October 2020 Summaries

This tutorial teaches how to fetch an Agora token from a web service running an Agora token server using Swift in iOS development. The prerequisites include an Agora Developer Account, basic understanding of iOS development using Swift, the latest version of Xcode, and an Agora token server. The project setup involves pulling the token server into your application and making a request to fetch the token. The tutorial also covers how to stay connected by updating tokens upon expiry. A full example is provided in the GitHub repository for reference.

This tutorial demonstrates how to integrate the PubNub Web SDK with an existing web app that uses the Agora Web SDK for voice and video communication, adding text-based chat functionality. The project setup involves using a code base from a previous tutorial on building a group video chat web app. The build phase covers modifying the input form to add inputs for PubNub keys, adding the chat UI, integrating a PubNub client, connecting the PubNub client to a channel, and sending/receiving messages in the channel. Keyboard shortcuts are disabled when the chat window is visible, and testing can be done locally or via Ngrok for remote testing. The complete code is available on GitHub.

In this tutorial, a spatial audio functionality is implemented in a 3D Unity example using Agora's real-time engagement (RTE) technology. The audio modulates based on the distance between players and pans between left and right speakers depending on the player's orientation while talking. The project uses Agora for RTE spatial audio chat and PUN2 for networking. Key points include setting up a valid Agora account, updating video profile settings, enabling sound position indication, adding a networkedUID variable, creating an UpdateNetworkedPlayerUID function, and setting up remote player lists and spatial audio setup. The tutorial also provides optimization suggestions to improve performance.

The article introduces a video calling feature in applications using AgoraUIKit. It explains how to add this feature with just two lines of code by wrapping the Agora Video SDK with a pre-made UI layer. The author provides step-by-step instructions on importing the SDK, adding camera and microphone permissions, wrapping the Agora UI, creating a working video call view, testing the app, and customizing options.

The world is becoming increasingly digital, prompting the need for smarter technologies that improve human experiences in virtual interactions. Agora, a leading video, voice, and live interactive streaming platform, partners with PubNub to help developers deliver rich in-app experiences. Their combined APIs allow users to create engaging applications across various devices and industries such as gaming, social, education, virtual events, and entertainment. The integration of Agora's real-time engagement SDKs and PubNub's chat APIs provides flexibility for creating immersive digital experiences without the need to build infrastructure from scratch.

In this article, we discuss various developments in the field of technology during the pandemic. We highlight a web application called MixPose that enables people to practice yoga together virtually and provides AI pose-tracking feedback. The application has won two hackathon prizes and is now participating in an accelerator program. We also feature Meherdeep Thakur, an Agora Superstar developer who focuses on the social impact of technology. Additionally, we mention the RTE2020 Hackathon winners and their projects. Lastly, we discuss a partnership with Princeton Women in Computer Science to encourage women to pursue computer science studies.

On September 10, 2020, Agora SDK version 3.1.2 was released with user experience improvements and bug fixes. The update includes disabling the gatewayRtt parameter by default to prevent iOS 14 system prompt pop-up when an app attempts to find local network devices. Users are recommended to update to this version if they work with iOS 14 devices, and should add a Privacy — Local Network Usage Description description for accessing round-trip delay information. The update also fixes issues causing screen freezing during video source switch, black screens when remote users leave channels, failure in pushing streams to CDN, and delayed triggering of firstLocalVideoFramWithSize and firstRemoteVideoFram0fUid.

Watch parties have become a popular way for people to share experiences while watching movies, TV shows, or sports events. Two companies, Scener and LiveLike, are raising the bar in watch party solutions by providing synchronized group streaming with features such as video chat, slick interface, and good video quality. Scener allows users to sync various streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video, Funimation, or Vimeo with anyone. LiveLike has a white-label platform that allows developers and product managers to customize the streaming of interactive sports events for their customers. Both companies rely on Agora's Real Time Engagement (RTE) platform to ensure time to market, scalability, reliability, and no latency or spoilers in the user's streaming experience. Watch parties are expected to continue growing as people seek entertainment and companionship with others.

In this tutorial, we have created a basic video call application using Unreal Engine 4 and the Agora SDK. We covered the following steps: 1. Setting up the project in Unreal Engine 4. 2. Creating C++ classes for the main game mode, player controller, enter channel view widget, video call view widget, and video call widget. 3. Creating blueprint assets for the UI elements (enter channel view widget, video view widget, video call view widget, and video call widget). 4. Setting up the project settings and packaging the application for Windows, MacOS, iOS, or Android. By following these steps, you can create a basic video call application using Unreal Engine 4 and the Agora SDK. You can further customize this application by adding more features such as text messaging, screen sharing, and more.