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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

#91

Post by richarme »

neogodless wrote: post #22

Very nice! One time I got a free Harman Kardon bluetooth speaker from Microsoft (the Invoke from 2017). They were $100* but went on sale for $50 and I snagged one. Then Microsoft discontinued Cortana for it, but they didn't kill the speaker. They released firmware that turned it into a perfectly good bluetooth speaker (which I still use today.) And they sent me a $50 gift card* to buy something else from Microsoft. G…

Cool to see the Invoke getting mentioned!

I was the engineering lead on that product, and built a SW platform from scratch for it (Microsoft provided an SDK to Cortana which they developed in parallel.)

The internal build could actually run Cortana, Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously and you could e.g. set an alarm with one of them and query it with another, and they could interrupt each other based on priority. Obviously nobody wanted that feature, but it was hella cool that it worked. Oh, and you could make Skype calls from across the room, and the microphone array lived up to Skype's tough certification requirements which took weeks of testing in Microsoft's anechoic chamber for the DSP/algorithm team to fine tune.

I tried to push for open-sourcing the platform but it was tricky because 1) the director of engineering in Harman didn't know what open source meant and for a hardware focused business to understand the value was a hard sell, 2) it used a HW module that came with a SW stack I mostly got rid off but a few parts were remaining that would need to be replaced which would require additional resources, 3) I was burned out at that point and had limited energy left to fight the good fight. Really too bad, it could have been a cool voice agent development platform, and I honestly think it would have sold in large volumes as a developer-friendly device.

Glad you like it, sorry about the remaining Bluetooth bugs nobody got around to fix, since it basically flopped instantly.

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

#92

Post by EvanAnderson »

kiney wrote: post #84
Teckla wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience is the opposite: Bose hardware and sound quality seems excellent to me. This may be subjective. Bose might sound good to some people's ears and less good to other people's ears.

I don't know about Bose. But sound quality in general is absolutely objectively measurable.

There's arguably a subjective quality to sound enjoyment, though. The fidelity of reproduction can be measured, but I'd argue there's personal preference in the types of artifacts generated by inaccuracies in reproduction.

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

#93

Post by 0xbadcafebee »

dspillett wrote: post #53

This is not open sourcing any actual software or hardware it is “open-sourcing the API documentation for its SoundTouch smart speakers”. You might be able to point them at an alternative back-end¹ if you want the cloud features, but that will need to be written from scratch rather than being forked from code provided by Sonos. > When cloud support ends, an update to the SoundTouch app will add local controls to retai…

One thing nobody is touching on: since it's not actually open source, when this thing is found to have dozens of security holes (or any bugs), they are not going to be patched.

( Their announcement: https://www.bose.com/soundtouch-end-of-life The API doc: https://assets.bosecreative.com/m/496577402d128874/original/... )

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

#94

Post by ryandrake »

stavros wrote: post #54
jan_Sate wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're just publishing API documentation. No source code of the device got published. At least people can create their own implementation of the API tho.

If the publish the API for the server, as well as allow the device to specify the API hostname to connect to, that's all I need. We can write our own server implementation fairly easily, and this saves us the hassle of having to reverse-engineer the API, plus makes setup much easier if we can just tell the device where to connect. I wish more manufacturers would unlock their devices for local use when they don't want…

Exactly. Open source is great and all, but all 99% of these devices need is simply a way to configure them to connect to a different server, when the manufacturer inevitably turns their own server down (usually) bricking devices.

The open source community will happily reverse-engineer the protocol and clean-room develop their own server code.

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

#95

Post by bartread »

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.

Exactly this.

"Bose blows" is a popular comment amongst the audiophile community but, to me, it seems like they don't blow at all[0]. In fact quite the opposite: this is a fantastic example for other companies to follow. Top marks, Bose!

[0] What is actually true is that they are opinionated about sound reproduction in ways that a bunch of people don't agree with but which in the right context are often effective and enjoyable to listen to.

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

#97

Post by egwor »

danw1979 wrote: post #73
dspillett wrote: post #53

This is not open sourcing any actual software or hardware it is “open-sourcing the API documentation for its SoundTouch smart speakers”. You might be able to point them at an alternative back-end¹ if you want the cloud features, but that will need to be written from scratch rather than being forked from code provided by Sonos. > When cloud support ends, an update to the SoundTouch app will add local controls to retai…

The question on my mind is will the SoundTouch app continue to be supported on new mobile OS versions ? Is it the same app that caters for other speakers too ? If it is, and Bose continue to include their old speakers on the functionality of the app, then I can hardly see how this is a true EoL. They’re really continuing to support the speakers in their app, at least.

Considering that new speakers don't use SoundTouch, I wonder too. I hope that they keep the app running for a while. This kit is expensive and it can't have a short life time!

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

#98

Post by 0xbadcafebee »

danw1979 wrote: post #73
dspillett wrote: post #53

This is not open sourcing any actual software or hardware it is “open-sourcing the API documentation for its SoundTouch smart speakers”. You might be able to point them at an alternative back-end¹ if you want the cloud features, but that will need to be written from scratch rather than being forked from code provided by Sonos. > When cloud support ends, an update to the SoundTouch app will add local controls to retai…

The question on my mind is will the SoundTouch app continue to be supported on new mobile OS versions ? Is it the same app that caters for other speakers too ? If it is, and Bose continue to include their old speakers on the functionality of the app, then I can hardly see how this is a true EoL. They’re really continuing to support the speakers in their app, at least.

They're discontinuing support for SoundTouch Speakers. The SoundTouch App controls SoundTouch Speakers. Put two and two together...

From their announcement:

  What will no longer work:
    • Presets (preset buttons on the product and in the app)
    • Browsing or playing music services directly from the SoundTouch app
  
  Important note: Your system will no longer receive security and software updates.
  Please make sure to always use your system on a secure, private network.

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

#99

Post by senshan »

DiabloD3 wrote: post #69
jeffwask wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Please suggest better alternatives

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

#100

Post by lelanthran »

kiney wrote: post #84
Teckla wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience is the opposite: Bose hardware and sound quality seems excellent to me. This may be subjective. Bose might sound good to some people's ears and less good to other people's ears.

I don't know about Bose. But sound quality in general is absolutely objectively measurable.

> But sound quality in general is absolutely objectively measurable.

Sound quality is not the same as music quality.

To be more specific, Sound Reproduction Fidelity is not the same as Pleasant Music

To be even more specific, Signal Reproduction is not the same as "Pleasant Sounds*

The goal of music is not always high fidelity of reproduction; if it were, over-driven valve amps would never have been a thing.

The only thing objective in this context is signal reproduction, which is not the highest concern for music production.

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