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Skype Opens Up SkypeKit SDK To All Devices And Desktop Apps

84 points by mattyb 16y ago

mattyb 16y ago
Developers can register for an invitation to the SkypeKit Beta Program beginning on July 23. http://developer.skype.com/public/skypekit http://developer.skype.com/public/skypekit
BonoboBoner 16y ago
"SkypeKit supports Linux now and in a few weeks Windows and Mac support will come out as well." wow, never thought this order would ever happen ;)
- obsaysditto 16y ago
  I think they're concentrated on the mobile environment. SkypeKit for consumer electronic device makers will be available tomorrow, June 23, based on the Linux OS. For desktop software developers, SkypeKit will be available for Windows and Mac in the next few weeks. http://blogs.skype.com/devzone/2010/06/skypekit_beta.html http://blogs.skype.com/devzone/2010/06/skypekit_beta.html
- sjs 16y ago
  It's amazing that Unix kernels rule the modern mobile OS landscape. Like Objective-C and Cocoa, it shows how far a good, simple design can take you. Talk about reusability, Linux has proven to be a good fit for everything from your phone (and smaller) up to Crays (and larger). Amazing.
please 16y ago
looking forward to see this integrated into empathy.
- nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
  Looking forward to see this integrated into Irssi.
- kreneskyp 16y ago
  I look forward to seeing this integrated into boxee.
- jokermatt999 16y ago
  Etc, etc, etc. Adding it into existing chat clients is a fairly obvious usage. I'm curious as to what else can be done with it that won't be expected.
lowkey 16y ago
Um, let me get this straight. They are pre-announcing the fact that I will be able to sign up for for the waiting list in a month? Exciting news :(
teilo 16y ago
So, does this mean that they are going to stop being such jerks about allowing Skype on mobile devices? You know, like killing Skype for Android because they want to force people to pay on mobile for what they can do for free everywhere else?
- minouye 16y ago
  Isn't this an issue with the carriers and not Skype? In the US, Skype is currently available for Android devices on Verizon's network.
  - Isamu 16y ago
    I downloaded Skype onto my wife's Droid on the Verizon network. The app doesn't work with wifi though, which is annoying. I think Verizon is requiring it to work only through their data network, so they get paid. Maybe Skype is releasing this SDK in the hope of making an end-run around these kinds of barriers?
    - mrb 16y ago
      Really? There seems to be a lot of contradicting info about the Skype app and the 3rd party apps and what they do and cannot do on Android. Last time I checked, the Skype app for Android was doing regular voice calls (no data). And there was no 3rd party Skype to do anything remotely related to chats/audio calls/video calls.
  - teilo 16y ago
    No. If it were an issue with the carriers, then Skype could easily have made the now-defunct Skype Lite WiFi-only, just like they do on the Blackberry, and just like many other VOiP apps, such as Vonage, do on both the iPhone and the Android. The fact is, Skype Light, released in January '09, used your carrier's minutes when you made calls. In that regard it was similar to Google Voice. This was most definitely NOT a carrier issue. Skype was planning to charge monthly fees, payable to Skype for using the mobile version of Skype. It was this, and not the carriers, that precipitated Skype Lite being pulled from the Marketplace.
joe-mccann 16y ago
Anyone know what tech stack/language the SDK is in? Java? C++?
- ComputerGuru 16y ago
  I'm betting it's a platform-agnostic API. They need to be able to run from both .NET (Windows 7 devices), *nix (embedded systems), Java (Android, BlackBerry), and C/C++ (iPhone) environments. Most likely it'll be some sort of SOAP/REST API for authentication and management combined with a SIP or SIP-like standardized VoIP protocol.
  - tomjen3 16y ago
    I doubt that - it wouldn't make sense to write something that wasteful (in terms of computation, not tech) for something that primarily target embedded stuff. Most likely you will have a relatively simple C api (not C++, as the C++ isn't likely to be portable across compilers).
dannyr 16y ago
I'm baffled why I cannot sign up for the waiting list now. Does it take a month to actually build a waiting list form?
orborde 16y ago
I wonder how F/OSS-friendly their licensing will be. I know that Pidgin is pretty ambivalent about their Skype plugin due to licensing issues: http://pidgin.im/pipermail/devel/2009-April/008070.html http://pidgin.im/pipermail/devel/2009-April/008070.html
samratjp 16y ago
Dear Boxee, if you stalk HN, please give us Skype :-)
samaparicio 16y ago
I'm actually quite excited about this and have been waiting for it for 5 years. I think Skype Kit can bring a lot of innovation to software and create a much bigger ecosystem around their network

84 points by mattyb 16y ago

Developers can register for an invitation to the SkypeKit Beta Program beginning on July 23. http://developer.skype.com/public/skypekit http://developer.skype.com/public/skypekit

BonoboBoner 16y ago

"SkypeKit supports Linux now and in a few weeks Windows and Mac support will come out as well." wow, never thought this order would ever happen ;)

obsaysditto 16y ago
I think they're concentrated on the mobile environment. SkypeKit for consumer electronic device makers will be available tomorrow, June 23, based on the Linux OS. For desktop software developers, SkypeKit will be available for Windows and Mac in the next few weeks. http://blogs.skype.com/devzone/2010/06/skypekit_beta.html http://blogs.skype.com/devzone/2010/06/skypekit_beta.html
sjs 16y ago
It's amazing that Unix kernels rule the modern mobile OS landscape. Like Objective-C and Cocoa, it shows how far a good, simple design can take you. Talk about reusability, Linux has proven to be a good fit for everything from your phone (and smaller) up to Crays (and larger). Amazing.

please 16y ago

looking forward to see this integrated into empathy.

nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
Looking forward to see this integrated into Irssi.
kreneskyp 16y ago
I look forward to seeing this integrated into boxee.
jokermatt999 16y ago
Etc, etc, etc. Adding it into existing chat clients is a fairly obvious usage. I'm curious as to what else can be done with it that won't be expected.

lowkey 16y ago

Um, let me get this straight. They are pre-announcing the fact that I will be able to sign up for for the waiting list in a month? Exciting news :(

teilo 16y ago

So, does this mean that they are going to stop being such jerks about allowing Skype on mobile devices? You know, like killing Skype for Android because they want to force people to pay on mobile for what they can do for free everywhere else?

minouye 16y ago
Isn't this an issue with the carriers and not Skype? In the US, Skype is currently available for Android devices on Verizon's network.
- Isamu 16y ago
  I downloaded Skype onto my wife's Droid on the Verizon network. The app doesn't work with wifi though, which is annoying. I think Verizon is requiring it to work only through their data network, so they get paid. Maybe Skype is releasing this SDK in the hope of making an end-run around these kinds of barriers?
  - mrb 16y ago
    Really? There seems to be a lot of contradicting info about the Skype app and the 3rd party apps and what they do and cannot do on Android. Last time I checked, the Skype app for Android was doing regular voice calls (no data). And there was no 3rd party Skype to do anything remotely related to chats/audio calls/video calls.
- teilo 16y ago
  No. If it were an issue with the carriers, then Skype could easily have made the now-defunct Skype Lite WiFi-only, just like they do on the Blackberry, and just like many other VOiP apps, such as Vonage, do on both the iPhone and the Android. The fact is, Skype Light, released in January '09, used your carrier's minutes when you made calls. In that regard it was similar to Google Voice. This was most definitely NOT a carrier issue. Skype was planning to charge monthly fees, payable to Skype for using the mobile version of Skype. It was this, and not the carriers, that precipitated Skype Lite being pulled from the Marketplace.

joe-mccann 16y ago

Anyone know what tech stack/language the SDK is in? Java? C++?

ComputerGuru 16y ago
I'm betting it's a platform-agnostic API. They need to be able to run from both .NET (Windows 7 devices), *nix (embedded systems), Java (Android, BlackBerry), and C/C++ (iPhone) environments. Most likely it'll be some sort of SOAP/REST API for authentication and management combined with a SIP or SIP-like standardized VoIP protocol.
- tomjen3 16y ago
  I doubt that - it wouldn't make sense to write something that wasteful (in terms of computation, not tech) for something that primarily target embedded stuff. Most likely you will have a relatively simple C api (not C++, as the C++ isn't likely to be portable across compilers).

dannyr 16y ago

I'm baffled why I cannot sign up for the waiting list now. Does it take a month to actually build a waiting list form?

orborde 16y ago

I wonder how F/OSS-friendly their licensing will be. I know that Pidgin is pretty ambivalent about their Skype plugin due to licensing issues: http://pidgin.im/pipermail/devel/2009-April/008070.html http://pidgin.im/pipermail/devel/2009-April/008070.html

samratjp 16y ago

Dear Boxee, if you stalk HN, please give us Skype :-)

samaparicio 16y ago

I'm actually quite excited about this and have been waiting for it for 5 years. I think Skype Kit can bring a lot of innovation to software and create a much bigger ecosystem around their network