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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

#61

Post by dahcryn »

dTal wrote: post #20
thesh4d0w wrote: post #14

Providing API specs is not open-sourcing them. Where's the source code?

Yeah, it's kinda sad how much applause this is garnering when publishing API specs should be bare minimum for any smart device, never mind EoL concerns.

what more do you actually need?

Unless you want to actually develop ON the device (and build binaries etc...), this completely allows you to use the device and connect it to whatever, so I don't know what more we should expect.

No one else is doing this, so yeay applause

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

#62

Post by joshtbradley »

bbminner wrote: post #35
ebiester wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If only their sound signature was a bit better... they went all in on engineering tricks to make things small and cheap to produce, but it shows in their sound quality. Their QC headphones are the best in noise cancellation, and the sound quality is good enough that they're my pair of wireless headphones.

A long while ago i heard something (that might have been a urban myth) about Bose putting useless weight into their headphones to make them appear more "substantially professional". Is that a myth or they have pivoted towards actual quality since early days?

Those were Beats, not Bose, and it was true. IMO Bose does a great job of being both consumer friendly and high quality. There are others with higher fidelity for the same price (Shure, Sennheiser) but you often lose the comfort and portability Bose offers.

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

#63

Post by riedel »

jeffwask wrote: post #27
ktg0215 wrote: post #8

This is how "end of support" should be handled. Instead of turning devices into e-waste, open-source them and let the community extend their life. Kudos to Bose for setting a good example. More companies should follow this approach - especially as right-to-repair becomes a bigger issue.

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

Just to mention: Teufel has been even moving further with their fully open hardware design of MYND [0]. Hope others will follow.

[0] https://teufel.de/mynd-107002004

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

#64

Post by scrlk »

ebiester wrote: post #23
port3000 wrote: post #6

Good for them. Makes me more likely to consider buying a Bose in future, not just because I know it won't be bricked, but also for the environmental impact of this. Kudos.

If only their sound signature was a bit better... they went all in on engineering tricks to make things small and cheap to produce, but it shows in their sound quality. Their QC headphones are the best in noise cancellation, and the sound quality is good enough that they're my pair of wireless headphones.

I know sound signature is a matter of personal taste, but FWIW, Bose QCs track the Harman curve pretty well.

E.g.: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/b...

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

#65

Post by pbasista »

snackdex wrote: post #26
freedomben wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah that's quite fair, the article is not very accurate. It sounds like there are two main pieces to me: 1. Removal of cloud dependency 2. Making usable the API (and providing documentation) With a minor 3rd piece: 3. The official app will be updated to support the "offline" mode without losing as many features as possible now that the cloud service is going away. All very laudable things IMHO. I'm actually going to…

yes. especially when you consider that point 2 requires some amount of investment (writing the api docs, ensuring no ip leaks, etc.)

Those APIs have already existed. So it is probable that they already had a documentation.

Sanitizing an existing documentation for public release might take notable time and effort if there are 100s of endpoints. But I would assume that is not the case with an API for a speaker.

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

#67

Post by [deleted] »

bbminner wrote: post #35
ebiester wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If only their sound signature was a bit better... they went all in on engineering tricks to make things small and cheap to produce, but it shows in their sound quality. Their QC headphones are the best in noise cancellation, and the sound quality is good enough that they're my pair of wireless headphones.

A long while ago i heard something (that might have been a urban myth) about Bose putting useless weight into their headphones to make them appear more "substantially professional". Is that a myth or they have pivoted towards actual quality since early days?

[deleted]

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

#68

Post by treetalker »

ebiester wrote: post #23
port3000 wrote: post #6

Good for them. Makes me more likely to consider buying a Bose in future, not just because I know it won't be bricked, but also for the environmental impact of this. Kudos.

If only their sound signature was a bit better... they went all in on engineering tricks to make things small and cheap to produce, but it shows in their sound quality. Their QC headphones are the best in noise cancellation, and the sound quality is good enough that they're my pair of wireless headphones.

no highs — no lows — just Bose

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

#69

Post by DiabloD3 »

jeffwask wrote: post #27
ktg0215 wrote: post #8

This is how "end of support" should be handled. Instead of turning devices into e-waste, open-source them and let the community extend their life. Kudos to Bose for setting a good example. More companies should follow this approach - especially as right-to-repair becomes a bigger issue.

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

Bose hardware quality is rather low and, and their sound quality is sub-par, while forcing you to pay the Bose brand tax, riding the corpse of Amar around for profit.

I'd avoid, even if they happened to do this.

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

#70

Post by walterbell »

Thanks Bose for opencycling Bose hardware into OSS audio ecosystems that could support multiple vendors.

https://github.com/captivus/bose-soundtouch

  This library provides a clean, Pythonic interface to control SoundTouch speakers over your local network, ensuring your speakers remain fully functional even after cloud services end.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyrion_Music_Server

  Lyrion Music Server (LMS) is a streaming audio server supported by the LMS community and formerly supported by Logitech, developed in particular to support their Squeezebox [discontinued in 2012] range of digital audio receivers.. [LMS] also works with networked music players, such as the Roku SoundBridge M1001, Chumby, O2 Joggler, RPi and the SqueezeAMP open source hardware player.
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