Life at Skype

NYC Fashion Week: the glitz, the glamour, the Skype video calls?! That's right; this Fashion Week, Skype will be in the mix.

Fashion designer Norma Kamali, a big Skype fan, has teamed up with us to offer one lucky fan the opportunity to view her OMO (On My Own) collection Fashion Week presentation on September 17 via Skype video call. The contest winner will also be able to ask Norma a question about the collection and win one of her coveted "all-in-one" garments.

Feeling lucky? Get into the front row by entering the contest. Rules and entry instructions can be found here.

This contest is just the latest move by Norma to give access to the often exclusive world of fashion via technology.

She told us, "I believe in the democratization of fashion and technology is accelerating this process. I am grateful that I can utilize Skype, the Internet communications software that connects millions of people around the world, to bring one fan into my show and let them experience the excitement that is Fashion Week in NYC."

We're excited, too, that we can partner with Norma to allow a Skype user an insider's view into a world that most fashion lovers don't get to experience.

For those fans who don't win the contest, but still want to view Norma's Fashion Week presentation and will be in NYC on September 17, they can stop by the Apple store in Soho (located at 103 Prince Street) and see the show live. A podcast of the presentation will also be available for download via the iTunes store in the weeks following the show.

Jason Fischl has joined Skype as director of developer relations.

The former chief technology officer at CounterPath, he'll head the Skype developer Program.

Jason shares his thoughts on his new role in the video below.

Jonathan Christensen, Skype's general manager for audio and video,said on the main blog, "Personally, I'm thrilled about Jason joining. We have a great opportunity to revitalize our developer program and he has the skills and experience to lead this effort. He has an excellent track record working with industry standards bodies like the IETF in and is a thought leader in open source software development."

Last month, Skype made news when we offered our advanced SILK speech technology - which is incorporated into Skype 4.0 for Windows - to developers for free, and positioned it as a new standard for high quality audio.

Jason said he plans to continue work in this direction, continuing to give third-party developers access to tools such as SILK - and making Skype a platform for ground-breaking innovation.

Skype President Josh Silverman in a rare blog entry discusses the importance of listening to customers and how it shapes Skype product development.

He said Skype is taking consumer input so seriously it now has a weekly "Feedback War Room to keep things right - a first in our almost five-year history."

He said: "You may have noticed the mid-June launch of Skype 4.0 beta 1 for Windows. While creating this revamped version of Skype was partly a practical move - not unlike moving from a tiny student flat to a more spacious home - it also belies a significant effort to analyze Skype's evolving role in people's lives and to see the findings reflected in how it looks, behaves and interacts. As one user put it, these days, Skype is 'more than just a chat program'."

Continue reading "Skype President Josh Silverman describes how listening to customers leads to innovation" »

I'd like to tell you about an opportunity for the entire Skype community to get involved in an important Internet community event.

OneWebDay is an Earth Day for the Internet that takes place each September 22nd. 2008 is the third OneWebDay. This year, OneWebDay is focusing attention around the world on the importance of the internet to political participation.

Skype's own Christopher Libertelli has joined the cause as one of 100 OneWebDay ambassadors. On each of the 100 days leading up to September 22nd, a different ambassador is reaching out to his or her community about OneWebDay.

We're encouraging people to talk (and do something) about internet issues that worry them - censorship, the digital divide and inadequate connectivity, in general.

The idea behind OneWebDay is to create a platform for a global constituency that cares about the future of the internet. We make progress when we make things visible, and with OneWebDay we're showing that this global constituency exists.

For more information about OneWebDay, check out its website, or have a look at the OneWebDay starter kit for keen participants.

Just to introduce myself. I am Howard Wolinsky, your friendly neighborhood blogger from Chicago. I recently left the Chicago Sun-Times, where I was a tech writer and before that a medical writer. I was among the first journos to cover the AIDS crisis and also among the first to cover the internet.

Check me out at GapersBlock, a popular Chicago blog run by Andrew Huff, a former student of mine at the University of Chicago.

I have long been a fan of internet communications—going back to the geeky "internet telephony" era—and have been a Skype user. As a part-time freelancer, I used Skype to cut my phone bills and to extend my reach for sources to Europe and beyond. Thank you, Skype.

Now as a full-time freelancer, I expect to do more with Skype. I will share my adventures on planet Skype and hope you will do the same.