June 2010 Summaries

The Twilio Starter Kit for the Zend Framework is an open-sourced project by Michael Kimsal that provides a basic framework for integrating Twilio with the Zend Framework. The kit includes sample code to help developers understand how to integrate Twilio into their ZF projects, and it can be forked and contributed back to. The Twilio community has resources available for developers, including API reference documentation, SDKs, helper libraries, quickstarts, tutorials, ebooks, industry reports, webinars, and a developer community hub with best practices and inspiration.

The .NET Twilio Server Library (TSL.NET) is an open-source project that simplifies working with the Twilio APIs for .NET developers. It covers both major use cases, including the REST API and TwiML responses, making it easier to send text messages and initiate calls using just a few lines of code. The library also supports generating dynamic TwiML from code, allowing developers to build their voice and SMS-based applications or integrate these features into existing .NET applications.

The OpenVBX Community Choice Contest is now open until July 4th at 11:59pm PST, where nominations for the best contribution to the community will be accepted. The contest can include any type of contribution such as plugins, patches, themes, blog posts, how-to articles, or fan fiction. The top 5 nominated contributions will then undergo an open vote starting next Monday, with the most voted entry winning a netbook. This is a great opportunity for community members to showcase their work and receive recognition.

Host a Twilio Meetup` The article discusses the possibility of hosting a Twilio meetup in one's hometown. It highlights existing meetups organized around the country and provides information on how to get started, including contacting Danielle at [email protected] for support. The article also mentions resources available to Twilio developers, such as API reference documentation, SDKs, and tutorials, as well as a community hub called Ahoy.

The Greater SF LAMP Meetup is a regular event that covers topics related to Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. At the meetup, Adam gave a talk on how open source has driven innovation on the internet and discussed key characteristics of successful open source projects, including community, modularity, and solving problems for the 80% use case. The evening also featured a live coding demonstration of creating an OpenVBX plugin, which is easy to do and encouraged attendees to try it out themselves.

The 59 Days of Code event was a coding competition organized by the Central Valley Business Incubator in partnership with Twilio, which aimed to support the next generation of entrepreneurs in Fresno, CA. The event provided participants with access to resources and tools, including $133.70 of Twilio developer credit, and culminated in an event and voting for the winner. Post Echo, a product that tracks new events for the PR industry, was awarded the prize. This event was designed to help build simple apps and provide support for developers looking to integrate Twilio into their projects.

The Cloud Camp San Francisco event featured a series of lightning talks from industry experts, covering topics such as cloud computing platforms like Nebula, utility pricing, DevOps, and telecommunications innovation. The discussions highlighted the importance of flexibility, scalability, and security in cloud infrastructure, with examples from companies like NASA, Twitter, and Zynga. The event also explored emerging trends like big data, high-performance computing, and telephony services, which are being treated as software and opened up for developers to use. The "un-panel" segment addressed questions on private clouds, design patterns, security issues, and more, providing insights into the current state of cloud computing and its potential for innovation.

To win a netbook and $100 in Twilio credit, developers must create an OpenVBX plugin by this Sunday June 27th at 11:59PM PST. For inspiration, they can refer to the Plugin API Documentation or browse the plugin directory. The contest aims to encourage developers to build their own plugins and showcase their skills, with a community hub providing best practices and code samples for guidance.

Sencha Touch is a new framework that combines several tools to help mobile developers create native app-like user interfaces for their web apps, leveraging HTML5 and CSS3 standards. Sencha Touch was launched today with the integration of Twilio's services to provide a simple way for users to send demo links to their mobile phones, allowing them to witness its new functionality in action. The platform aims to make it easy for developers to build web-based or wrapped apps for distribution on mobile app stores, and offers features such as beautiful user interface components and rich data management.

The OpenVBX Developer Contest is an ongoing challenge for developers to create the best OpenVBX plugin, with a grand prize of a netbook and $100 in developer credit from Twilio. The contest aims to encourage developers to try Twilio or OpenVBX for different use cases, industries, and integrations, and to showcase their skills by providing helpful materials such as screencasts and blog posts. To get started, developers can check out the Plugin API documentation and Applet Quickstart, and join the Twilio developer community hub for inspiration and best practices.

TechCrunch 5th Birthday Party at Twilio HQ` We hosted the San Francisco edition of TechCrunch's 5 year anniversary party at Twilio HQ, welcoming over 500 people to enjoy trivia, games, food, drinks, dancing and a special Mike Arrington cake. The event was made possible by crowd sourcing through Meetup Everywhere, garnering 459 meetups worldwide. A highlight of the night included cool demos, general startup chat, and a dance party that featured crazy break dancing and battles. The party culminated in a champagne toast and an after-party at Sutter Station for WWDC attendees.

Andrew Albrechtsen, a college student majoring in Information Systems at Long Island University’s C.W. Post campus, won the "Powering Up Customer Service" Twilio Developer Contest with his innovative web application that utilizes Twilio's API to provide customers with better service through interactive phone and SMS capabilities. The application enables customers to track order statuses, enable or disable SMS notifications, and be connected to customer service, setting a new standard for small businesses in the industry. Andrew was drawn to Twilio's easy-to-use API and prompt customer support, which made integrating with the platform an absolute pleasure. His winning entry showcases the potential of Twilio's technology to empower smaller companies to build professional phone and SMS systems that enhance their customer experience.

John Britton, the latest addition to Twilio as a Developer Evangelist, has joined the company with a wealth of experience in web development, open source contributions, and working with various startups. He shares his passion for free/libre/open source software, travel, and learning new things, and is excited to bring the Twilio "special sauce" back to New York City after spending a month at the San Francisco HQ. With a background in nuclear engineering and computer science, John has been involved in various projects such as Peer 2 Peer University, P2PU Open Web, Mozilla Drumbeat, and Open Everything, and is looking forward to connecting with developers and sharing his expertise.

This is a celebration of TechCrunch's 5th anniversary, with over 300 meetups taking place around the world, featuring sponsors such as IMVU, Mashery, Charles River Ventures, and others, who support the community by providing resources like API marketplaces, tracking tools, and developer documentation. The event aims to bring together entrepreneurs, developers, and small business owners to connect, share knowledge, and build relationships. TechCrunch is grateful for the help of Rob Ross in organizing the San Francisco event, which promises to be one of the largest celebrations. The company's portfolio includes successful startups like Blippy, Yammer, and Zendesk, and provides resources such as Twilio's developer community hub, API reference documentation, and industry reports.

You can access the Twilio API via a new CakePHP Datasource that Aaron Reisman developed, which allows for standard model functions to be used for accessing the API. To use this datasource, you need PHP 5.x and CakePHP 1.3.x, and it involves three easy steps: downloading and adding files to a new project, editing database credentials, and modifying the TextsController. Once configured, you can simplify working with the Twilio API in your CakePHP applications, and the source code is freely available on GitHub for download and use.

The SF New Tech meetup in downtown San Francisco recently took place at MIGHTY, featuring French technology companies presenting their innovative ideas. The event showcased six companies with cutting-edge technologies, including Avob's energy-saving solutions and Laster's augmented reality eyewear that blends seamlessly into everyday life. AlphaUI presented a 3D mouse that can be used on both sides of the device, while Lexip aims to bring this product to the US market. Additionally, MLstate showcased its secure SaaS application building platform, allowing developers to create virtually immune applications, and Mobile Distillery introduced a platform for developing mobile apps once and porting them to any smartphone with minimal code tweaking. The event was well-received by attendees, including the presenter of Twilio, who appreciated the innovative ideas and looks forward to seeing them come to fruition in the US.

This plugin, `twilio_mime`, simplifies the process of returning TwiML responses in Rails applications by utilizing the framework's 'respond_to' feature, allowing developers to respond to Twilio requests using TwiML in a similar manner as other mime types. The project is available on GitHub with an MIT license and provides an example of how to use it to generate TwiML responses for a sample 'Posts' controller. With `twilio_mime`, developers can easily create TwiML-based applications and improve their communication experiences, making it a valuable resource for those building Twilio-powered services.

DropConf is an on-demand conference calling application that allows users to pay per conference call, offering a more cost-effective alternative to traditional monthly fees. The service uses Twilio's telephony capabilities and was created by the founder of MoFuse, who is now looking for a new owner to bring it to market. This innovative approach aims to cater to small businesses and freelancers who may not need frequent conference calls, providing a flexible solution for those occasional needs.

The Developer Contest is a weekly challenge to use Twilio voice and/or SMS to power up customer service, with the goal of creating helpful, efficient, and cost-effective solutions. The contest aims to encourage developers from all backgrounds to try Twilio for different use cases, industries, and integrations. Developers can submit their projects and receive feedback and support from the Twilio community. Previous winners have received a Netbook and $100 in developer credit, with bonus points awarded for creating helpful materials such as screencasts and blog posts.

The winner of the Alerts & Notifications Twilio Developer Contest is Carl Tyler for his Airplane Booking System, which uses Twilio's API to provide a paper-based system with additional capabilities such as SMS notifications and IVR integration. The system was built using Lotus Domino and Dhtmlx.com's Scheduling UI in just two weekends, making it accessible to non-technical users. The flying club members have found the application easy to use, and Carl plans to productize the solution for other flying clubs. The contest aims to encourage developers to build Twilio apps, with this week's challenge focusing on Powering Up Customer Service.

Over 150 people attended CloudCamp Denver at Gluecon, featuring unconference-style breakout sessions on cloud computing issues and a self-selected un-panel of experts answering questions from the group. The first-ever Gluecon Hackathon was also held in partnership with BlankSlate and PayPal, with teams submitting apps that used one or more of each sponsor's APIs, resulting in over $750 in cash and prizes being awarded to the winners. Twilio was a sponsor of both CloudCamp and the hackathon, with two of its employees presenting talks on WebHooks and cloud communications, showcasing the company's expertise in providing communication solutions for developers. The event also featured various resources and documentation for developers, including API reference documentation, SDKs, and tutorials.