Although graphics have seen a lot of improvements over the last few releases of Runrev, the graphics system isn’t really hardware accelerated. That’s where a product like Franklin comes in and solves a lot of performance issues. Even if you aren’t making a 3D game or simulation, you can use Franklin’s 2D sprite engine which is accelerated by underlying DirectX or OpenGL support to speedily handle a screenful of sprites. Interaction with these (like any object in Franklin) can fire call backs to Runrev.

Quicktime’s APIs were rich with functionality. You could create interactive Quicktime movies with simulated panoramas and zoomable, faux 3d objects. Wired sprites were a big deal for a while – you could create objects within movies that added programmatic functionality. This wasn’t an easy task though, and at least for the more programmatic capabilities, the APIs on Windows were always a bit buggy.

The death of HyperCard is covered elsewhere so I wont rehash it – but before its death, there was even some effort to recreate it on the back of the Quicktime API. Good thing there were alternatives like Runtime Revolution which adds many, many more features like cross platform capability. However any media rich application on the Mac likely uses Quicktime to some degree, and most HyperCard like programs do.

With Quicktime X, included with Snow Leopard, Apple has eliminated the interactive 3D and panorama capabilities of QuicktimeVR – that is – the ability to play back existing content. The decade of investment in a technology made by Apple and many, many content creators has become orphaned. But that’s not the only omission. Quicktime X also eliminates most export options, and turns those that remain into advertisements for Apple products.

This is a very sad day for interactive media – not only because of the removal of this capability but also because it demonstrates that you cannot rely on Apple to act in anyone’ s interest other than their own. This is also something that many iPhone developers have come to learn the hard way.

Skype also has a very usable API (two in fact if you count the COM control) for extending it, and an interesting developer program to package, promote and sell Skype Extras – even within Skype itself. There are a number of useful utilities that integrate with Skype as well as some that I still haven’t figured out. I can’t fathom the value of loading a game into Skype, though it could be game companies that make Skype Extras merely do so to leverage Skype’s sales platform.

But Skype As IM (nor any other IM) does not have all the features I think would make me more productive. I have set an engineer at work at creating a Skype Extra to add those features. In August 2007, the first public alpha or beta will be available for download.