Skype Blogs

The people at Say It Visually have put together this fun little video. It’s a neat summary of what Skype can do – thanks guys

Of course, as we didn’t produce the video, we’re not responsible for its content. But it’s cool nonetheless.

Download Skype 4.1 for Windows

Skype 4.1 for Windows is now gold, and is ready for you to download.

We’ve fixed a number of bugs found in the beta release, and recommend that you update now.

We’ve added useful features like screen sharing, which is a great way to show off your latest creations and presentations, or help a friend with their computer. We’ve also included birthday reminders (though you’ll have to bring your own cake).

What’s more, we’ve listened to your thoughts and feedback and further refinements have been made to audio and video quality – so your calls should sound and look better than ever.

Download Skype 4.1 for Windows now

Some of you may have seen update notifications in iTunes or on the App Store on your device, but for those of you who haven’t – Skype 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch is now available for download.

New languages

Skype for iPhone speaks your language – it’s now available in Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish and Traditional Chinese as well as English.

Voicemail and SMS

We’ve listened to your feedback – Skype for iPhone now lets you listen to your Skype voicemail while you’re on the move, as well as send super low-cost SMSs to friends and family around the world.

… and more

Additionally, we’ve made some improvements to the look and feel, particularly when calling phones using the dial pad.

So – what are you waiting for? Download the update in iTunes, or launch the App Store on your device and tap Updates to grab the latest version.

Note: This version requires iPhone OS 2.2 or 3.0. If you’re still using iPhone OS 2.1 or 2.0, you’ll need to update to 3.0 in order to run Skype 1.1 for iPhone – it’s free (for iPhone users) and easy to do. Skype for iPhone is not supported on devices running modified versions of iPhone OS.

It’s better than ever before – the Gold version of Skype 3.0 for Windows Phones is now available for download.

It includes two cool new features: SMS and file transfer. Sending SMSs using Skype is a great way to reach friends and family instantly anywhere in the world – Skype’s low rates mean that you won’t have to break the bank to do it. And file transfer lets you send files quickly when you’re on the move.

We’ve ironed out the remaining wrinkles since the Beta release, and it’s ready to go. Download it now and give it a whirl.

Jean-Jacques Sahel leads Skype's Government Relations team in the EU.

In our drive to promote innovation and users' rights on the Internet, the last few weeks have been simply amazing. An update is due.

Last month, we were all surprised that the European Parliament took a stand and went against EU governments by adopting by a very large majority an amendment to the proposed revised EU telecoms regulations, which ensures that Internet users can only be disconnected upon receipt of a proper court order, rather than an administrative order.

Then last week (9 June), the French Constitutional Court (the equivalent of the Supreme Court in the US or the 'Law Lords' for the English Courts), citing the founding principles of the French Republic the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man, confirmed that a similar legal proposal in France to disconnect users suspected of downloading illegal material was not acceptable.

First, this is because it negates the presumption of innocence. Secondly, and crucially, the Court underlined that powers to disconnect a user from the Internet amount to restricting freedom of expression and communication - the freedom to speak, write and print (See the decision and in particular Article 16 which details that "[...] pouvoirs peuvent conduire à restreindre l'exercice, par toute personne, de son droit de s'exprimer et de communiquer librement, notamment depuis son domicile [...]". Now get on to your favourite online translation website :)

When they met last Thursday 12 June at their regular Council of Telecoms Ministers, as expected the EU governments formally refused to accept the will of the European Parliament, which means that the review of EU telecoms regulations will resume in the Autumn, when the two sides will try to come to a compromise on this amendment on fundamental user freedoms.

This next, and final, phase of the negotiation should be fun. It goes to some of the more fundamental issues in society and for the Internet. For us at Skype, it's not a theoretical debate however: Skype users are regularly refused their right to express themselves and communicate freely. And it's not only governments that do that: some network operators fancy themselves as 21st century censors, degrading, blocking, discriminately charging for Skype traffic just because they don't like it.

Thankfully, not all network operators are that short-sighted, others operators know that Skype can benefit everyone - just check out the latest offer from the mobile operator '3' in the UK, which is just so cool - giving you free Skype to Skype calls from your mobile without the need to top up ever again (See here and here).

There was some news on this front too last week, and the picture is getting even more confusing: both Vodafone and T-Mobile (in Germany) have announced that they are not going to block Skype and VoIP anymore. So they have resolved their technical problems, then, have they? Well, sort of.

We always knew, and explained, that Skype works perfectly well on mobile networks and is a low-bandwidth application (only 8-20 kbps on average), so technical arguments for blocking Skype wouldn't last long. Instead they're now asking customers to pay extra if they want to use Skype.

Why are they introducing this measure, anyway? Errrr... So far, there's some really vague explanation on the T-Mobile website citing technical constraints and to be fair, it is difficult to gauge from the short argument they give what exactly they are referring to. As for Vodafone, they have yet to publish anything formal. The only thing we have from them is a speech by one executive given at the VIB Mobile Regulation and Competition Law conference in Brussels on 10 June 2009, who says according to the press that it's got nothing to do with technical difficulties, but with economic considerations:

"If you don't want to make a commitment to use voice, it is effectively saying 'I would like to substitute existing voice usage for potentially voip and other services'. You can do that, but you can't do it without making some spending commitment on voice services as well. Our investment in the customer, on the assumption they would spend a certain amount each month would disappear. That makes the economics unsustainable."

So it's about continuing to make large profits, then, not a technical constraint as has been claimed all along? No wonder policymakers, like consumers, find all this confusing.

Then yesterday (Tuesday 16th June) the Digital Britain plan (PDF) was released. In the UK, it's not just Skype usage but even access to the Skype.com website that is censored by some mobile operators. In parallel, millions of people in Britain work in ICT and creative industries, representing 8% of UK GDP. And yet, there does not seem to be much in the report about putting in place policies to encourage innovation in services and applications, or about UK Internet users and their right to access and use the services and apps of their choice online. We will be trying to engage with the UK authorities, especially to ensure that their future work about encouraging more people to access and use the Internet, delivering competition and meaningful consumer choice, and maximising the economic and social benefits of the Internet, is not stifled by censorship or restrictive actions imposed by self-interested companies.

Looking ahead, what do we need European governments and parliamentarians to do? We think that the EU telecoms legislation needs to be finalised in a way that clearly supports fundamental human rights - if the EU doesn't show the way in human rights, who will?

EU law should ensure that citizens can exercise their freedom of expression and communication and can benefit from Internet access that is open, taking into account the requirements expressed by users to make use of, and distribute, content, applications and services on the Internet. Access to Internet content, services and applications, as confirmed by the French Conseil Constitutionnel, is an explicit part of the fundamental rights of citizens to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference and regardless of frontiers. Additionally, unrestricted Internet access to content, services and applications is also a necessity for the preservation of the effectiveness of European and national policies designed to combat social exclusion, promote education, training, employment, etc.

As for all of us, Skype users? We should make our voice heard. If you can't use Skype on your mobile for any reason, call your ISP and complain. Write to your local politician and/or communications regulator, and let them know there is something very wrong going on with what your Internet provider is letting you access. More on that soon.

Is your office like this? If so, you need an escape plan. There's one here:

Yes, my job has expired.

Screen sharing in Skype 4.1 Beta for Windows

Hot on the heels of 4.0, the beta version of Skype 4.1 for Windows has arrived. It adds screen sharing, a feature many of you have been asking for since we introduced it in Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac, and more too.

Download now — Skype 4.1 Beta for Windows

Screen sharing

Have you ever tried to help a friend with their computer? Or take a colleague through a presentation? Or help a friend with their essay? Or show off a killer move in a game? Well, screen sharing in Skype makes doing things like that super-easy. Just click the Share menu in the conversation area of the Skype window.

With this beta, you can share your screen with any other Skype user on Windows, Mac or Linux. You can share your whole screen, or just a selection, and best of all, it’s totally free.

… and more

We’ve also added birthday reminders, and you’ll also be able to send contacts to other Skype users. For those of you who missed these features in the last version, they’re back

In addition, 4.1 Beta lets you import contacts from a range of other services including Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo! and AOL.

It also includes further refinements to audio and video call quality, bug fixes and accessibility improvements. Look out for a post from one of our accessibility experts in the near future, who’ll explain exactly what we’re doing to make Skype easier to use for blind and visually impaired people, and for people who can’t use a mouse.

How do I get it?

Download now — Skype 4.1 Beta for Windows

So here’s the deal – you download the beta, and in return, you give us your feedback. Please let us know what you think about the new features, and let us know if you spot anything which doesn’t work as expected. You can leave a comment below, or better still, fill out our feedback survey – your input will help us make future versions of Skype better than ever.

For the third year in a row, Skype is a winner in CNET’s Webware 100 awards – voted for by you and thousands of others around the world.

Over the last year, we’ve seen a lot: the release of Skype 4.0 for Windows, which has transformed the Skype experience on the desktop – and, of course, we’ve seen Skype go truly mobile too. Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac is now out, and our new subscriptions now let you make unlimited calls to landlines in over 40 countries.

Thanks to all of you who voted – and don’t forget, if you have friends who haven’t tried Skype yet, tell them all about it – the first call’s on us.

Oprah Winfrey talks to Josh Silverman

For the past year, Skype has enabled The Oprah Winfrey Show to talk face-to-face with anybody, anywhere, at anytime.

We've been tremendously inspired watching Oprah use Skype video to connect with everyday people, celebrities, and even animals on her show. In fact, did you see Oprah last week? Oprah had a Skype video call with a huge grizzly bear. (Now, that's a first.)

This week, we're expecting to see Oprah push the limits with Skype even further. Watch Josh Silverman, President of Skype, make an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Thursday, May 21st as part of the "Where the Skype are You?" episode. It's going to be a fascinating Skype adventure not to be missed as Oprah takes viewers to some surprising places over Skype video.

Check out the video teaser on Oprah.com.

Julian Spittka is Product Manager and Senior Engineer for Audio and Video at Skype

Today at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas, I had the privilege of presenting about how Skype is opening up new opportunities for broadcasters.

Over the last year, there have been many game-changing developments in the broadcast industry as many broadcasters have looked to technology and social media tools to tap into content from viewers. Look no further than CNN’s iReport that is constantly gathering news tips and multimedia from viewers; or look at The Oprah Winfrey Show, which uses Skype’s High Quality Video calling on a regular basis to include special guests on-air from virtually anywhere.

Broadcasters are embracing Skype because it complements traditional news gathering options (e.g. satellites, camera crews, etc.) in an easy and low cost way. With just a dual-core PC, broadband Internet connection and a webcam, broadcasters can use High Quality Video calling with Skype to fulfil their content needs. Even better yet, millions of people around the world are using Skype already, so it makes it easier for broadcasters to find someone to talk to over Skype.

Skype is continuing to innovate and improve its software to deliver the best voice and video calling experience possible. In the most recent version of Skype for Windows (Version 4.0) call quality is substantially improved. The new audio codec achieves wideband audio quality using 50% less bandwidth than previously required. Moreover, it introduces super wideband audio that delivers crystal clear, richer and warmer sound to those using a compatible headset and a high quality broadband connection.

In addition, as I mentioned during my presentation, Skype is currently testing HD Video calling which can deliver up to 720p. If broadcasters have the pre-requisite HD camera, HD capture card, a fast PC, and enough bandwidth, they too can start testing HD Video calling over Skype.

At Skype, we’re proud to have the best and the brightest audio and video engineers who make it possible for our software to deliver amazing voice and video quality that is so good, even broadcasters love it.

If you’re a broadcaster, and want to find out more, please get in touch.