Skype for Linux gets an update after almost 15 months
by Vlad Bobleanta on April 7, 2011 at 03:00 PM
Proving how much it cares about those people who use its app on Linux, Skype has released version 2.2 for Linux. Don't run towards the champagne though, as this is still a beta version, and, as its minor revision number implies, isn't the much-awaited big new version that achieves feature parity with its Windows and Mac brethren.It's only been what, almost 15 months since the last Skype beta for Linux? Well, during this time, Skype's main focus has clearly been improving its Linux app, since the new version fixes the amazing number of 49 bugs. It also brings 23 'improvements', and yet somehow still manages to have a fair share of 'known issues'. Exciting, no?
What is perhaps the most important feature addition here is the support for Skype Access. This lets you easily connect to paid Wi-Fi hotspots across the globe while paying for them with Skype credit. Skype for Linux has also received support for call waiting and holding, as well as easy conference hosting. Audio and video quality have been boosted (hopefully in a way that's going to be noticeable in day-to-day use), and some of the languages have been updated.
Download Skype 2.2.0.25 for Linux
Tags: apps, audio, call holding, Call Waiting, CallHolding, CallWaiting, conference call, ConferenceCall, Linux, skype, skype 2.2 beta, skype 2.2 for linux, skype access, skype for linux, Skype2.2Beta, Skype2.2ForLinux, SkypeAccess, SkypeForLinux, video, voip
- source: Skype Garage Blog
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Skype for Linux gets an update after almost 15 months
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Skype’s New App Brings Video Chat To The iPhone, iPad And iPod Touch
We’ve been hearing reports that Skype is debuting a mobile video chat service and D-Day has arrived. The company is launching a brand new version of its iPhone app that includes the ability to turn on video in any Skype chat.
The beauty of the app is that it brings free video calling to iPhone 3G devices, iPad and iPod Touch, all of which couldn’t run Apple’s video calling feature Facetime (the feature only works with iPhone 4 devices and Mac computers). Of course, iPad owners won’t be able to initiate a video call, but these users can receive any video chats from contacts.
Skype also says that the app allows users to video chat over both 3G and WiFi networks, allowing users to access the feature across a variety of connections. Skype’s iPhone app, which was one of the top five free iPhone apps in 2010, allows users to simply turn on the video feature to activate video chat. iPhone 4 users have the ability to use either the front facing camera or the back camera.
The new version of the iPhone app is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and 4th generation iPod touch with i0S 4.0 or above. Users can receive video chat on the 3rd generation iPod touch and iPad. Calls can also be made between devices using the new Skype for iPhone app and desktops including Skype for Windows, Skype for Mac, Skype for Linux and ASUS Videophone.
Rick Osterloh, VP of Consumer Products for Skype, tells us that the company has been working for awhile to develop video capability in the app. With video calling representing 40 percent of all Skype calls, Osterloh says that adding the functionality made sense to expand Skype’s use. “Mobile is going to be big for Skype,” says Osterloh. “We are making sure Skype is with you wherever you are and mobile will be the place where that happens as smartphones get more powerful.”
Osterloh adds that we can expect more mobile offerings in the near future, which seems to imply that video calling could be coming to its Android app as well. And while this new app does seem to compete with Apple’s Facetime, Osterloh is quick to add that Apple has been a “great partner” in the development of the new build of iPhone app (probably because Apple actually approved the app).
This has been a tumultuous few weeks for Skype, which suffered a massive outage last week affecting tens of millions os users. Today, the company’s CIO Lars Rabbe revealed the causes behind the outage, which included a bug in the Skype for Windows client. And earlier this week, the company was hit with a patent infringement suit. Skype says that the release of the app was purposely made just prior to New Year’s, which is historically Skype’s biggest video calling day of the year (measured in calling minutes).
2011 should be a big year for Skype, as the company prepares for an IPO in the next year. With this event looming ahead, Skype has been working to expand usage of its service through enterprise offerings and new product development (i.e. Facebook integration). And we know Skype is going to make a big push to the cloud in 2011, possibly launching a web-based service early in the year.
Besides for general consumer use, video calling could come in useful for Skype’s enterprise clients. The new feature definitely makes the technology a more compelling solution for conferencing purposes.
And Osterloh made it pretty clear that mobile will also be a part of the company’s strategy to expand its userbase (Skype has an average 25 million consumers using the service at any given time). It should be interesting to see what Skype has up its sleeve in the New Year.
Website: skype.com Location: Luxembourg, Luxembourg Founded: August 1, 2003 Acquired: September 12, 2005 by eBay for $1.9B in Cash Skype is a peer-to-peer Internet telephony service that is free for Skype-to-Skype calls. The service also allows Skype users to call mobiles and landlines, and vice-versa. Skype has special charge plans for non-Skype-to-Skype calls. Skype is… Learn More
Information provided by CrunchBase
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Skype 5.0 Beta now available for Mac, with group video calling and Address Book support
Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, VoIP
Skype 5.0 Beta now available for Mac, with group video calling and Address Book support
by Jay Hathaway (RSS feed) Nov 4th 2010 at 11:45AM
Skype 5.0 Beta has finally hit the Mac, bringing with it the group video calling feature that Skype for WIndows users have been enjoying for a couple of months now. The OS X version also gets some Mac-only perks, though, including a nice new single-window UI and Address Book integration.
The contact list (now attached as a sidebar to the main calling window) will grab all the Address Book contacts for whom you've added phone numbers, and let you call, IM or SMS them, even when they're offline. Meanwhile, a new call control bar floats above your other windows, so you can quickly pause, mute or hang up a call, even while you're in another app. Of course, the most-hyped new feature is group video calling, which will work with up to 10 people, but all participants must be running Skype 5 (on Mac or Windows).One caveat about upgrading to 5.0, though: it breaks some Skype plug-ins, so you might have to downgrade again if you're running any hacks or add-ons you can't live without.
Tags: address book, AddressBook, group video chat, GroupVideoChat, mac, os x, OsX, skype, skype 5.0, Skype5.0, voip
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Skype for iPhone Updated to Version 2.1.2
Skype fans, be sure to check your updates in the iTunes App Store as the iPhone version has just been updated. The latest version has a number of bug fixes as well as some new changes. Also, don’t forget about Skype’s latest deal where you get 400 minutes free calling to landlines (or cell phones and land lines in the United States and India) for subscribing.
The new features allow you to go offline and tweak the away Skype behaves while running in the background – helpful for you heavy Skype users. Notifications have also been improved and made a little more cleaner, too.
But fixes include events during voicemail playback, multiple Skype searches, chat keypad while receiving a call, voicemails being routed to speaker during chat and mor reliable support for iOS 4 devices without multitasking.
[Via: iTunes]
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Skype and Facebook teaming up on SMS, voice and video chat
Filed under: VoIP, Social Software
Skype and Facebook teaming up on SMS, voice and video chat
by Lee Mathews (RSS feed) Sep 29th 2010 at 8:20AM
If you're the biggest social network around and you need to tap someone for video chat, who better to do it than the biggest name in video calling? That's what Facebook thinks, and they're teaming up with Skype to deliver SMS and voice/video chat using Facebook Connect.As Kara Swisher reports, Facebook hopes that giving users stronger communication tools will lead to a tighter community -- more users using it more often. Skype will likely see a nice increase in its monthly usage as well. While 124 million people Skyping at least once a month is certainly impressive, Facebook integration will no doubt provide a big boost.
Skype 5, which is set to release in a few weeks, will add a Facebook tab from where you'll be able to SMS or call your FB friends. The new version is currently in beta testing right now, but Facebook integration has yet to appear.
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