obi. I'd prefer to continue using the obi but if they refuse to update their boxes to work with Hangouts even though Google says it's alright then it's time to move on.

ant17

Quote from: Kage on May 20, 2014, 06:40:14 AM
The question though is the third party support only for Google-approved applications or any third party device? If it's the latter then I expect we'll be seeing many gadgets on the market soon that will work similar to obi. I'd prefer to continue using the obi but if they refuse to update their boxes to work with Hangouts even though Google says it's alright then it's time to move on.

Agreed! I have 2 OBI's myself, but if necessary will buy a device that will work. The one time cost beats a monthly fee anytime.

Usetheforceobiwan

I am sure Obihai knows alot more about this than any of us do.  In as well,  I am confident that if there was something they could do to easily modify the firmware on Obi's to make them work with any of the new standards that they would do it.  

Patience is a virtue and in short supply for the young.  So just chill and you might enjoy a happy outcome.

zorlac

"I'd prefer to continue using the obi but if they refuse to update their boxes to work with Hangouts even though Google says it's alright then it's time to move on."

Especially if that means buying a new obi box instead of flashing my existing obi firmware.
I'd be OK even if they wanted to charge me a small fee for the upgrade.

Kage

From this thread it looks like obi support for Hangouts is most likely not possible given the way API is being implemented:

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8092.0

In that case Ring.to could be the next best alternative. Some users of it through GrooveIP are claiming it's pretty good. The only drawback: a new obi box is needed though for a year or two or more of free service it's still worth it.

Usetheforceobiwan

I would say to everyone speculating about Obi and Hangouts to keep their piehole closed - look at the way the whole XMPP thing turned out after lots of speculation and prognostication - until Google has made verifiable moves on integrating Google Voice completely into Hangouts.  And when they do that, they will give warning publicly and will not go about it in the same manner as they did with the XMPP support removal blog post "announcement".  Mark my words.

Crow550

Yeah....

It's up to Obi to see what they can do with the API. We 100% sure it won't work on any device hardware?

If device support is not in the API who's to say it either won't be added or a separate API is made for devices.

We just don't know. It's too soon to tell.

They don't have Hangouts VOIP on Android yet either....

Let's just wait this out and see what Google and Obi does.

Until then pick a VOIP provider and have G-Voice forward to it....

giqcass

Quote from: Crow550 on May 20, 2014, 05:07:05 PM
Yeah....

It's up to Obi to see what they can do with the API. We 100% sure it won't work on any device hardware?

If device support is not in the API who's to say it either won't be added or a separate API is made for devices.

We just don't know. It's too soon to tell.

They don't have Hangouts VOIP on Android yet either....

Let's just wait this out and see what Google and Obi does.

Until then pick a VOIP provider and have G-Voice forward to it....

I absolutely believe a device can use this API.  I believe the problem is that the device must run Android or IOS to use it without modification.  The device could even run a secondary stripped down version of Android virtually to accomplish that goal.  The Raspberry PI for instance can run Android so it can use this API.  As to whether Google will make the API available to other devices I don't know but Google will most likely do whatever the market dictates.

Quote from: Usetheforceobiwan on May 20, 2014, 12:46:57 PM
I would say to everyone speculating about Obi and Hangouts to keep their piehole closed - look at the way the whole XMPP thing turned out after lots of speculation and prognostication - until Google has made verifiable moves on integrating Google Voice completely into Hangouts.  And when they do that, they will give warning publicly and will not go about it in the same manner as they did with the XMPP support removal blog post "announcement".  Mark my words.
Speculating out loud leads to solutions that otherwise would not have presented themselves.  I will happily speculate and hope that others share their speculation with me.  I may argue with them or disagree but I value those conversations and learn from dissenting opinions.
Long live our new ObiLords!