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We are really pleased to announce the release of Skype 3.0 beta for Windows today. This new release has a real community focus with Public Chats and Skypecasts.

Public chats are text chats that anyone can create, host and join where Skype users can meet new people and chat about anything they fancy. Join our Skypecasts Public chat to see what it’s all about.

Public chat & Skypecasts complement each other and can work really well together. Public chats are constant text based chats and Skypecasts are scheduled voice calls allowing instant discussion. Find out more about how to use Skypecasts and Public chats.

With Skype 3.0 beta not only can browse Skypecasts starting and on now directly from the Live tab. When you decide to join or host one, the Skypecast itself will run within a separate tab where you have all the host or participant controls to ask for mic, see who the host is and do all those other things you need to do in a Skypecast. Which will make your life much easier.

Plus we’re also moving Skypecasts into beta from its previous preview state at the same time. This brings Skypecasts to another level and is a great starting point to develop more new and exciting features for communities in the next few months.

We would like to thank all of you for your help and your support.

A new release of Skype 2.6 for Windows Public Beta is out yesterday which you can download here. This Public Beta version gives Skypecast Hosts new and improved ways to moderate your Skypecasts directly from the client. Now you can see who is talking, who is waiting to talk and who is just listening and as host, you choose who does what.

There are some known issues in this version with Skypecasts, documented in the changelog.

With your help, this Beta release solves several bugs and we want to thank everyone for their feedback - we can’t do this without you…and we’d love to get your feedback again! Please download this version of Skype, your feedback is much appreciated.

We are delighted to announce that tomorrow Skypecasts will host two great authors, Michael Connelly and Shari Caudron. Skypecasts is a great way for fans to listen to their favourite authors discuss their new books and even get the chance to participate in a Q&A session.

Michael Connelly, who is most notable for his award-winning Detective Harry Bosh series, will talk tomorrow at 17:00 about his new book Echo Park. Michael will read an excerpt of his newest book and take questions from the audience. The first 25 Michael Connelly fans to log on to the Skypecast will receive a signed copy of Echo Park.

Shari Caudron has written several articles and essays for national magazines in the US. She has also written two books, "What Really Happened" and "Who Are You People?” the latter being featured by National Public Radio. It was also nominated as Typepad’s Book of The Month for September. To share your fanatical views with Shari don't hesitate to join this Skypecast tomorrow September 26th at 2PM PT.

For more information about these two Skypecasts on September 26th:

Michael Connelly Skypecasts - 5PM GMT

Shari Caudron Skypecasts - 2PM PT

Ming Campbell, Leader of the UK Liberal Democrats party is hosting a Skypecast tomorrow morning regarding the need for a constitutional reform. This provoking Skypecast will enable people to share their views and opinions in a live debating format and shows how Skypecasts really connects people.

For those who would like to know more about the Liberal Democrat's Taking Power Policy and have the opportunity to ask live questions to Ming, join this exclusive Skypecast tomorrow at 10h15.

From today, the Skype for Windows 2.6 Beta is available, offering easy access to Skypecasts from the new Live tab. You can download it here. This new beta version replaces the preview that you may have tested.

The "Live tab" lists Skypecasts that are on right now, starting soon, how many participants are involved, and a quick way for you to join or listen.

Download Skype for Windows 2.6 now.

Two days ago, we had an interesting Skypecast hosted by Sree Sreenivasan and Vikas Bajaj with another candidate for the post of United Nations Secretary General. This time it was Jayantha Dhanapala, Senior Adviser to the president of Sri Lanka.

As with Shashi Tharoor, Sree and Vikas discussed the role of the UN in a changing world as well as the race for Secretary General.

If you missed the Skypecast, you can listen to it - here.

If you missed last week’s Skypecasts with Shashi Tharoor, UN Under Secretary General for Communications and distinguished author don’t worry! The Skypecast was recorded so you can listen at your leisure.

Shashi Tharoor was interviewed by SAJA Board members Sree Sreenivasan & Vikas Bajaj, about the role of the UN in a changing world and his chances in the race to find Kofi Annan successor as UN Secretary General.

As this Skypecast was recorded, you can still listen to it even if you have missed it live

Shashi Tharoor has worked for the United Nations since 1978 and has been involved in peace keeping operations across the world. Shashi Tharoor is currently running as a candidate for the United Nations Secretary General. Shashi previously worked for Kofi Annan who currently holds this post and is being backed by his native India as successor for the post.

Mr. Tharoor is also a well recognized author having written eight books, as well as numerous articles, op-eds and literary reviews and has also received several journalism and literary awards.

WABC-TV New York’s Technology Guru, Sree Sreenivasan will conduct a Skypecast with Shashi Tharoor. Sreenivasan is Dean at Columbia's School of Journalism, and also serves on the board of South Asian journalist (SAJA), which is a non-profit organization for journalists of South Asian origin.

Mr. Tharoor has previously been named by the World Economic Forum as a "Global Leader of Tomorrow" and this interview will give Skype users a chance to get answers to their most pressing questions in an exclusive Skypecast. Join the Skypecast now.

We are pleased to announced an exclusive Skypecast with Seth Godin, best selling author, entrepreneur and agent of change. Godin is the author of seven books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change and work.

Godin’s new book, "Small is the new big", is a collection of more than 193 riffs, rants and business ideas that have appeared in Fast Company and on his ever popular blog over the last seven years.

Michael Sippey of Typepad will interview Seth Godin giving fans and followers a chance to hear his ideas first hand. Be quick only the first 100 Skype users will have the opportunity to participate and ask questions. Be ready!

Find out more and join the Skypecast on August 22nd at 10:00 PM (GMT).