March 2017 Summaries

Twilio has launched its Programmable Fax service in beta, allowing developers to send and receive faxes programmatically using any software application and a traditional fax machine. This move aims to make fax more flexible by bridging the gap between software and legacy hardware, similar to how Twilio has made phone calls more accessible through its API. With this release, businesses can save costs associated with switchover operations while benefiting from a newly minted software solution. Several examples of companies that use fax for their operations have successfully integrated Twilio Programmable Fax into their systems, including Slice, which uses fax to take orders from customers. Users can send and receive faxes using Twilio's API, with support for inbound phone numbers globally and outbound faxes in the US & Canada initially.

This article guides readers through the process of deploying a .NET Core application using Docker and now.sh, a cloud hosting platform. The author starts by setting up a new ASP.NET Core project, creating a Dockerfile to describe the application's requirements, and building a Docker image. The container is then run locally, and once ready, it can be deployed to the cloud through now.sh, which automates the process of building and deploying the container image without requiring manual intervention or registry setup. The article concludes by highlighting the benefits of running .NET Core applications in the cloud using Docker and now.sh, including scalability and ease of deployment.

By Jarod Reyes, published on March 30, 2017, on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The article discusses how developers are often stereotyped in media and marketing, portraying them as hoodie-wearing nerds or basement dwellers. The author, a developer themselves, argues that it's time to change this narrative and show the importance and craft of their work. They suggest ways to connect with developers better, such as highlighting their skills, showing code examples, and avoiding stereotypes like bearded men or punk-clad women. The article also touches on the need for more diverse marketing materials and events that cater to a wide range of interests. By doing so, developers can be seen in a new light, as unique individuals with diverse interests and passions.

The concept of having multiple cloud-computing accounts is discussed, focusing on reducing the "blast radius" or damage caused by a security breach. Separate accounts can limit credentials such as API keys and reduce the risk of an attacker gaining access to sensitive resources. Benefits include separating development and production workloads, improving speed, and containing outages. However, there are tradeoffs between one account with many services versus many accounts with individual services, and the ideal number of accounts depends on the specific service's complexity and business needs.

In this post, Ricky Robinett shows how to supercharge Amazon Connect contact flows using AWS Lambda, Node.js, and Twilio. The author builds a contact flow that detects if a customer is calling from a mobile phone and sends their order details to them via SMS at the completion of the call. To achieve this, they use two Lambda functions: one for looking up the type of phone number (mobile, landline, or VoIP) using Twilio Lookup, and another for sending an SMS message with the order details. The author walks through setting up these functions, including creating a new role for each function, installing dependencies, and uploading the code to Lambda. They also cover integrating these functions into Amazon Connect contact flows in six steps: creating a new flow, playing a prompt, performing a number lookup, conditionally routing based on the type of number, sending a message, and wiring it all up. The author provides example test JSON for each function and demonstrates how to add permissions to each Lambda function using AWS CLI commands.

The Authy API is being phased out in favor of the Verify API, which offers improved features and a better developer experience. The Verify API provides various helper libraries for popular programming languages and supports multiple authentication methods, including SMS, voice, and email one-time passcodes. To onboard users with Authy two-factor authentication (2FA), developers need to register them via a REST API call, store their unique AuthyID in the database, and enforce 2FA by sending a second factor request. The AuthyID serves as a disassociated user identifier, allowing for phone number changes without affecting support calls. Developers can design their own user experience with various authentication approaches, including SoftToken, OneCode, and OneTouch, which offer different levels of security and convenience.

Twilio has announced the launch of two new Interconnect Exchanges - Europe (London) and Asia (Singapore) - expanding private connections to the Twilio platform across three continents. The company provides resilient, scalable private connections from customers' infrastructure to its data centers, offering network-level security with predictable high quality guaranteed. With four private connection types available in North America, Europe, and Asia, Twilio aims to meet the most stringent quality and security requirements for different workflows, including cloud connect, cross-connect, MPLS, and VPN. The new exchanges enable customers to move their communication workflows to the cloud in less time, for less money, and without headaches, while retaining control over costs and gaining visibility into configuration changes via audit events.

Flask is a lightweight Python web framework used to build web applications, and it's ideal for developers new to Python. To start building Flask apps with Flask, one needs to install the necessary libraries such as Flask, Requests, and Twilio's Python library. A module called spotify.py was created to interact with Spotify's search API, which returns a JSON response containing the URL associated with the preview of the first track in the search. The code also sets up a Twilio account, allows users to text a phone number to provide a search query, and builds a Flask app using the Twilio REST API that responds to SMS messages by playing a clip of the searched song from Spotify.

This tutorial demonstrates how to use Google Spreadsheets with .NET Core, enabling developers to quickly prototype and integrate their applications with the Google Sheets API. By utilizing the Google API client library for .NET Core, developers can authenticate and access their spreadsheets, perform CRUD operations such as reading, creating, updating, and deleting entries, and even display data in a console application. The tutorial provides step-by-step instructions on how to set up authentication using OAuth 2.0, create a service account, and integrate the Google Sheets API into a .NET Core project.

Twilio has introduced an enhanced Answering Machine Detection (AMD) feature for its Programmable Voice service, which determines if a call was picked up by a human or machine and allows users to deliver targeted messages. The new AMD uses a machine learning algorithm trained on thousands of call samples to achieve a 94% accuracy rate across US and Canadian calls. It offers two modes: recognizing who picked up the call immediately, and detecting when an answering machine greeting ends to allow for complete message delivery. The feature is now available in public beta for calling in the US and Canada, with support for the UK under development.

Using Google Spreadsheets with Node.js and JavaScript can be a quicker and easier option for building prototypes or simple internal applications, especially when you don't need the full capabilities of a traditional database. To get started, create a service account and OAuth2 credentials from the Google API Console, then install the `google-spreadsheet` package and authenticate with your spreadsheet using a JSON file containing your client secret. Once authenticated, you can read data from your spreadsheet, insert new rows, update existing ones, and delete rows using various functions provided by the library, which opens up possibilities for building applications that use spreadsheets as persistence layers.

Voice Insights for Chrome has been updated with a new facelift based on user feedback. The enhancements aim to improve the accuracy of call quality metrics, eliminate false positives, and provide a more detailed dashboard for tracking key performance indicators. The updates include changes to how warnings are displayed, improved filtering options, and a redesigned overview page for easier KPI tracking. These changes enable developers to rapidly diagnose and address call quality problems, ensuring a better user experience.

Building a landing page with Sinatra, Google Spreadsheets, and Ruby is possible by using the Google Spreadsheet API to collect user data and store it in a spreadsheet. The process starts by setting up a new spreadsheet and service account, then creating a template project with necessary dependencies. A form is added to the index page, which collects name, email, and phone number details from users, and these parameters are sent to the Google Spreadsheets API for storage. The app can validate user input using Active Model Validations, and once data is stored in the spreadsheet, it can be manipulated with Apps Script, such as sending SMS messages.

The IBM Watson Tone Analyzer add-on is now available in developer preview on the Twilio Add-ons Marketplace. This service uses linguistic analysis to detect and interpret emotions, social tendencies, and language style cues in textual communication. It can be used for various purposes such as flagging angry messages, enhancing chatbots, and analyzing text marketing campaigns. The API returns a visualization of response fields that provide insights into customer tone, allowing developers to identify how their customers are feeling.

Ryan Kulp built a service called Yelp 3G that allows users to text Yelp to find food faster. The app uses Twilio and sanitizes user input before sending it to the Yelp API. It maintains state by storing historical data in a database, which is used to derive a user's intent with a given message query. The app has features like random search results and drill-down functionality on specific search results. Ryan shares snippets of code that power his app, including a sign-up flow, onboarding process, and message handling logic.

The SIGNAL Scholarship Program is an initiative by Twitter to promote diversity in the tech industry. The program offers free conference tickets to individuals from underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, LGBTQIA individuals, those with disabilities, and veterans. Eligible applicants must submit a short paragraph explaining their interest in attending the event. Submissions are accepted until May 1st, 2017, and cover only the cost of the conference ticket, not travel or lodging expenses.

Henri Morlaye, a developer in Leon, France, and his team built a custom Twilio solution using Elixir with the Phoenix Framework to modernize their company's phone system. They used Twilio's REST API and deployed on Heroku, creating a CRUD app that routes incoming SMS and calls to specific functions. The solution uses embedded structs and PostgreSQL database to store Twilio numbers and phone numbers, allowing for flexibility and control. After sharing it with the local startup community, Henri created a website, `thisnumber.rocks`, to make the solution accessible to others without technical knowledge.

The Copilot API is a tool provided by Twilio that helps developers manage and optimize their SMS messaging system. It allows users to organize phone numbers into Messaging Services, configure settings such as sender IDs, and automate the selection of the best phone number to send from for each message. The API offers features like Geo-Match, Sticky Sender, Scaler, and Reroute, which help improve response rates, conversation history, and carrier compliance. With the Copilot API beta, developers can now access these features programmatically, making it easier to manage their SMS messaging system without requiring ongoing attention or engineering resources.

To access and manipulate data in a Google Spreadsheet using Ruby, you first need to set up OAuth2 credentials by creating a service account and downloading a JSON file. Then, you can use the `google_drive` gem to authenticate and read from the spreadsheet. Once authenticated, you can insert, update, and delete rows of data using various methods such as `insert_rows`, `update_cell`, and `delete_rows`. The `worksheet` object provides an interface to work with individual worksheets within the spreadsheet. By using a Google Spreadsheet instead of a traditional database for small projects or prototypes, developers can quickly set up and get started with minimal code.

Twilio`, the popular communication platform, was almost named `TPhoney.com` or `Ringpig.com`. The company's co-founder Jeff Lawson had sent a list of potential names to his partner John Wolthuis in 2007. Some of these alternative names, such as `Teldigo.com` and `Pigtone.com`, are still available online today. However, the name `Twilio.com` stuck, and it has become synonymous with the company's services. Despite this, it would have been interesting to see a pig-themed API in action, sending HTTP requests over the internet.

Twilio has launched a new feature called Message Queue Insights that provides visibility into the messages queued in its platform, allowing users to check if their application is performing as expected and diagnose delays. The feature helps users determine if they need more phone numbers for sending text messages, and also gives them insights into the messages sitting in their queue. With this new feature, Twilio aims to provide transparency into what's going on with user communications, building on its previous Message Insights and Feedback Insights features.

The article provides a step-by-step guide on how to create a Spark web application that can dial and receive phone calls using the Twilio Voice API. The application uses Java 8 and Apache Maven as its development tools, and requires a free Twilio account to function. The tutorial covers how to set up the project, install dependencies, write Java code, deploy the app to a reachable server or use Ngrok for localhost tunneling, and add features such as dialing outbound phone calls and handling inbound calls. With these steps, developers can create their own Spark web application that can make and receive phone calls using Twilio's Voice API.

Authy and Google Authenticator are both two-factor authentication (2FA) tools that generate time-dependent six-digit codes for added security. However, there are several key differences between the two. Unlike Google Authenticator, Authy supports multiple devices, allowing users to sync their 2FA tokens across various devices and deauthorize lost or stolen devices. Additionally, Authy is available as a browser extension, making it convenient for desktop users who don't have a smartphone or tablet. Furthermore, Authy offers encrypted recovery backups in the cloud, ensuring that users can still access their accounts even if they lose their phone. Lastly, Authy provides more robust password protection and a better user interface compared to Google Authenticator.

This Is Fine`... Or Not: Get Server Outage Alerts via SMS with Amazon Lambda Nick Malcolm, a developer at ThisData, was tired of panicking through emails every morning to find server outage alerts. He wanted a better way to minimize damage and stay informed about server outages. To achieve this, he built an outage alert service using Amazon Lambda and Twilio. The service is serverless, meaning it doesn't require any maintenance. Nick created an SNS topic, a Lambda function that triggers a voice call when the topic is notified by CloudWatch, and configured his phone number to receive SMS messages with context about the server outage. He then set up a CloudWatch alarm to trigger the Lambda function when a CPU utilization threshold is reached. The resulting system provides a simple and effective way to respond to server outages, without the need for paid incident management tools.

Here's a neutral and interesting summary of the text in one paragraph: This tutorial explains how to read, write, update, and delete data from a Google Spreadsheet using PHP. To start, you need to set up your spreadsheet for programmatic access by creating a new project in the Google APIs console, enabling the Google Drive API, and granting edit rights to a service account. Then, you can use the `google/apiclient` library to authenticate with the Google API and make requests to the Spreadsheet API. The tutorial demonstrates how to get real data from a spreadsheet, update cells and rows, delete rows, and insert new rows. It also covers troubleshooting tips for common errors that may occur during these operations. With this knowledge, you can create a fully functional database layer using Google Spreadsheets with PHP.

The article discusses how to verify phone numbers without using regular expressions, leveraging the Twilio Lookup API. It begins by setting up a basic Node.js project with Express and serving an HTML form that prompts users to enter their phone number. The server-side code uses the Twilio helper library to make requests to the Lookup API, which returns a HTTP 404 response if the number is invalid, indicating that it's not a valid phone number. The article then shows how to consume this route from the front-end using JavaScript and the Fetch API, verifying the input number in real-time and displaying visual feedback to the user based on the validity of the number.

Twilio has launched the Voices for Democracy initiative to connect people directly to their elected officials through code. The platform, powered by developers, allows citizens to make calls and express their concerns, with 100 million calls being the goal. Developers such as Ian Webster have already made significant contributions to this effort, including a better way to call Congress. The initiative aims to use technology to connect people, not divide them, in order to build a better society.

Promises in Swift allows developers to write cleaner asynchronous code by avoiding callback hell. By using PromiseKit, developers can easily create promises that resolve or reject with values, making it easier to handle errors and chain functions together. The article demonstrates how to use Promises to fetch a random GIF from the Giphy API, download the image, and display it in a UIImageView, all while handling errors and exceptions cleanly. With this approach, developers can write more readable and maintainable code, making it easier to extend into more complex scenarios.

Twilio has expanded its global footprint with the introduction of a new data center in Oregon, USA, which is part of its Elastic SIP Trunking service. This addition provides optimum audio fidelity and resiliency for businesses, with multiple data centers and redundant infrastructure to ensure high availability and business continuity. The new region offers improved latency and reduced call drop rates, making it an attractive option for companies that require reliable communication services. With this expansion, Twilio now has 22 data centers in seven regions across five continents, providing a robust and secure platform for businesses to connect their IP-based communications infrastructure to the PSTN.

Twilio has introduced lower-cost programmable toll-free phone numbers in the US and Canada, allowing businesses to use these numbers for both inbound marketing campaigns and routing return calls to contact centers or IVRs. With this new pricing, voice calls received on toll-free numbers will cost $0.0220 per minute, down from $0.0264, while outgoing calls made using toll-free numbers will cost $0.0130 per minute, down from $0.0156. Businesses can easily provision these numbers through Twilio's Developer Console or programmatically using the phone number API. The new pricing is part of ongoing efforts to optimize underlying costs and pass savings on to customers.

Twilio Segment is an SMS messaging service that acquires the segment size based on character encoding standards and headers used to send messages. Understanding how segments work can help analyze costs and throughput, and crafting the perfect message involves considering encoding standards, data headers, and potential gotchas such as non-GSM spaces and smart quotes. The use of Unicode characters can limit segment size, and using a different character set like UCS-2 may be necessary for certain messages. Twilio's Copilot service now includes Smart Encoding feature to automatically translate Unicode characters into GSM7/ASCII characters.

To search for and buy Twilio phone numbers with Ruby, start by installing the twilio-ruby gem and opening an interactive Ruby shell (irb or pry). Authenticate with your Twilio account credentials to create an API client. Search for available phone numbers in a specific country (e.g. "GB" for the UK) using the `available_phone_numbers` method, and filter results by keyword (e.g. "4420" for London numbers). Once you find a desired number, use the `create` method to buy it and add TwiML Bin behavior to configure incoming calls or SMS messages with URLs that return custom responses.

ScribbleChat` aims to elevate text conversations by introducing a more expressive and creative way of communicating through handwriting-style drawings, utilizing `Twilio Programmable Chat` as its underlying technology. The app was founded shortly after the birth of its co-founder's child in a hospital, where an idea for personalized communication was born. ScribbleChat uses this technology to make text conversations more engaging and interactive, allowing users to express themselves through unique graphical effects and animations.