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.