Bose speakers: SoundTouch shutdown softened and postponed
Bose is now shutting down the cloud functions of SoundTouch devices a little later. Lost features could be compensated by the open-source community.
(Image: vinai chunkhajorn/Shutterstock)
Bose is postponing the shutdown of the cloud connection for its SoundTouch speakers. Instead of cutting the connection as planned on February 18, the SoundTouch devices will now continue to function as usual until May 6. Bose is informing customers about this in an email and on a support page.
The postponement is intended to give users more time to adjust to the changes, Bose writes. The manufacturer is also working to downplay the impact of the cloud shutdown. For example, the companion app for SoundTouch speakers will not be completely shut down after the cloud connection is cut but will be switched to a version that also functions locally. This should continue to make it possible to set up and manage systems. Music can still be sent to the speakers via Bluetooth, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, or AUX cable even after the cloud connection is cut, and the remote control functions for controlling music playback will also remain operational.
However, the ability to set different presets for the speakers will be lost. Bose recommends noting down the presets in advance and saving them in the apps of the music services used (pdf). Searching and playing music from music services directly within the SoundTouch app will also no longer be possible once Bose cuts the cloud connection for SoundTouch devices.
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API Documentation as Open Source
Bose hopes that the open-source community can compensate SoundTouch users for the lost features. To this end, the company has released the documentation for the SoundTouch Web API (pdf) as open source. This allows independent developers to create SoundTouch-compatible tools and functions.
Bose announced the shutdown of the cloud functions for SoundTouch speakers last October. The technology has evolved significantly since the introduction of the SoundTouch systems, Bose explained the move. The company can no longer maintain the development and support of the cloud infrastructure that powers this older product generation.
(dahe)
