January 2009

I'm happy to announce public beta release of Skype for MIDs. We introduced plans about developing Skype for the MIDs year ago at CES. You should start seeing Skype pre-installed on these ultra cool devices later this year, but in the meantime we have a Beta version available here for download.

MIDs, also known as Mobile Internet Devices, are small devices powered by the Intel Atom platform, running special flavours of Linux, which enable a rich computing experience on the go.

Remember that this version is an initial Beta release, so it might be a little bit rough around the edges. Also, installing it on MIDs can be a bit tricky, so please head over to our Developer Zone for instructions. You can also run the Beta on Linux desktop computers, and while this isn't the intended use for Skype for MIDs, you might have fun trying it out

We're very keen to hear all of your feedback on the Beta. Feel free to discuss things in the Skype Community and please report all problems in our public issue tracker, Jira.

In this beta release, you can:

* Make voice and video calls to Skype users
* Make voice calls to landlines and mobiles
* Send and receive instant messages
* Participate in conference calls
* Participate in group instant message conversations
* Send SMSs
* Receive voicemails
* Set up call forwarding to mobiles and landlines
* Browse history
* Use kinetic scrolling
* Receive birthday reminders
* Receive contacts
* Create a new Skype name

We'll keep you posted on future releases of Skype for MIDs, but for now, please download it, try it out and let us know what you think.

Today we are ready to ship to you an updated version of Skype 4.0 Beta 3 for Windows.

With this update we have included some features from Skype 3.8 for Windows which have not yet been part of the 4.0 series. In addition we have added an option to disable uPnp and Nat-PMP port mapping, because some of our users were asking for it.

That's not all. Starting from this version we've included the new Super Wideband Audio codec. This is our second in-house built audio codec especially designed for calls over the internet with superb quality. The Super Wideband Audio codec will help you most on lousy network conditions and when you have lower bandwidth available, although it also improves quality in normal conditions too.

We recommend that everyone who is already using 4.0 beta versions to upgrade to this build and welcome everyone else to try out this new version.

You can download the 4.0 beta 3 hotfix from here. Please keep in mind that it is still a beta version which might have some mysteries hidden under the surface.

Please let us know if you happen to be the lucky finder of any hidden mysteries . You can inform us about problems in our public issue tracker. You are also welcomed to discuss things on Skype Community or just leave us a note on our feedback page.

Full release notes for the 4.0.0.181 are:

 * feature: Super Wideband Audio codec
 * feature: MySpaceIM with Skype (functionality carried over from 3.8)
 * feature: Option to disable uPnP and Nat-PMP
 * feature: eBay browser highlighter bundled
 * feature: Added Philips SPC 1330 NC as High Quality Video camera
 * improvement: Instant Messaging layout improved 
 * bugfix: History did not show all entries
 * bugfix: Outlook contacts were not always displayed correctly
 * bugfix: Resize area was missing from Shop panel
 * bugfix: Chrome could not be switched off in some scenarios
 * bugfix: Skype Call and SMS URI did not focus Skype
 * bugfix: Changing language settings on sign-in screen did not always update language
 * bugfix: Links in form of username:password@something were not clickable
 * bugfix: Crash in Vista, when last audio device was removed during a call
 * bugfix: Quickfilter took focus while writing an instant message
 * bugfix: Incorrect tooltip displayed when a call was put on hold
 * bugfix: After switching Custom Chrome off through menus no visual style was selected in options
 * bugfix: 'Add to contacts' right-click menu missing for Outlook contacts
 * bugfix: Close menu did not work in Compact mode conversation window
 * bugfix: Recently closed conversations menu did not truncate long conversation names
 * bugfix: Wrong file transfer status was shown after other side cancelled sending file
 * bugfix: US Number +15416 was shown as Canadian
 * bugfix: Emoticons were not shown in profile area
 * bugfix: Emoticons were not shown when exchanging contact details
 * bugfix: Conference call sometimes continued ringing after answering
 * bugfix: Checkbox to show online users count was missing from Tools > Options
 * bugfix: Conversations were not consumed when user was blocked
 * bugfix: Video error message was not displayed when webcam was in use by another application
 * All language localizations updated

 Just in time for the biggest Mac event in the world we're ready to announce to you the beta version of Skype 2.8 for Mac.

This newly released client brings to you two new features which haven't been seen in any Skype version before. Skype Access enables you to connect seamlessly to different WiFi Hotspots around the globe and pay with Skype Credit.

You can now also share your screen with others to show what you're doing, or to ask for help from a friend.

You can read more about the features in our Mac product page or in our main blog.

You can download the new version right away, but please remember that it's a beta version which means that it might be a bit wobbly from time to time. If you experience something unexpected while using Skype 2.8 beta, please let us know about it through our public issue tracker Jira or discuss it in the Skype Community.

Full release notes for the newborn, 2.8.0.324 are:

• feature: Skype Access
• feature: Screen sharing
• feature: Sort chats in the chat drawer
• feature: Set priorities to chats
• feature: Quick Add: quick and simple way to add people to chats
• feature: Mood message chat: mood updates from your contacts listed in a chat
• feature: Large avatars: 256x256 pixels
• feature: Add your own notes to contacts
• feature: Profile picture selector (Mac OS X 10.5 only)
• feature: Support of Spotify links in your mood and chats
  
  

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