computer science

Skype Qik

Skype Qik is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Skype Qik rather than just read about it. In short: Skype Qik was a video messaging service by Skype. It was created by the company Skype Technologies, who acquired Qik.

Key takeaways

Skype Qik belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Skype Qik to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Skype Qik from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Skype Qik was a video messaging service by Skype. It was created by the company Skype Technologies, who acquired Qik. The service, offered for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices, allowed users to exchange video messages between individuals or within a group. Previously, the Qik service offered a mobile-based live video-sharing website and two-way video conferencing application that allowed users to stream live video from their cell phones to the internet. Qik enabled users to record and upload video directly from supported cell phones. Qik, a Silicon Valley startup, launched its alpha version in December 2007 and went into public beta in July 2008. Qik was compatible with approximately 140+ cell phones. Qik videos can be shared on numerous services including Ovi Share, Facebook via Facebook Connect, Twitter, Livestream, 12secondstv, YouTube, Blogger, Seesmic, Tumblr, WordPress, Digg, StumbleUpon, Del.icio.us, MySpace, and Technorati. The videos can also be shared directly on the Qik website or embedded on a webpage for live or pre-recorded videos. The company's headquarters were located in Redwood City, California, with a satellite office that was located in Zelenograd, Moscow, Russia. It was announced on January 6, 2011, at CES, that Skype had acquired Qik for a sum of $150 million. On February 22, 2016, Microsoft announced their plans to retire the Skype Qik app on March 24, citing low usage. Many features from the app have been integrated into the Skype app.

History Qik was founded in a garage by Ramu Sunkara, Bhaskar Roy and Nikolay Abkairov in 2006. In April 2008, Qik received $3 million (~$4.28 million in 2024) in Series B funding from Marc Benioff (Salesforce.com), Arjun Gupta (Telesoft Partners), and George Garrick (Jingle Networks). In September 2008, a month after its beta release, Qik received an undisclosed amount of investments from Netscape veterans Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. Both agreed to serve as board advisers on Qik. In mid-2009, Qik received another round of funding under $5.5 million (~$7.79 million in 2024) from Peter Loukianoff at Almaz Capital and Quest Venture Partners, and some private investors. In January 2011, Skype acquired Qik for $150 million. On March 19, 2014, Skype and Qik users received emails announcing the original Qik service was being retired. Notification of the impending shut-down was also posted on the company website. The Qik service was subsequently shut down on April 30, 2014. The new Skype Qik service was launched on October 14, 2014. After 9 years of service, on February 23, 2016, Microsoft decided to shut down Qik, therefore users will no longer be able to send or receive any messages via the video chat application. However, the company has also stated that many features of Qik are available via the Skype app.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Skype Qik

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Skype Qik claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Skype Qik before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Skype Qik ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Skype Qik

In research: Skype Qik appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Skype Qik in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Skype Qik is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2007 establishments in California, 2011 mergers and acquisitions, Android (operating system) software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Skype Qik outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Skype Qik in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Skype Qik means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Skype Qik out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Skype Qik in simple terms?

Skype Qik was a video messaging service by Skype. It was created by the company Skype Technologies, who acquired Qik.

Why does Skype Qik matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Skype Qik?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Skype Qik.