Skype 5.8 for Windows has landed, complete with an all-new HD video calling option.

The updated software now supports 1080p video, meaning that - if you have a Full HD webcam such as the Logitech c920 - you'll be able to video chat with your pals in high-definition. Better have a go at those black-heads then...

You'll need a 2Mbps upload and download speed to jet a judder-free experience mind.

The other big addition is group screen share, which allows Skypers to broadcast their entire screens (or a single app window) with their contacts during conference calls. Handy for things like photo presentations and group collaborating. You'll need Skype Premium to make use of this feature.

Other additions in Skype 5.8 include video calling to your Facebook pals, even if they aren't on Skype, and a push-to-talk feature so you can set up hotkeys for muting your microphone. There's also a new Facebook contact hide option for offline pals and Bing toolbar integration.

Skype 5.8 for Windows is free and is available now.

Tags: Software Skype VoIP

Skype 5.8 for Windows dials in 1080p HD calling originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:45:00 +0000

England has taken a battering in the first test match against Pakistan over in Dubai. But it isn't just Andrew Strauss and the team who are under pressure, the broadcasting circuits in the media centre at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and a local radio communications meltdown have led to the BBC's Test Match Special team broadcasting from an iPad over Skype.

It's a case of new tech coming to old tech's rescue.

The TMS team, which enjoys a cult following both on BBC radio and the BBC Sport website, is led by ex-England fast bowler Jonathan Agnew but it is his co-commentators who are apparently struggling the most with the modern tech.

Ex-England captain Geoffrey Boycott was said to be mightily confused by the situation, with another former national skipper Michael Vaughan tweeting:

"Geoffrey's just walked in the box, I don't think he's got a clue what's going on with the iPad and he doesn't know why we're talking into it!"

"What do I do with it? I have never had one of these," said Boycott, after he was handed the tablet computer. "Just talk normally, do I?" he asked.

Long-serving TMS commentator Henry Blofeld added: "It's rather exciting isn't it? Skype, iPad and goodness knows what."

Jonathon Moore, Product Manager at Skype said: "Skype is used in many wonderful ways, but this is the first time we’ve heard it being used to broadcast a live cricket commentary. At Skype, we are passionate about quality. Our engineers work hard to make sure that Skype works perfectly across different mobile phones, tablets and computers on whatever Internet speed is available. Situations like this are a real endorsement of the work we do.”

In days gone by, a loss in radio signal would have meant a simple ball-by-ball commentary from a BBC reporter in the UK, using the TV images as a reference.

Former BBC commentator Arlo White tweeted: "TMS is currently a tremendous advert for Skype and iPads. OK it lacks crowd effects, but CMJ/Boycs coming through loud and clear!"

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Tags: Online BBC Cricket iPad Skype Skype for iPad

iPad and Skype come to BBC Cricket Test Match Special's rescue originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:34:00 +0000

Ever since Skype was taken over by Microsoft back in October 2011, a Skype app for its Windows Phone 7 operating system has been on the cards. And now it looks as though it's nearly here after vice president of Skype division, Rick Osterloh, said: "we're working on a Windows Phone product that will be coming out soon," during an interview at CES 2012.

The news that Skype will be heading to Windows Phone 7 has been hanging around for some time now as it was initially thought that Microsoft would be launching the Skype app a little earlier, possibly by the end of 2011. However it was not to be, so this "coming soon" CES 2012 quote is very timely.

In actual fact, the term "coming soon" could mean anything from the next few months, to within the year; it is suitably vague and very subjective.

There are, however, further reports coming in that Skype will be released in the first half of 2012, Paul Thurrott's blog suggesting this after delving deeply into some Microsoft "documentation".

What is certain, is that any Skype for WP7 release will be dependent on the rollout of the various versions of the Microsoft operating system, with both Tango and Apollo versions looking to be launched this year.

As Tango will come with video calling integration already, and acts as a good test-bed for hardware specific phones like the Lumia 900, we may not see a launch until later in the year when Apollo makes an appearance.

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Tags: Windows Phone 7 apps Apps Skype Microsoft

Skype for Windows Phone 7 nears release originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:21:00 +0000

Skype has announced its 5.5 beta update for Mac which delivers a few new features as well as a host of tweaks.

These include improvements to the call UI and tweaks to the call quality; Skype also says that its looked into the stabilisation of its service and it should now be nice and steady.

A video call option has also been added, whereby on receiving a call you can decide whether to accept incoming calls with or without video. Skype says that the improvements made to its Skype Call, "allows Mac users to easily mute their microphone, send video, share their screen, send files and even add more people during a call".

Frequent users are encouraged to make the the download before feeding back to Skype on any room for improvement. Any issues can be fed back to Support Network or on Skype's public issue tracker.

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Tags: Skype VoIP Skype for Mac Software Updates

Skype for Mac 5.5 beta update brings calling UI improvements originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:50:00 +0000

Panasonic has shown a Skype capable picture frame at this year's CES. Looking a bit like a permanently tethered iPad, it is able to playback photo and video, as well as show Facebook and Twitter feeds straight on the display.

Like a more social photo frame, or a basic way to access your social networks and make Skype calls, the idea behind the Panasonic is clearly to leave it somewhere like your kitchen and let you tap and interact with networks.?

The only let down we can see with the photo frame is the rather chunky stand on the back. An iPad is thinner and can be removed from a stand, plus it can do a lot more than the Panasonic's frame. Then again an iPad will also cost more we expect. We will let you know once Panasonic tells us how much the frame is going for.

We definitely like the styling, it's like something HAL would have built.

Tags: Gadgets Skype Panasonic CES2012

Panasonic Skype picture frame prototype thinks it's 2001: A Space Odyssey originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Although there's no official confirmation at present, Cisco has killed off its Umi consumer video conferencing system, and has withdrawn from taking on Skype head-to-head.

The 1080p TV top chat set-up has been withdrawn from sale and, with it, the last vestiges of the company's plans to make inroads in the consumer marketplace. First the Flip camera was exterminated, now Umi.

Released at the tail-end of 2010, it is believed that the reason for slow take-up of Umi lay in its US pricing structure. The box, a camera and a controller cost the mighty sum of $600, while a lower-cost 720p version was still $400, with a monthly service fee of $10. In comparison, Skype is free to use, and can be used with a vast array of devices, from TVs to phones to PCs.

The Umi service will remain in operation for existing customers, but it will no longer be possible to buy the kit: "[Cisco has] decided to no longer sell Cisco Umi hardware as a consumer offering," a spokesperson confirmed.

"While we are ending the sale of Umi, the Umi service remains unchanged. Existing customers will continue to be able to use the service to make calls to other Umi subscribers or to?Google?video chat accounts."

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Tags: Cisco Video conferencing Cisco umi Skype VoIP

Cisco kills Umi, its US Skype alternative originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Social networking apps get better on the big screen. While the mobile experience is great for that untethered, out and about, live streaming and discovery social existence and perfect for creating content, there's an equally great pleasure in switching on your iPad from the comfort of your home and becoming a consumer of social affairs instead.

Sadly, there aren't quite as many iOS social networking apps optimised for iPad as one might like and expect but there's still plenty of good ones to enjoy if you know where to look. So, here's the best iPad social apps according to us lot at Pocket-lint. Enjoy and stay in touch now.

imo

Skype and Facebook are all very well and good but the trouble is that there's always stragglers mucking about on other chat services where you could be missing out. There's plenty of IM aggregators out there but only a few with such a good portfolio as imo and even fewer that have actually been optimised for the iPad.

With imo, you can simultaneously log into accounts on Skype, Facebook Chat, AIM, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo, Jabber, MySpace, Hyvies, Vkontakte and Steam and that covers most of the big ones. If we're getting picky, which we are, it could be a little prettier but it's still a very handy piece of software and well worth a download.

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 4/5

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Facebook for iPad

Ever since the iPad launched, Facebook always said that you don’t need a dedicated iPad app and that the Safari web browser is the best way to experience Facebook. That all changed when the official Facebook for iPad was finally introduced.?Fire up the app and you are presented with a full screen experience. The app works in both landscape and portrait, although landscape works best and clicking a button in the top left hand corner reveals a menu and here you get options to quickly access your favourite pages like News Feed, Messages, Nearby, Events, and Friends.

There are some new features that we haven’t seen before. Click on the Nearby option, for example, and you get a large Google maps page with your mates dotted around the world. Seeing the data like this shows you how powerful Facebook is - and will become.?Overall the app is impressive and far better than the website ever can be without adopting some serious amounts of HTML5, but there is a catch. The Facebook for iPad app is great for consuming your Facebook feeds, but not great if you want to interact with all the Facebook apps and features to the full. Read More

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 5/5

?

Discussion Forum for iPad users

Sexy, this app isn't but if you want to socialise in your ultimate network as an iPad user, then the Discussion Forum for iPad users is, funnily enough, the only place to be. Aside the obvious geeking out over owning sexy hardware, the forum is actually a really useful place to pick up tips, suggestions and, most importantly, where to turn when you can't get your tablet to do that thing that, for some reason, it appears to refuse to want to do.

Naturally, it's properly designed for the big(ger) screen experience - it would be a bit stupid if it wasn't - and it's a decent flick with a decent search that makes the content as much a pleasure to find as it is to read.

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 3.5/5

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Twitter

The official Twitter app is nothing short of brilliant. Twitter may have just killed its own website by releasing this app into the world.?First up, it isn't just a timeline viewer - there's much more to it than that. Your lists are present, as are searches and trends, and the app even supports multiple accounts.?Even typing a tweet on the official app feels and looks nice. Tweets are composed via a notepad looking platform with a nice friendly and clear font.

But it's within the tweet timelines that this app really proves its worth. If a tweet contains content such as a link to a website or a picture, then simply tapping the tweet will bring up the content in a separate pane. You can then simply slide this pane back out of view when you're done with it - or leave it hovering at the side if you'll want to refer to it later.?All the usual Twitter that you'd expect is on board as well, including the ability to add favourite tweets, retweet, direct message and so on.?Basically, it's a fully comprehensive Twitter client from the people who know best (or should know best at least). Read More

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 5/5

?

GetGlue for iPad

GetGlue is the social network for people into films, TV, games, music, wine and generally the finer things you can consume in life. Rather than you live streaming your experience of sitting on your sofa or posting pictures of you in your pyjamas in front of the box, the idea is that you check-in with what you're enjoying at the moment and see what your buddies are appreciating as well.

The idea is that you can start to receive recommendations on what to read or see next and even get yourself a load of achievement stickers if you're into that sort of thing. Now as an app on the iPad, it makes a superb way to enjoy this couch potato's idea of a social network, i.e. from the comfort of your own slouching spot.

iTunes:?Link

Price:?Free

Rating: 4/5

?

Skype

Skype is just a quick download and it is up and running straight away on your iPad. A brief login and your contact list will populate. The app is split between a conversation window and a contacts list kept on the left.?When video calling in landscape this all drops away and things go full screen, giving you a nice clean video chat experience. It is exactly how the app should be, using all the iPad's screen estate to display video. Video quality was about as good as you would expect over a decent Wi-Fi connection. Things naturally lose a bit of quality when you are using 3G and battery life takes more of a hit.

Skype for iPad feels like the best possible video chat client for Apple's iPad 2. The inclusion of a front facing camera on the new tablet makes it the perfect device to use with the new Skype app. It gets a step up over FaceTime by being 3G compatible, meaning you can have video calls while out on the go. Sure it is a bit of a battery drainer and feels like a one way instant messaging client on the first gen iPad (no camera), but as a free alternative to Apple's native app you can't get much better. Read More

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 4/5

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Flipboard

What if there was a magazine that was personal to you, that was customised with your own personal and social interests? Well, there is and it’s called Flipboard. As well as gathering news from a number of prominent sources, it also scours your Facebook and Twitter data and presents that info as well.?What you end up with is a personalised magazine where the pages are made up of articles, videos and pictures already fetched from you from any links that appear in your social media streams, and there’s even a unique front cover, just for you.

Your magazine is presented with headlines, pictures and text, and if you click an article you get it in full screen. What’s more, you can share and reply from within the app (including Facebook thumbs ups) and, as the magazine is always evolving - newer material is always found on the first few pages - so it never gets old. Read more

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 4.5/5

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AIM

Aol's instant messenger service is widely used around the world as a means to quickly send messages to friends. Think of it as a replacement for the SMS on your iPad. It's a 3G or Wi-Fi-powered way of communicating with contacts. The app has recently been redesigned from the ground up, granting greater access to chat groups and easier control over contacts and friends.?

AIM is heavily incorporated into a multitude of apps but tends to exist best in its own app form. Like most social apps it is simple and easy to use, allowing you to quickly share messages and information without anything nasty getting in the way. It's also got a rather nice background customisation option to make the whole experiencing rather fetching on the iPad.

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 4/5

?

Fring

Fring acts as a way to share messages and calls between smartphone and tablet users over 3G and Wi-Fi networks. It allows you to phone friends for free and even make video calls, something which Apple's FaceTime can only manage over Wi-Fi. The app can also interact with other social networking services like AIM and Twitter, allowing one app to rule them all when it comes to communicating.

Fring actually boasts pretty decent video quality, especially when you have a good connection. You can even use the app to call desktop Skye clients. It is pretty special stuff and there aren't many social apps that can boast such cross network connectivity. What's particularly nice about the iPad version is that there's plenty of screen for the four-way group video chat to take place.

iTunes:?Link

Price: Free

Rating: 4/5

Tags: Apps iPad apps Social networking Facebook Facebook Messenger Twitter Fring AIM Skype Features GetGlue Flipboard

Best iPad social apps originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sun, 01 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Skype has announced the launch of Skype 2.6 for Android, bringing with it a whole bunch of new features including photo and video messaging for free over Wi-Fi or your 3G network.

Not only this but if you're lucky enough to own an Android device packing one of Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipsets - the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Motorola Xoom and Acer Iconia Tablet, amongst others - can take advantage of better battery management and improved video.

More mobile phones have also been added to the list of handsets that can use Skype's video conferencing feature; these include the HTC Amaze 4G and Motorola Droid RAZR.

Basically if you have an Android device with Android 2.2 (Froyo) or higher you'll be able to try out video calling for free, as well as send all the photos and videos your data allowance will allow.

Dan Chastney, writing on the Skype blog, said, "We're excited about these new enhancements, adding even more value to the things you can already do on Skype for Android like video calling, sending and receiving instant messages for free or making phone calls to mobiles and landlines worldwide at great Skype rates."

You can download Skype 2.6 for Android from the Android Market now.

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Tags: Apps Skype Updates Android Android apps

Skype 2.6 for Android update: Photo and video messaging for free originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:50:00 +0000