I've just seen that espressif have released their SDK on github

http://bbs.espressif.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=67

https://github.com/espressif

Now with FreeRTOS integration!

This looks like a big step forward in terms of ease of use. The demo application included uses a standard socket interface to send/receive data

I'm going to install this and update my examples.