February 2022 Summaries

This is One Dev Minute, a series hosted on the YouTube channel VonageDev, aiming to share knowledge in a concise manner. The goal of this tutorial is to send SMS messages using Node.js and the Vonage Messaging API. Before starting, ensure you have created a Vonage account, installed Node.js and the Vonage CLI Beta, configured the Vonage Messaging API settings, generated your public and private keys, and set up a project folder. Initialize a new instance of the Vonage object with your app ID and private key, declare variables for the message text and recipient phone number, and use the `vonage.channel.send` method to send an SMS. Execute the code by running `node index.js`, and receive the SMS on the specified phone number.

Laravel 9 has been released with several new features and improvements, including a yearly release cycle, updates to Symfony Mailer, support for PHP8, Flysystem integration, route controller grouping, forced scope bindings, enums, and improved testing coverage. The framework's interactions with Symfony have been highlighted, as well as its potential impact on the PHP ecosystem. Laravel 9 also includes new features such as attribute cast Enums, which allow for more readable code and better database storage efficiency. Additionally, the framework has expanded its ecosystem with projects like Vapor, Breeze, Octane, Sail, Horizon, and more, solidifying its position in the PHP Foundation.

Vonage continues to improve its Video API with tripling interactive participants to 15,000, introducing Experience Composer and Low Latency HLS. The platform now supports up to 15,000 real-time viewers via WebRTC, leveraging HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), and beyond to social platforms like Facebook Live or Twitch.tv. Vonage Video API enables developers to compose personalized experiences using the Experience Composer, which provides a composite media stream that can be broadcasted or recorded for a more immersive on-demand viewing experience. The platform also introduces Full HD support within its clients, letting users broadcast the highest resolution available today to any device that supports it. Additionally, Vonage Video API now offers improved video synchronization and resilience of real-time composed recordings and broadcasts under poor network conditions.

The African startup ecosystem is gaining momentum, with startups raising significant funds in 2021. Chapa, a fintech startup founded in January 2020 by Israel Goytom and his team, is making waves by simplifying payment methods for companies in Ethiopia. The company aims to connect Ethiopian businesses to the global economy, empowering 100,000 businesses by 2025. With a focus on fixing fragmented payments and providing solutions for payment and transaction issues, Chapa uses Vonage's SMS APIs to notify users of transactions and has already transacted over USD 6 million in less than four months. The company has received angel investment so far and is committed to being customer-centric, understanding its users before building a solution. With the goal of making payments infrastructure for ambitious Ethiopian businesses, Chapa is poised to have a significant impact on the continent's economy.

The DevRel team at Vonage is hosting an online event on March 9th to celebrate International Women's Day and support underrepresented groups in the industry. The event will feature a panel discussion with women from around the globe sharing their career experiences in developer relations, followed by live Q&As and networking opportunities. Attendees are encouraged to share their own experiences and make new connections as part of a diverse DevRel community. Registration is now open for the 6PM GMT / 10AM PST / 1PM EST event.

iPhone app development is an essential skill for career growth, and coming up with ideas can be challenging. To get started, one can learn Swift, a popular language used in iPhone app development, through resources like Codecademy, iOS & Swift - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp, and the Apple Swift documentation. Easy project ideas include building a Hangman game, messaging app, chess app, chatbot on a niche topic, or a random cryptocurrency info app. For education-focused projects, consider creating an app for remote learning with AI-powered student detection, a to-do list with advanced features, or an app that teaches machine language programming. Other ideas include apps for group project management, educational memes, and simulating shredding paper. Additionally, one can build an emergency broadcast system, flashlight app, quote app, or create an "Yo"-style app that sends a single message to friends. These projects can help improve coding skills while exploring various topics and technologies.

This integration enables a customizable Vonage dialer that can be used within various applications, including Microsoft Excel Online. The code embeds the dialer in an Excel sheet, allowing users to trigger phone calls and view contact information. The integration provides features such as contacts search, filtering, and interaction contact display. It also includes advanced topics like implementing contact search, setting interaction contact, and opening contacts. This integration is useful for creating a seamless communication experience within popular platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and HubSpot.

This tutorial demonstrates how to create a low-cost serverless contact centre using Azure Functions and Vonage's Voice API. The project consists of three main functions: the Answer function, which returns an NCCO object describing the first steps in the process; the Menu function, which takes input from the caller and performs actions based on their selection; and the Publish function, which deploys the code to Azure. The tutorial covers the prerequisites for the project, including setting up an Azure account and a Vonage API account, as well as creating a virtual phone number. It also discusses how to add more functionality to the contact centre, such as retrieving customer data or connecting calls to SIP lines. The project showcases how businesses can create customised contact centres at a reasonable price in the cloud using serverless technologies like Azure Functions and Vonage's Voice API.

Plaved Survey is an insurtech startup founded in November 2021 that provides a platform for remote surveying and inspection of damage or goods, enabling insurers to accelerate their workflow and reduce expenses. The company aims to build a solution for people and experts in digital transformation, with a focus on sustainability and reducing CO2 footprint. Plaved Survey has been bootstrapped but is now seeking funding, and its main differentiator is its ability to provide a seamless remote surveying experience. The platform uses Vonage APIs for communication and video conferencing, and the company plans to launch a native app for iOS and Android in the future. With a focus on innovation and customer engagement, Plaved Survey aims to become a reference app provider for surveyors and bureaus, or pivot to simplify workflows and make life easier.

The summary is below: You can build an emergency broadcast app using Node.js, Express, MongoDB, and the Vonage Messages API. The app allows users to add contacts, see their contact list, and send an SMS message to all of their contacts when they press the ALERT button. The app uses a JavaScript library called Mongoose to connect to the user's MongoDB database and store their contacts. It also uses the Vonage Messages API to send SMS messages programmatically. When a user clicks the ALERT button, the app sends an SMS message to each of their contacts with their location (latitude and longitude) and a message saying they are in an emergency. The app is built using Express and serves static files from a directory called public, which contains HTML templates for the form and contact list. The app also includes CSS styles to make it visually appealing.