Every day, the ProgrammableWeb team is busy, updating its three primary directories for APIs, clients (language-specific libraries or SDKs for consuming or providing APIs), and source code samples. If you have new APIs, clients, or source code examples to add to ProgrammableWeb’s directories, we offer forms (APIs, Clients, Source Code) for submitting them to our API research team. If there’s a listing in one of our directories that you’d like to claim as the owner, please contact us at [email protected].
Twelve APIs have been added to the ProgrammableWeb directory in categories including Internet of Things, Banking, Social, and Languages. Highlights today include APIs from Amazon for developing for Alexa, and banking APIs from BBVA. Here’s a rundown of the latest additions.
APIs
Amazon now has a robust collection of developer resources plus new APIs for Amazon Alexa devices. We’ve recently updated our directory with the most recent APIs.
The Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) is a component of Amazon’s Alexa Skills Kit. The company has recently updated the Alexa Voice Service API. Now, when deploying the API, developers can use microphones and speakers to enable the voice functionality in cloud-connected products. The voice integration transforms the products into Alexa-compliant gadgets capable of accessing a variety of functionalities such as audio playback and speech recognition as well as volume control.
Amazon Alexa smart home skills is an automation solution that supports the coding and configuration of instruments that interpret voice commands and transmit messages to cloud-enabled devices. It allows users to use cloud devices to implement remote connection and manipulation of home or office appliances. The Amazon Alexa Home Skills API is the platform understands commands and conveys them to smart home skills. Its infrastructure consists of the skill adapter, a function that is hosted in Amazon Web Services’ AWS Lambda and an event source representing the Alexa Connected Home.
Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing API offers sneak previews to news, jokes, lists, audio, and other types of content that are channeled according to the topic selections and frequency preferences of recipients. A user creates a Flash Briefing Skill by simply activating content preferences in the skills portal of the Alexa app. This allows businesses to use the Flash Briefing Skill API to create, format, and channel Flash Briefings to target customers. The API’s developer portal allows for labeling and describing content destined for display in the skills list and configures feeds that fill content in the Flash Briefing Skill.
The Amazon Alexa APIs are primarily categorized under Internet of Things. See ProgrammableWeb‘s complete list of Internet of Things APIs.
For more information about developing applications for Alexa, see our tutorial, “How to Get Started With Amazon’s Alexa Skills Kit“.
The Amazon Alexa Smart Home Skills API enables users to create skills to control devices Image Credit: Amazon
Also from Amazon:
The Amazon Developer Publishing API allows developers to build new apps or upgrade existing ones on the Amazon Appstore. This API is restricted to developers with permission to participate in the developer preview. The selection process involves filling out a short questionnaire. Only successful developers are contacted with notification of access details. And the Amazon In-App Purchasing API simplifies the integration of transactional and functional features in ecommerce apps. It allows developers to create portal for posting offerings or executing subscriptions and purchases of digital content and other products within apps. This makes it possible for Amazon customers to access and purchase the digital content and other product offerings. The API’s infrastructure consists of unique receipt identifiers that simplify the conveyance of the purchased in-app items to customers.
Canadian Sales Tax API allows developers to integrate sales tax information with their applications by using the postal abbreviations of Canada. The following methods are available: Get the current GST (global sales tax), Get the current HST (harmonized sales tax) for a province, Get the current HST for all provinces, Get the current GST for a province, Get the current PST (provincial sales tax) for all provinces, Get the total applicable tax for a province, and Get the total applicable tax for all provinces. This API is listed under the Taxes category. See ProgrammableWeb‘s complete list of Taxes APIs.
Facebook Workplace offers private social networks for companies. The Facebook Workplace Graph API allows for a subset of functionality of the Graph API for Facebook. The API offers a way to send object data in and out of Workplace’s platform. This data is represented in a Facebook ‘social graph’. Available Workplace information is composed of Nodes, Edges, and Fields. Nodes are photos, posts, comments, and users. Edges represent the connections between Nodes. Fields display details about Nodes such as a person’s birthday. This API is listed under the Social category. See ProgrammableWeb‘s complete list of Social APIs.
The BBVA API Market is a platform for global financial services for business. The BBVA Customers API exposes BBVA data and services related to customers. The API allows for fraud mitigation operations with methods such as create new customers, get detail information about a specific customer and update certain information of the customer. Data related to the user identity like driver license or passport information used during the screening process cannot be changed through the service exposed in this API. The BBVA Security API enables BBVA Clients to give an application consent to access BBVA Compass services on their behalf. The BBVA APIs are listed under the Banking category. See ProgrammableWeb‘s complete list of Banking APIs.
The ECMAScript Internationalization API offers localization and language tags as defined by the ECMA ( European Computer Manufacturers Association). This API returns information such as currencies, and time zones respective to different locales. Additionally, the Internationalization API offers language-sensitive data which includes string comparison (collation), number formatting, date and time formatting, and case conversion. ECMA offers services related to the standardization of information and communication systems. The API is listed under the Languages category. See ProgrammableWeb‘s complete list of Languages APIs.
Developers can access a massive real estate data dictionary via Spark RESO Web API. The Spark Platform aims to help MLS implement RESO (Real Estate Standards Organization) data, and ensure that data is licensed under consistent terms of use from the MLS, agents and their customers. The Spark RESO API comes from FBS, maker of Flexmls, and is categorized under Real Estate category. See ProgrammableWeb‘s complete list of Real Estate APIs.
Google Weave is a communications platform designed for IoT devices that supports phone-to-device-to-cloud communication, and user interaction from Web applications and mobile. Weave features Android automatic application installations, and cloud support through mobile and desktop. Additionally, Weave offers Brillo support for building integrated and interoperable communications, and built-in easy-to-use sharing capabilities. Weave and Brillo require a program application per developer. Developers can implement #IoT communications for devices via Google Weave #API.
An Introduction to Weave, the communications platform for IoT Image Credit: YouTube/ Google Developers
