A new version of Skype for Windows lets Facebook users chat
with their friends on the booming social network.
Skype has integrated the Facebook News Feed and Phonebook into
the software. The company has revitalised the look and feel,
making voice and video calling, instant messaging, screen
sharing and file sharing easy to navigate. In addition, users
can now bring even more of their family and friends together
with the new group video calling feature available in open
beta.
With Facebook integration, users can see their Facebook News
Feed in Skype, post status updates that can be synced with
their Skype mood message, comment and like friends? updates and
wall posts, call and SMS their Facebook friends on their mobile
phones and landlines and also make a free Skype-to-Skype call
if their Facebook friend is also a Skype contact.
With the new version of Skype, users will receive a free trial
of group video calling in beta. Skype has added a dynamic group
video calling view, which it easy to follow who?s talking by
moving the focus to the person speaking on the call.
The new version of Skype also introduces automatic call
recovery, which helps users reconnect calls that are
interrupted due to Internet connection problems. Plus, the call
quality manager gauges audio and video quality during calls,
helping users to resolve problems.
Finally, the new Skype Home features a feed of mood messages
from users' contacts, and tutorials on everything from how to
make a video call to how to sign up for a subscription.
The new version of Skype is available for download
here.
Skype said video-calling accounted for approximately 40 percent
of all Skype-to-Skype minutes in the first half of the year.