October 2022 Summaries

The world of work is evolving rapidly due to external factors challenging traditional notions of an in-office workforce. Remote work has become a preferred option for many employees, offering flexibility and control over their work/life balance. Companies must navigate three main challenges to manage remote work successfully: employee engagement, resistance to change, and humanizing virtual work. Agora provides a comprehensive platform that supports a human-centric remote workforce, enabling seamless communication and collaboration in the future of work.

In today's fast-paced digital world, developers must ensure that real-time video communications, internet calls, and instant messaging run smoothly to provide a seamless user experience. One of the key factors affecting network performance is packet loss, which can lead to poor application performance. To prevent this issue, developers should understand what packet loss is and how to mitigate it.

Jitter, an inconsistency in network latency, can cause choppy voice and video calls. It is different from latency, which measures the time it takes for a data packet to be sent across the network. High jitter leads to distorted voices or garbled audio. Common causes of jitter include network congestion, outdated hardware, and wireless connections prone to interference. To fix jitter, users can switch to a wired connection, test device frequency, invest in a powerful router, disable inspection-based firewalls, and prioritize packets. Developers can install a jitter buffer or use platforms like Agora to reduce audio and video jitter.

The article discusses how Augmented Reality (AR) developers can leverage video streaming to create immersive experiences that bridge distance barriers, particularly in professional settings. It highlights two unique challenges faced by AR developers: making AR more inclusive and allowing non-AR participants into an AR environment. The author then provides a step-by-step guide on building an Augmented Reality application using Unity that allows users to live stream their AR perspective from a Magic Leap 2 (ML2) device, as well as enabling non-AR users to live stream themselves into the virtual environment using their web browser. The guide covers setting up the ML2 development environment, importing Agora plugin, creating a new scene, and testing the application. It also touches upon token security for production environments.

In this blog post, Ekaansh Arora explains how to use the Agora Web UIKit with a Next.js web app. The author discusses the "window is not defined" error that occurs when using server-side rendering (SSR) or static-site generation (SSG) and provides a solution by using dynamic import with no SSR. The example project demonstrates how to add video calling capabilities to a Next.js web app using Agora Web UIKit, and the author also mentions other available UIKits for Android, iOS, React Native, and Flutter.

In this blog post, the author describes how to use the Agora Web UIKit with a Next.js web app, overcoming the issue of server-side rendering and static-site generation causing errors when importing the Agora SDK. The solution involves using dynamic import to load the Agora library only when the page is rendered in the browser, utilizing Next.js's no-SSR feature. This allows the author to successfully integrate video calling capabilities into their Next.js app.

Agora offers a variety of use cases and SDKs, enabling developers to create complex applications quickly. In this tutorial, the author demonstrates building a livestreaming app using Agora that supports features like stage and lobby management, video and audio control for users, and broadcasting to multiple platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. The state management solution used is Riverpod, with native Flutter code and a few UI packages. The final project can be found on GitHub, and the author encourages feedback in the YouTube comments.

Many software applications are unaware of the strides modern chat tools are making in real-time engagement strategies. Real-time chat is one of the most effective strategies to engage users while keeping them connected and informed. For any software application, improving user engagement provides impressive benefits such as increased session times, lower abandonment rates, and better retention. Studies show that apps that communicate with users through an alternative channel, such as in-app messaging, increase retention by 130% within the first two months. Leveraging rich multi-media chat features can increase engagement and keep conversations rolling. Users expect more out of their online chat experiences, including images, which increases the likelihood that a user will respond. Providing users with the opportunity to share images, gifs, videos, and more, such as remote learning apps sharing courseware, is crucial for companies not allowing modern chat functionality. Real human-to-human conversation involves sharing thoughts, feelings, information, and more, improving overall in-app retention and conversions. Simple ways of communication like message reactions, message threading, typing indicators, and more reduce friction in the user experience. Group messaging enables users to connect on a personal level or in larger groups, creating community within the application. Moderation tools are essential to keep chat experiences pleasant, especially for international users who can benefit from translation tools. Adding real-time chat to live video or audio enhances the immersive experience and can be used to monetize applications through interactive features such as virtual gifts. Agora Chat is a comprehensive real-time communication experience that pairs well with industry-leading live video and audio capabilities.