May 2020 Summaries

The latest update of Agora's Voice Enhancement SDK introduces several new features and improvements aimed at enhancing the audio quality and user experience. These include voice enhancement, face detection, change in audio mixing pitch, video fill mode, remote video renderer in multiple channels, data post-processing in multiple channels, and various other improvements. The update also includes compatibility changes such as replacing static libraries with dynamic ones for iOS/macOS and setting the frame position for the video observer.

The virtual office has become increasingly popular, even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to adopt remote work policies. However, traditional tools like Slack and Zoom are not well-suited for fostering team building and spontaneous creativity that often occur in physical offices. In a recent V-Chat@AllThingsRTC virtual fireside chat series, Agora's Virginia Liu discussed the challenges of distributed teams with Vivek Nair, co-founder of Pragli, and Raj Singh, CEO of Loop Team. They highlighted two main issues: loneliness and communication. To address these concerns, new tools are being developed to establish reliable ways to determine presence without invading privacy and facilitate ad-hoc discussions for team building and creative brainstorming. These innovations aim to replicate the advantages of physical coworking in a virtual environment, ultimately improving productivity and employee happiness.

The mobile market for games is growing, but retention rates are declining as players tire of clones and look for something new. One solution could be to focus on solving a societal problem like loneliness by creating apps or games that foster human bonds and improve player interaction. Agora's video chat services can help developers integrate live video engagement into their products, increasing user retention, session times, and overall app value. By leveraging the next generation of real-time engagement tools, developers can create unique experiences that stand out in a crowded market.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in online gaming as people seek ways to interact with others while staying at home. Applications like Bunch, We Were Here Together, Pokerface, and Changba have incorporated real-time video chat into their games to make the experience more engaging for users. However, complex forms of gaming such as eSports tournaments and fantasy sports have been disrupted by the pandemic due to connectivity issues and lack of live events. As social interaction remains limited, there is potential for online gaming to continue booming during this period, with a focus on enabling smooth user interactions through voice and video communication while ensuring app security and data safety.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people worldwide to adopt social distancing measures, leading many to turn to digital channels for connection. Gaming, once considered a solitary activity, has evolved into a highly social experience with the advent of multiplayer mode and widespread internet connectivity. In response to the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the #PlayApartTogether initiative, encouraging people to stay socially active through video games. Games like "We Were Here Together" emphasize human connection and teamwork, providing a sense of normalcy during these challenging times.

Real-time messaging is an online communication method where messages and data are sent from the sender directly to the recipient in real-time. It's used by applications like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, as well as computers over a network. Agora is one of the leading real-time messaging platforms with its ultra-low latency, vast network of data centers, and high concurrency capabilities. The platform enables developers to add real-time messaging functionality to their apps, devices, and websites, powering live video streaming, chat rooms, online education, and IoT devices.

This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to build a social networking application similar to Houseparty using Android Studio and Agora SDK. The app includes features such as user login, virtual room setup, accessibility configuration for rooms, private messaging during video calls, and chatting with friends not in the call. The author also provides a Github demo app as a reference.

Live video streaming is a popular way to broadcast videos online, offering users the closest experience to live television shows. However, content producers may be missing out if they do not record their live streams, as this allows viewers to re-watch and share the content with others. Agora provides two live stream recording services: On-Demand and Cloud Recording. Agora Cloud Recording is an add-on service that captures streaming video and audio, automatically uploading it to cloud storage. It supports various third-party cloud solutions, such as Amazon S3, Alibaba Cloud, and Tencent Cloud. The service can record live stream audio and video calls from one-on-one or broadcast calls. Compared to Agora On-Premise Recording, Cloud Recording is easier to integrate into a system since it does not require additional servers. To record live stream video using Agora Cloud Recording, users need to pick the target channel and subscribe to the desired audio/video stream, which initiates the recording process. Once done, the recording is uploaded to the chosen cloud server. Agora On-Premise Recording also allows for streaming video and audio recording but requires deployment on a local server instead of the cloud. This provides greater control and customization over the recording process, allowing users to integrate it with other parts of their system or app to create unique services. However, this means that users need to maintain and upgrade their servers if necessary. Both Cloud Recording and On-Premise Recording offer end-to-end security for recorded streaming video, protecting data from recording to storage. Agora's live stream recording tools can be used in various applications, such as online education, eSports broadcasting, customer service call recordings, healthcare remote interviews, and business conference calls or team meetings.

In this tutorial, we learn how to use Agora's Unity SDK to create a real-time video party chat feature in a Unity MMO demo asset using the Agora SDK and Photon Unity Networking (PUN). The tutorial covers downloading the Agora plugin for Unity, joining/leaving another player’s channel, and displaying players in a scalable fashion. It also provides tips on testing the networked demo and creating a simple UI for party joining.