August 2014 Summaries

Many times great apps and prototypes are built at hackathons but once the event is over it's unclear what to do with them. To address this, Twilio is hosting a coding for good initiative that allows developers to work directly with nonprofits in need, providing real feedback on how to create an actual solution to address their needs. The program seeks out developers who are committed to helping nonprofits succeed with technology and can commit to working on at least one cycle of defined updates, as well as open sourcing their project. Nonprofits are encouraged to provide a list of needs and app ideas to help guide the application process.

Today Twilio is launching a Feedback API that allows users to provide feedback on call quality, which will help improve consistency and reliability across all calls globally. The API also enables support teams to answer questions faster and dive deeper into problematic calls using the data from the Feedback API. Users can submit feedback through their app or directly from the call logs within the account portal, providing a high-level overview of the feedback that has been reported. This new feature is designed to crowd-source feedback and get a better picture of what scenarios need further attention, with a summary endpoint available to retrieve this information.

Isaac Moldofsky, a 16-year-old teenager, built a Reddit parser app called "THOr" using Python and Twilio SMS. The app allows users to browse Reddit headlines easily on their smartphones or feature phones by texting specific commands, such as the name of a subreddit followed by the number of results to display. Isaac's app uses Flask/Heroku and PRAW (Reddit) frameworks, and it has gained attention from Reddit General Manager Erik Martin, who tweeted about the hack. The app is available for download on Isaac's website, isaacmoldofsky.com.

Splunk and Twilio formed an integration to help companies measure and analyze their sales call metrics, providing insights into call length, costs, and customer value. This data can be used to optimize sales strategies, improve support ticket response times, and even inform forecasting and rate negotiations in finance teams. The integration uses a simple process of Splunk searches to collect and visualize call data from Twilio, allowing customers to make data-driven decisions about their business operations.

The Twilio company has introduced a new feature in their Account Portal, which allows users to search for phone numbers more easily and efficiently. The new Phone Number Search enables users to find phone numbers by various criteria such as geographic area, phrase, digit match, capability, and others. This feature is particularly useful when building communications apps with Twilio, providing users with the tools they need to find the right phone number for their specific use case. Additionally, the search functionality has been enhanced with new features, including wildcard characters and advanced search options, which allow users to refine their searches more precisely.

Front, a company that provides an SMS collaboration platform, has partnered with Twilio to make text messaging more efficient for businesses. The app allows users to capture and organize SMS conversations, assign action items, tag team members, create calendars, and follow conversations in one place. This is particularly useful for on-demand businesses like Uber, HomeJoy, and AirBnB, which need to manage multiple vendors and customers through text messaging. By flipping the traditional 1-to-1 model of texting, Front aims to simplify communication for both businesses and their middlemen, making it easier to streamline tasks and improve productivity.

When moving into a new home, Jarod Reyes found that his landline was no longer needed for personal use but still required to keep in touch with his grandma. He discovered that porting his number to Twilio made it possible to forward calls from the old landline to his mobile phone, using a process that is free and usually takes 2-3 weeks. Once the number is ported, setting up call forwarding can be done through either writing a custom TwiML application or using a pre-written twimlet, both of which require minimal setup and configuration. With Twilio's features, the old landline can now do more than just make calls, such as recording calls, playing background music, and even creating an IVR system for voicemail greetings.

The Java Play Framework version 2.3 has been released with features such as the move away from the 'play' command to the 'activator' command, support for TypeSafe UI and Java 8. This release serves as a good time to explore using Twilio with Play Framework. The author of this text guides through setting up Play Framework, creating a new application, and integrating Twilio by writing code that responds to both SMS and telephone calls, including adding routes and dependencies to the Build.sbt file.

By Kyle Kelly-Yahner on August 13, 2014` A survey by Harris Poll on behalf of OneReach found that customers prefer contacting customer service via text message over calling or using a computer due to the ease and immediacy it offers. The two common problems customers face are waiting for support and being tied to their computer while receiving help. Over half of those surveyed said they would prefer texting for help, with 64% citing the desire for a mobile and immediate solution. This shift in preference can benefit businesses by reducing phone-based support line costs, which can be up to 25% less expensive per interaction. OneReach provides a simple way for companies to build and manage their own customer-facing solutions using a visual design tool, without requiring any coding knowledge.

TwilioSheet is an application that allows users to receive SMS messages in a Google Spreadsheet, making it easy for developers and non-developers alike to process and act on incoming messages. The application was created as a result of a collaboration between the author and Jason Laveglia, who wanted to use Twilio to set up a marketing campaign that allowed people to sign up for updates by texting a keyword and email address. After realizing that using a Google Spreadsheet was a viable solution, TwilioSheet was born, offering a simple way to collect SMS data without requiring any coding knowledge. The application can be used for various use cases, such as keyword marketing campaigns, contact forms, expense tracking, time tracking, and polling/voting applications.

Zidisha is a nonprofit organization that aims to flatten financial barriers in developing countries using Twilio SMS technology, empowering entrepreneurs to launch businesses with crowd-funded loans. The founder of Zidisha, Julia Kurnia, was inspired by her experience working in Niger and saw the need for an alternative to predatory bank loans. The platform allows lenders to set their own interest rates and receive weekly payments from borrowers, promoting a more efficient and sustainable way of microfinance. By using SMS as a primary communication medium, Zidisha reaches entrepreneurs who may not have regular access to computers or the internet.

By Kyle Kelly-Yahner 2014-08-11 Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Fighting Urban Poverty One Text at a Time: HandUp Empowers Homeless Zac Witte and Rose Broome Rose Broome was walking home on a cold night in San Francisco when she saw a homeless woman sleeping on the sidewalk. She felt compelled to help her, but also wanted to find a way to directly help the homeless in a lasting way. Donating directly to a person in need isn’t always easy and donating through third party services can leave you asking “where did my money actually go?” HandUp aims to create a connection between users and donors, ensuring donations are put to good use. Users hand out cards with their name, picture, and number, allowing donors to text the Twilio-powered HandUp number to contribute towards helping homeless individuals get shelter, food, or medical procedures. HandUp is part of the Twilio.org program, committed to supporting nonprofit and social good organizations using communications technologies.

Radish Systems has developed ChoiceView, a Visual IVR powered by Twilio's Voice API, to streamline customer support calls and improve caller experience. The technology allows customers to navigate through phone trees using visual prompts displayed on their phones while still connected to a call. This enables agents to process customer information more efficiently, with customers able to take photos of insurance cards or credit card information directly from the call. ChoiceView aims to increase customer satisfaction, reduce resolution time, and improve retention of information by 600%. With its dynamic link library and patented technology, Radish Systems hopes to establish ChoiceView as a new standard in customer support.

Twilio's short codes offer high-throughput messaging capabilities, ideal for time-sensitive or bulk messages, but come with strict rules and regulations that must be met. To help developers get their short code programs up and running quickly, Twilio has created a tutorial covering key requirements, including compliance standards for advertisements, opt-in messages, and responses to specific keywords.

The Rapid Response Kit (RRK) is an open source tool set designed for disaster relief efforts, providing communication apps that can be deployed quickly by first responders. The community's response to the RRK was overwhelming, with developers contributing their skills to improve the project. Two new capabilities have been added to the RRK: a one-click deploy feature using Heroku Button, which streamlines the process of deploying existing code bases or getting others to use them easily; and a Volunteer Signup tool, allowing organizations to send broadcast SMS messages and record responses in a Google Spreadsheet. These additions expand the RRK's capabilities, making it an even more valuable resource for nonprofits looking to utilize communications technologies in their efforts.

Plushcap here! Here's a neutral and interesting summary of the text in one paragraph: Building an interactive voice mail system for sports fans requires both server-side development with Node.js, Express, and MongoDB, as well as client-side development with AngularJS, Browserify, and Less CSS. The server-side application uses Express to create secure routes and authenticate admin users with HTTP Basic authentication, while the client-side application uses AngularJS to manage data and display a list of messages with individual controls and behavior. The system also utilizes Twitter's Twilio API for sending voicemail recordings and Rev.com for transcriptions. With Browserify, the server generates JavaScript files that can be loaded in the browser, and Less CSS is used to style the pages. The application demonstrates how to create a rich front end with powerful data binding while combining modularity and dependency management of Node.js code.

Twilio has introduced customizable receipts in its account portal, allowing developers to simplify accounting and tax-filing tasks by adding personal information necessary for in-country tax deductions. The new feature enables the generation of a rollup of past payments in a simple list, eliminating the need for manual data export, editing, and review. The Twilio account portal now supports filtering and rolling up payments by month, as well as including company information such as name, address, and Tax ID on receipts. This update aims to simplify billing and tax workflows for pay-as-you-go customers, providing a more streamlined experience.

Twilio has introduced a new payment option via PayPal, allowing users to apply their balance, bank transfers, credit cards, and debit cards towards their Twilio usage in 26 currencies and 203 countries. This update simplifies the payment experience by providing a convenient alternative for one-time payments and auto-recharge options, as well as the ability to designate primary and backup payment methods. Users can link their PayPal account to their Twilio account through the billing section of the Twilio Account Portal, following a simple three-step process.

The White House recently hosted an Innovation Disaster Response and Recovery Demo Day, where several tech companies showcased their tools and solutions to improve disaster response. The event highlighted the importance of technology in enhancing emergency operations. Twilio.org launched its Rapid Response Kit, a free, open-source toolkit that provides communication tools for emergency responders. This initiative aims to empower nonprofits to utilize communications technologies in their efforts. The company is now seeking contributions from community members and developers to expand its initiatives.

The author, Ricky Robinett, announces the launch of the Stellar Organization's decentralized protocol for sending and receiving money in any pairs of currency, along with its own companion digital currency called stellar (STR). He then creates a simple notification system using Node.js and Twilio SMS to receive SMS notifications when friends send him stellar. The system connects to the Stellar API over Websockets, subscribes to updates from his account, and logs transactions to the console. To make it more user-friendly, he adds error handling and uses Twilio's SMS library to send an SMS message instead of outputting to the console. Finally, he runs the app continuously in the background using forever to ensure no messages are missed.