SDK

39 'SDK' stories August 2011 - February 2014

Chromecast SDK now available for iOS developers

Zac Hall Feb 3 2014 - 11:16 am PT

Cross posted from 9to5Google.com

Google announced today a public SDK for Chromecast allowing developers to build support for casting into Android, Chrome, and iOS apps and websites.

If you’re a developer looking to bring your content to the big screen, head on over to the Google Developers Blog for a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of it all. Meanwhile, for everyone else, a current list of apps that work with Chromecast can be found at chromecast.com/apps.
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HockeyApp SDK update gives Mac developers more detailed bug reports during testing

Benjamin Mayo Nov 26 2013 - 10:08 am PT

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HockeyApp has released the next major version of its SDK for Mac developers, HockeyApp 2.0. This update brings the Mac SDK up to parity with the iOS version, which received similar updates last month.

The new SDK can send precise backtrace reports to developers when the app crashes during testing. This enables developers to accurately pinpoint where their code is messing up and crucially reduces time spent in debugging. The company claims that is the only crash reporting solution that offers the most flexibility in supporting all three types of logging.

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Extreme Reality SDK gives any iOS game Kinect-like motion control, now open to all devs

Jordan Kahn Sep 30 2013 - 12:19 pm PT

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2t1wM-Bnlg

Extreme Reality, a company that has been developing motion capture technology that Sega and others have used in PC & mobile games, today announced it is opening up its SDK to all developers. The software works with any 2D camera and allows devs to easily capture and analyze motion for games and apps. Think Microsoft’s Kinect, but with Extreme Reality motion is captured with an iOS device’s built-in FaceTime camera rather than bulky, expensive external hardware:
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Facebook releases new SDK to bring 3D iOS & Android Unity games to its 260 million gamers

Jordan Kahn Aug 28 2013 - 1:51 pm PT

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After Unity announced in March that it was beginning to work with Facebook to help bring web games using the engine to the social network, Facebook announced today that it’s releasing a new SDK to bring 3D Unity games from Android, iOS, and the web to Facebook. The cross-platform SDK will also allow developers to easier integrate Facebook sharing and game invite features directly into their unity games across mobile devices and the web.

Facebook has a relevant and engaged audience of gamers that mobile developers can reach by publishing their games on Facebook, and the SDK makes bringing a mobile game to web as simple as writing one line of code. By filling out a few fields in the developer app and giving us the URL of your game object, you can bring your mobile game to a whole new audience of avid gamers on Facebook.

The SDK will also let Unity developers implement native dialogs for inviting friends, requests, and sharing through Facebook, and the company will be “helping more people find and play Unity games on Facebook by driving discovery of the Unity player with a custom install flow for the Unity plug-in.”

Facebook noted that a few games, including Cmune’s UberStrike, Madfinger’s Shadowgun:Deadzone, and Nival’s King’s Bounty: Legions, are already utilizing the new SDK.

The Facebook SDK for Unity is available here.

Tango launches SDK to become the social layer of apps and games

Zach Kahn Jun 6 2013 - 5:53 am PT

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Tango, a mobile messaging and video calling app, has announced that it will open its platform to third-party developers in order to expand the service. The company, which now serves over 120 million members worldwide, plans to partner with third party developers in order to integrate its newly crafted software development kit (SDK) into its apps.

Tango states that by allowing third party apps to take advantage of their unique messaging and calling service, it can better serve as a unifying social layer amongst games and other apps. The company hopes that by doing so it can better reflect users’ real-world connections with friends and family and create gaming experiences akin to participating in the cliched family board game night than blankly staring down at a smartphone.

According to Tango CEO Eric Setton, users have been playing a massive amount of games within the app every month. “But we found that we can’t do everything we want to inside the app, in terms of putting out the most compelling content out there and presenting it to our members,” Setton explains. Much as Tango’s actual service, the SDK allows the third-party apps to connect with its network, retrieve a list of friends, and then allow those users to message each other using text, picture, and video. The SDK also includes support for social leaderboards, which show how users’ scores compare with friends and allow for both competitive and collaborative in-game mechanics.

Game developers have given the SDK a warm reception so far says Setton, because of its potential for increased app discovery. Gameloft will soon be releasing an app in called “Candy Block Breaker for Tango” on iOS, and that will be then followed by “JetPack Jinx for Tango,” developed by Bubble Gum Interactive. Developers like Gameloft and Bubble Gum Interactive who utilize Tango’s SDK will split revenues amongst the participating companies.

While initial partnerships with Tango were specifically focused on mobile gaming, Tango’s SDK will be open to developers looking to to add the functionality to another app genre.

Building and opening an SDK is a massive step for Tango in its steady transformation from a simple video calling app to a mobile social network. If executed correctly, Tango’s SDK may be able to push the company into a position that could rival existing networks like Skype and Fringe. Time will tell if Tango’s investment into third party apps is the key to its own success.

Developers interested in Tango’s service can apply for access to the Tango SDK from the company’s homepage.

Kamcord adds voice overlay feature, announces 500M iOS gameplay videos recorded in last 6 months

Jordan Kahn Jun 6 2013 - 4:00 am PT

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Kamcord, the startup offering a free SDK that makes it easy for iOS devs to offer in-game recording functionality to their users, today is announcing some pretty big updates to the service. Since grabbing $1.5 million in seed funding from some notable investors back in December (Andreessen Horowitz, Google Ventures, Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, and others), the Y Combinator-backed service has experienced some significant traction and the team is adding plenty of new features to stay ahead of the competition.

The big new feature being announced is voice overlay functionality that will allow users to narrate their videos while they play, as demoed by the team in the video above. CEO Matt Zitzmann also provided us with some other updates the team has added in the last month, including: Video trimming, a custom UI / white-label solution, and a new “Gameplay of the week” notifications feature.

Also being announced today: Kamcord has recorded over 500 million gameplay videos in the last 6 months alone across the 100 apps its currently deployed in. One those games includes the latest from Chillingo and Zitzmann says the company is talking to all the other big mobile game developers too.
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Amazon launches ‘Login with Amazon’ sign-in service for iOS, Android & web

Jordan Kahn May 29 2013 - 7:58 am PT

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Amazon is announcing today the roll out of a new service called “Login with Amazon” t0 allow developers to easily offer an Amazon sign-in option in their apps, games, and websites. Amazon says in a trial with Zappos.com customers chose to sign in using the Login with Amazon service about 40 percent of the time, while a trial with Woot found customers using Amazon sign in “had the highest rate of order conversion”:

“Login with Amazon enables app developers and website owners to leverage Amazon’s trusted sign-in solution, allowing them to focus on providing a great experience for their customers,” said Michael Carr, Amazon Vice President, eCommerce Services. “Amazon customers now have a hassle-free way to quickly and securely sign-in to apps, games and websites, without having to remember yet another password.”

Amazon is making the service available free of charge to devs and has SDKs for both Android and iOS available to download through its new login.amazon.com website.

Facebook makes sharing in iOS apps even easier with new native Share Dialog for developers

Jordan Kahn May 20 2013 - 1:56 pm PT

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At its event last month Facebook showed us a native Share Dialog as part of its Facebook SDK 3.5 for iOS update, and today Facebook announced on its blog that the feature is now available to developers.

Now officially out of beta, the native Share Dialog will allow developers to implement easier sharing features into their apps using a single line of code. Facebook said it provides “a lightweight and consistent way to enable sharing from your apps,” allowing users to share data from apps without first having to login into Facebook. The result is the elimination of 1 – 3 extra steps required for login when sharing via the feed dialog and an experience similar to using a Facebook Like button.

The Share Dialog further improves upon the iOS 6 share sheet by adding support for publishing Open Graph actions to make it easier for people to tell their stories on mobile. In addition, people can now tag friends and share where they are enabling them to share in a more meaningful and engaging way, while helping even more people connect with your app.

The new native Share Dialog and more is available to developers now through Facebook SDK for iOS 3.5.

Pebble Watch SDK goes live, new watch faces and apps to come

9to5 Staff Apr 12 2013 - 12:56 pm PT

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Pebble, the E-Ink smart-watch for iPhones and Android devices which raised over 10 million dollars on Kickstarter is about to get a lot of new features. Today, Pebble announced that the watch SDK is being released today. The SDK will allow developers to create custom watch faces, alerts and new apps.

At the moment, there’s less than 10 available watch faces and only one app, but expect those numbers to grow dramatically now that developers can get their hands on a public SDK.

You can grab the SDK from Pebble’s website right here.

Philips announces iOS SDK & APIs for Hue wireless lighting system

Jordan Kahn Mar 11 2013 - 6:00 am PT

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT5W_Mjuz5I

Philips announced today that it launched an SDK and opened APIs to iOS developers who are interested in creating apps that work with its “Hue” personal wireless lighting system. The company started selling its smart, Internet-connected LED lighting system in October exclusively through the Apple Store.

Philips today, as promised, launches a software developer program for Hue that allows consumers to create and control their light bulbs using a smartphone or tablet. In publishing Hue’s open application programming interfaces (APIs), as well as releasing guides and libraries in an iOS software developer’s kit, Philips reinforces its commitment to helping the developer community start programming with Hue. This move opens the playing field for third party developers to create new, exciting applications using light, enabling Hue to communicate with a variety of devices and applications (apps). Philips Hue’s developer platform is available at developers.meetHue.com.

The Hue system allows iOS users to control lighting from their iPhones or iPads by enabling Hue bulbs to talk to iOS devices and one another using the ZigBee LightLink standard. The Hue app provides pre-programmed light settings for the bulbs, timers, and much more, but now developers will be able to create even more great apps that work with Hue.

One app that just hit the App Store is Ambify from developer Kai Aras. The app is described as a Hue-enabled jukebox that “turns music into light using Philips Hue Smart Bulbs.”

The full press release is below:

Philips Hue empowers endless possibilities in connected lighting, launching a developer program for world’s smartest LED light bulb

Developers can now extend Hue’s capabilities with new applications and integration with other products, advancing digital revolution in home lighting

Eindhoven, The Netherlands – Philips today, as promised, launches a software developer program for Hue that allows consumers to create and control their light bulbs using a smartphone or tablet. In publishing Hue’s open application programming interfaces (APIs), as well as releasing guides and libraries in an iOS software developer’s kit, Philips reinforces its commitment to helping the developer community start programming with Hue. This move opens the playing field for third party developers to create new, exciting applications using light, enabling Hue to communicate with a variety of devices and applications (apps). Philips Hue’s developer platform is available at developers.meetHue.com.

This is just the first phase of the software developer program for the world’s first web-enabled LED home lighting system. It allows the Hue community to create rich functionality for an enhanced customer experience. Already external developers have created apps that integrate Hue with music, resulting in an immersive surround sound and surround lighting experience that allows the lighting to change to the beat of the music. Developers have also created scheduling applications that can integrate with a phone’s calendaring system.

“The response Philips Hue has received from the development community has been incredibly positive and we aim to continue redefining the possibilities of light by enabling developers to create apps that customers want and need,” said Kevin Toms, SDK Designer and Developer Advocate of Hue’s software developers’ platform. “Already Hue is sparking a digital revolution in home lighting, as well as becoming an important step towards automated, connected homes, allowing it to further integrate with our world and simplify our lives.”

Using the ZigBee LightLink standard, Hue bulbs can not only communicate with each other, they have the potential for communicating with other ZigBee-based devices such as motion sensors and home thermostats, while offering a broad signal range and using significantly less stand-by power than traditional Wi-Fi systems. Software updates for the bulbs are done automatically via the bridge and the bulbs themselves, and additional apps developed for the system will be made available through app stores or meetHue.com, making it easy and intuitive for users to update Hue with applications and functionality that will enhance their lighting experience.

Hue’s app already includes numerous pre-programmed light settings, including Light Recipes based on Philips’ research around lighting’s optimal effects. These pre-programmed scenarios adjust the bulbs to the optimum shade and brightness of white light to relax, read or boost mood and energy. However, there is additional opportunity with color temperature applications that have the potential to help photographers adjust lighting for shots with a simple app on their smart devices. The company continues to enhance the possibilities of Hue, with new features around schedules and geo-fencing expected to be released in the coming months.

Developers with questions about programming with Hue, can join Hue’s developer forum atwww.everyhue.com where Kevin Toms, designer and developer advocate of Hue’s software developers’ kit, will provide technical support. Kevin can also be reached via Twitter: @philipsHuedev

Hue starter kits comprising three bulbs and a Smartbridge are available at Apple stores for €199.95 / $199 / £179. Additional bulbs can also be purchased for €59.95 / $59 / £49.95.

For more information about Philips Hue and its capabilities visit www.meetHue.com

Facebook releases SDK 3.2 for iOS with better analytics, API improvements and more

Jordan Kahn Feb 25 2013 - 1:18 pm PT

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Facebook announced on its Developers blog today that it is releasing version 3.2 of its SDK for iOS. The updated SDK makes it even easier for iOS app developers implementing Facebook features, with improvements to APIs and better tools for tracking usage and optimizing ads. Version 3.2 includes improved analytics and new metrics such as the ability to track “iOS 6 native share sheet and built-in native UI controls usage.” Facebook also noted that it is including a beta for select partners showing off upcoming support for “logging in-app purchase events.”

Better mobile analytics – We’ve added support for measuring additional usage metrics and optimizing ads to help improve an app’s quality and monetization potential
Enhanced error handling – SDK support and documentation now enabled for all classes of error responses
API improvements – A new FBAccessTokenData type makes it easier to open a session from token data explicitly, and to better handle app and deep linking

Facebook also said the updated SDK included enhanced error handling, improved web dialog support, and a several API improvements and bug fixes. Improvements to Facebook’s SDK are important, as the company’s noted over 45 percent of the top 400 grossing iOS apps are now integrated with the social network.

Version 3.2 of the Facebook SDK for iOS is available here.

Freshdesk launches free SDK to provide in-app customer support for iOS apps

Jordan Kahn Nov 8 2012 - 2:17 pm PT

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In June, Google decided to update Google Play with a very useful feature for developers: the ability to respond to the user reviews attached to their apps in the store. The feature is an important one, allowing developers to respond to criticisms, provide updates on necessary upcoming fixes, and perhaps most importantly, communicate directly with their users. Google’s decision to introduce the feature made it clear the App Store needs to revamp its customer support—and developers agreed.

Apple has yet to introduce any sort major overhaul to its App Store customer support and rankings. However, Freshdesk, creators of cloud-based help desk software, introduced a product today that provides direct, in-app customer support for iOS developers.

The free “MobiHelp” SDK allows a developer to implement customer support directly within their iOS apps using a single line of code. This will allow developers to not just respond to comments in the store like Google Play, but also communicate directly with their users from within the app. From there, devs can view and respond to feedback inside of FreskDesk HTML5 app on the desktop or mobile:

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Handy iOS version/device matrix chart [PDF]

Jordan Kahn Aug 14 2012 - 8:20 am PT

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The Loop pointed us to this iOS support matrix (Autumn 2012 edition) posted by app developer Empirical Magic. Definitely a useful resource for developers, the chart shows the number of devices running certain versions of iOS, and makes recommendations for dropping support in future updates.

StyleTap iOS Wrapper SDK lets you submit Palm OS apps to Apple

Jordan Kahn Dec 8 2011 - 8:15 am PT

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Last year StyleTap launched their Palm OS emulator platform for iPhone, but for obvious reasons it wasn’t made available through the App Store and instead limited to jailbroken devices. To circumvent Apple’s App Store guidelines, over the past year StyleTap has developed and now launched the ‘StyleTap iOS Wrapper SDK‘, allowing Palm OS devs to wrap their apps in an iPhone app that’s ready to submit to Apple. Here’s how it works:

StyleTap Platform for iPhone^® cannot currently be purchased through the Apple App Store because it provides capabilities (e.g.the ability to download other Palm applications) that are restricted by Apple. The StyleTap iOS Wrapper SDK allows you as a Palm application developer to create an iPhone (iOS) application that “wraps” a Palm application inside StyleTap Platform for iPhone in a way that removes all of the restricted capabilities. You can then submit the resulting iPhone application to be included in the Apple App Store.

StyleTap will provide devs with the StyleTap Platform designed for non-jailbroken iPhones through a template Xcode project that also includes instructions on configuring apps for submission to Apple. After devs throw their .prc and .pdb Palm application and license info into the StyleTap Platform setup, they will then have to build an iOS app. Of course devs will still have to be part of Apple’s Developer Program and StyleTap isn’t guaranteeing Apple will accept submitted apps. Also noteworthy is the fact that this enables organizations to deploy Palm apps to non-jailbroken iOS devices, and those apps don’t require submission to Apple.

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Quark gets acquired by mergers and acquisitions firm, Apple could benefit

Jordan Kahn Aug 9 2011 - 7:28 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlB6kEGJFtE&]

Remember Quark? The developer of popular publishing software QuarkXPress has been sold to merger and acquisition firm Platinum Equity, and, according to a report from Techcrunch, the company is already focusing on finding a new home for the Quark’s IP. In the midst of heated patent battles between smartphone makers, what might the patents and technologies owned by Quark have to offer Apple?

Magazine and newspaper subscriptions are a big focus for Apple, it’s clear with the introduction of Newsstand in iOS 5, an app dedicated to helping manage digital subscriptions. Quark recently launched their QuarkXPress 9 publishing software that will allow publications to “design for and publish to digital devices in a variety of formats”, specifically the iPad, “without requiring the services of a programmer.”

Apple has helped Quark in the past, offering their services to get the publishing platform working on Mac OSX.

The majority of large publications have millions in funding behind them when creating the digital version of their magazines for the iPad. However, if Apple were to integrate Quark software into an SDK specifically for publishers, the subscriptions market on iOS devices might closer resemble the ecosystem currently in place for games. In other words, giving developers without millions in funding the “tools to convert existing layouts to rich, interactive content — or create new iPad content from scratch” may bring with it a rush of quality content with subscription models much more attractive to users than those offered by the larger publications.

Apple is clearly making digital subscriptions a focus in iOS 5 with Newsstand Kit, which provides the ability update issues in the background and auto-update subscriptions, but the SDK certainly falls short of everything Quark software could offer publishers.

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