Skype beta and new releases

We've just launched Skype 4.0 Beta 1 for Windows - probably the most exciting release since Skype first appeared on the scene in 2003.

The plan is this: we're releasing this version now, and we're going to spend all summer gathering, analysing and acting on your feedback. That way, when we launch the final version, it'll be perfect

A summary of what's new:

• Totally new interface, designed to give plenty of space for video calls
• Chatting and calling integrated into the same window, so no more playing hunt-the-chat window
• Better hardware detection - you can switch headset halfway through a call and Skype deal with it
• A single directory screen - find people and businesses all in one place

Update: a full feature list is now available on the Skype Garage blog.

The video below highlights some of the advanced features in the Beta, but the best way to explore is to download it and try it out. Don't forget to send in your feedback, too.

As Ryan mentioned on the Mac blog yesterday, an improved version of Skype 2.7 for Mac is now available for download — it includes a number of improvements which are detailed in great, um, detail on the Garage blog.

Two highlights:

• Better support for NAT-PMP an UPnP — this means that Skype will cooperate better with your router if it's being troublesome
• Support for authenticated proxies — bonus for those of you on university connections which require password authentication to connect to the internet

Download the update now to benefit from these improvements, plus a host of bug fixes.

For those of you on Windows, you might like to check out the 3.8 beta — the development team have been focusing their efforts on improving call quality in this release, and so you can expect:

• Significantly reduced background noise
• Less delay
• Fewer call drops
• Fewer cut-outs
• Change your headset, headphones or microphone without having to fiddle with settings

You can find the full release notes over at the Skype Garage blog, and you can download the new version right away.

Mac fans, rejoice: Skype for Mac 2.5 has gone public.

The beta version has been available since mid-November, and Skype's worker bees have since worked hard to iron out any wrinkles. They've even added nifty tweaks like a birthday reminder feature.

Skype for Mac 2.5 also includes tools for sending SMS messages to any mobile phone in the world or holding conference calls of up to 10 people.

To find out more, check out the Skype for Mac FAQ.

So here it is, that odd hinterland between Christmas and new year, and for many of us it's back to business as usual. Hopefully some companies will find things easier on the communication front, thanks to the business tweaks Skype has added to the latest version of its software.

As well as the recently-announced enhancements to the Skype for Business Control Panel,
Skype 3.0 now includes upgraded features enabling system administrators to configure and control the software across their company. These functions are expected to evolve into a set of tools that can be switched on or off and fine-tuned according to the needs of the organisation.

Continue reading "Skype boosts its business tools" »

What does the word 'Extras' mean to you? A second helping of sherry trifle? "Not as good as The Office"?

Today, boys and girls, 'extras' takes on a whole new meaning: it's one of the reasons why you should go to Skype's homepage as soon as you've finished reading this post and download Skype 3.0, the latest version of your favourite free software.

Whichever of Skype's worker bees chose the name 'extras' is a good, straightforward thinker. Extras are, quite simply, extra stuff included in the download that'll make your Skype experience even more enjoyable.

To find them, click the 'Do More' link when you're signed into Skype 3.0 and browse the menu of games, sharing features, call recording and oodles more. Once you've had a bit of a play, visit the Extras Gallery to download some extra extras and rate them for extra-tasticness. My Skype-certified favourites include Skylook, which lets you record Skype calls and get SMS alerts and Outlook reminders, and CrazyTalk, which gives you a swish animated avatar.

On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree. I sent it back and told him to try again. A partridge would poop all over the carpet, and I can get really good pears from that little shop on Wood Street E17.

On the 13th day of Christmas*, my true love sent to me a brand new version of Skype, and I was well chuffed.

(Technically it's the 13th day of December, not the 13th day of Christmas – but who's counting?)

Continue reading "Skype hits the big 3.0" »

Dedicated followers of Skype may be aware of a couple of new updates to Skype 3.0 for Windows beta – especially those of you who've discovered the Garage in the developer zone.

The Garage is Skype's new venue for preview and beta versions of the software, including the latest Skype for Linux and Skype for Windows Mobile as well as the Windows and Mac versions. It's also your place to find patches, open source contributions and other Skype-based tinkering that's yet to be unleashed upon the general public. This, my friend, is the bleeding edge of internet telephony.

Be warned: if you don't know your rss from your html code, you may find some of the chatter as intelligible as a Greek computer science thesis. But if you're an experienced Skyper and want to stay way ahead of what the company's developers are doing, you'll find the Garage forum fascinating and the resources very useful indeed. Find out more in the Garage blog.

Mac users, rejoice: your Skype experience is about to get a whole lot chattier. The new Skype 2.5 Beta for Mac lets you send SMS text messages to SkypeOut contacts, and includes 10-way conference calling.

So it's an ideal Christmas treat for those of us whose family and friends are scattered around the world. My mum lives in Spain, my best college mate lives in San Francisco, my dad has a habit of jetting to New Zealand for the winter... is it something I said?

Among other new features, Mac users will now be able to choose which audio device to use during incoming and outbound calling. So if you prefer to listen through headphones but make outgoing calls with a speakerphone, here's your answer.

To find out more and to give the new beta a spin, nip over to the Skype Mac blog.

Another day, another numerical milestone for Skype – only this time it's not 8 million. It's three. Skype 3.0, to be precise.

The beta (testing mode) version of Skype's free software is now available for your downloading delectation, and Skype's friendly techies are all ears for your thoughts on the new program.

Among the upgrades sported by Skype's latest incarnation are a more streamlined user interface, improved IT management, Click to Call and Skypecasting features – and plenty of bug fixes and technical improvements.

Jaanus has details of all v3.0's various tricks and treats on his Share Skype blog. If you're an experienced Skyper and fancy road-testing the new beta, click here to download and here for info on reporting bugs. You can also join the discussion on the forum.

The busy beta bees currently testing Skype 2.6 have been rewarded with a couple of improvements – all the better to perfect the software before its full public launch.

Among the tweaks is a brand new bandwidth indicator. Once you've enabled it using your advanced options, a small icon on your Skype status bar will show your upload/download bandwidths. Hover your mouse over it, and it'll show you how much bandwidth has been used.

One or two potential irritants have also been given the chop. For example, a pop-up window containing Skypecasts controls has been ditched; instead, you'll see the controls in your main Skype window whenever you're logged into a Skypecast.

Find a full list of all the changes in the change log, and use the links here to leave feedback for Skype's developers.

Ever tried logging onto the net in a public hotspot? If so, the cost may have surprised you. That's "surprised" as in "made you snort food out your nose in horror". At around £6 an hour, hotspots look like a very bad deal indeed compared with internet cafes that rarely charge more than £1 a pop.

Skype is helping to bridge the gap with Skype Zones, a beta service that allows you to access Skype and make calls from your own laptop in more than 18,000 Skype-friendly hotspots around the world, including 8,000-odd in the UK. The fees – just $2.95 (£1.60) for two hours or $7.95 (£4.20) unlimited for a whole month – put other commercial WiFi services to shame.

Continue reading "Introducing Skype Zones" »

Skype's fanbase has always been a bit PC-heavy (hardly surprising, given that the entire computer-using world is a bit PC-heavy), but that may change today with the beta release of Skype for Mac with Video.

The new video calling feature, part of Skype for Mac 2.0 beta, lets you make free video calls to any other Skype users, whether they're on PCs or Macs. You can view the video in your Skype window or full screen – and, if you both have a webcam, you can use the handy pic-in-pic feature shown above.

A little side window even lets you see how you look to your Skypee, which is a handy for checking that you haven't got lunch stuck all over your chin.

Continue reading "Mac users get the picture" »

The new beta version of Skype 2.1 for Pocket PC has picked up glowing reviews from the gizmo-loving community.

The software is still work in progress, but it's more than worth a try, as many have found. "I just installed the new beta version on my x51v," says 'Patrick Y' on the Aximsite forum. "No problems at all! The interface greatly improved, with better VGA support. Also, softkey support is added. Go Skype!" And Gizmodo's Jason Chen says: "We especially like being able to tell everyone that our mood for today is sulky with a slight chance of brooding."

As well as the Gizmodo-approved ability to view contacts' mood messages and avatars, version 2.1 also includes multi-chat, which allows you to have text conferences with multiple users, just as you can when using Skype on your computer. Other features include one-click access to Skype from the home screen, profile editing capability, contact search and improved call management. As always, you can call landlines and mobiles using SkypeOut, and you can talk for free to other Skype users, whether they're using a on PC, Mac or handheld.

The beta software is supported by handhelds running Windows Mobile 5 or Windows Mobile 2003. The new version, along with 2.0, is available to download now from Skype's website.

Skype's developers have been beavering away on Skype for Windows 2.6. New features include an audio library, integrated IE6 and Firefox plugins for recognising phone numbers on web pages, clickable avatars and, oh, loads more.

The software is still in beta testing stage, so experienced users are invited to try it out and spill their suggestions, quibbles and kudos in the forum. If you're a Skype newbie or occasional user, best steer clear until the perfected v2.6 gets its public roll-out.

Continue reading "Introducing Skype for Windows 2.6" »