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Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

arstechnica.com

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Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#291

Post by platevoltage »

hamdingers wrote: post #111
jeffwask wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This def needs to be celebrated and rewarded. I am more likely to purchase Bose now.

Ironically this makes me want to buy this discontinued model, not anything currently supported by Bose.

Bose products seem like they are most popular with older, non-technical people who see it as a luxury brand. This is the same reaction that I would have with this news because I like modifying hardware/firmware, but I was never in the market to buy Bose products in the first place. My parents on the other hand have at least 3 wave radios in the house.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#292

Post by rgregg »

soperj wrote: post #216
pardon_me wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If society progresses as envisaged, people will always want newer and better technology. Living standards should improve for all, as the older technology is purchased second-hand by those who cannot afford the latest versions, and/or repaired as desired. When a businesses chooses to drop support for a product entirely (hardware or spares no longer produced, and software no longer updated), they've presumably already…

> newer and better technology Most newer technology hasn't seemed better in a while. It's almost impossible to find a phone with a removable battery, or one that's easily fixable, and has a headphone jack. My galaxy S3 was all of those things. USB3 is good though.

The meaning of better isn't universal unfortunately. My iPhone is considerably better than my Treo 650 which had those features. I wouldn't go back.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#293

Post by platevoltage »

shrubby wrote: post #101
quijoteuniv wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the way! (And should be the law, maybe enforced by mandalorians taking greedy CEOs!)

Yup. All the "bricked" cars should have their service software opened. All the old iPads that have perfectly good hardware. ... Planet is burning and the zillionaires have enough zillions already so I vouch for the Mando too.

All cars period should have their service software freely available. I shouldn't need to hunt down software on a Russian torrent site to help someone figure out why their ABS light is on.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#294

Post by giancarlostoro »

vovavili wrote: post #255
xnickb wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those who are willing to move have already moved.

I myself would be more inclined to move if I had an option to run Adobe suite, Excel, TouchDesigner, Ableton and Recordbox through WINE without significant tinkering.

Idk enough about Ableton but theres definitely a few open source and proprietary alternatives that run on Linux. Try proton instead of Wine.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#295

Post by wwweston »

filoleg wrote: post #237
Wafje wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bose should not receive praise for this move. Bose only took this action after community backlash. In an older version of their end-of-life announcement, most functionality of the speaker systems would have removed and transformed the devices into dumb-speakers/amps. Good that they changed their statement and took the right action. Even better for the community for stepping up and 'forcing' Bose to do so. Sources: ht…

> Bose should not receive praise for this move. Bose only took this action after community backlash. They received the backlash, they responded to it by properly addressing the criticism and doing the right thing. It should be praised. Especially since it wasn't some PR-centric damage control, but an actual direct address of the specific points their original approach was criticized for. Compare Bose's response to th…

And some people have been advocating for Apple to do something similar with old iPhones and tablets for a decade, and there’s no sign. Their privilege but not great for the world.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#296

Post by wwweston »

Putting software in long lived components — screens, speakers, whatever — is shortsighted as the industrial short term and barely engineered mindset.

Maybe in an era where software can be carefully engineered to a point of actual completion it will make sense, but for now it’s mostly stupid.

Open sourcing potential ongoing support and tinkering is good, but it doesn’t get the core problem that it wad probably never the right thing to put the smarts in the speakers in the first place.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#297

Post by t-3 »

BobaFloutist wrote: post #166
JodieBenitez wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bose in general (there are many models...) is not what I'd call high-fidelity. It doesn't mean you can't enjoy your music or your movies with it. Just don't buy this if you care about transparency, otherwise it's usually a pleasing hearing experience. Their PA line is IMO overpriced and sacrifices too much to the design and weight.

I've been playing with the idea for a bit, can you give me an order of magnitude for "entry-level HiFi"? Even if that's an oxymoron, how many zeroes does it take to get an experience that's noticeably superior to, say, default car speakers or built-in Smart TV speakers?

It doesn't usually take much, because very few cars or TVs come with powered subwoofers or 6x9s or quality tweeters. Second hand amps, receivers, etc. are usually a good deal, entry-level speakers are pretty cheap new though.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#298

Post by dominick-cc »

noname120 wrote: post #193

While laudable, the release of the documentation is completely useless. The protocol is rather simple and was completely reverse engineered already many years ago. In fact it’s already integrated into several open-source home management tools e.g. Home Assistant. https://github.com/CharlesBlonde/libsoundtouch

It was already released under the Bose developer portal. I don't see anything new here.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#299

Post by cogman10 »

ToniCipriani wrote: post #265
tw04 wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Bose should not receive praise for this move. Remind me of any other vendor in recent history that end of lifed a hardware product and then open sourced it whether they got backlash or not. Because I can’t think of a single one. So yes, Bose absolutely deserves praise.

Arguably HP open-sourced webOS, but they did also got backlash because they killed that entire product line without warning.

They killed the product line almost immediately after release. And they fired basically everyone they acquired from palm.

It was a real shitty move.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#300

Post by dominick-cc »

drnick1 wrote: post #182

Why are these devices connecting to the Internet at all? Aren't they supposed to be connected to phones and TVs via cable or bluetooth? I would never allow any "smart" anything device to speak to the Internet in the first place.

You used to be able to walk over to a speaker and with 1 button click play music from a preset on a music service like Tunein or spotify.

Now will need to fiddle with your phone to connect with bluetooth or something.

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