„Microsoft“ pristatė naują internetinių pokalbių programos „Skype“ versiją. Nuo šiol vartotojai galės bendrauti su žmonėmis, naudojančiais „Windows Live Messenger“, „Hotmail“ ir „Outlook.com“ internetines paslaugas. Tiesa, norint pasinaudoti šia naujove teks prie „Skype“ prisijungti, su „Live ID“ vartotojo vardu ir slaptažodžiu. Šiek tiek pasikeitė programos lango išvaizda: užapvalintus mygtukus pakeitė „Windows 8“ stilių šiek tiek primenantys stačiakampiai elementai.(Šaltinis: http://computerbild.veidas.lt)

English:

A little piece of software that lets you talk over the internet to anyone, anywhere in the world for free

Computers are no longer used exclusively by technology enthusiasts or software developers, as they can also be used for graphic designs, movie playing or chatting with friends. For the last purpose, Skype is undoubtedly one of the most popular tools, used on a daily basis by millions of people worldwide.

Skype offers users the possibility to make calls over the Internet, providing high audio and video quality if the Internet connection is good enough.

It only takes a few seconds to have this application installed on the computer, but during this process, additional components are offered – users are advised to uncheck them, since Skype does not need any extra tools to run smoothly on any PC.

Before being able to make any calls, users need to input their username and password, or create an account if they do not have one. Once this step is completed, contacts can be searched and added, so as to initiate a conversation which can be either a voice one or a common written one (emoticons are also supported).

The most appreciated feature of Skype is probably its video calling, which enables users all over the world to get in touch with their friends and see them, provided they have a webcam. Also, if the call is between two Skype accounts, it is free of charge, as fees are applied only when making a call to a real phone number.

In addition to chat, Skype supports conferences (more than two users can take part in the same conversation), file transfers and screen sharing. Moreover, its settings can be easily customized to ensure users’ privacy is preserved.

The conclusion is that Skype is a must-have application for those who chat regularly or want to keep in touch with their friends, while still being able to see and hear them.

Here are some key features of „Skype“:

· Make free calls to anyone else on Skype, anywhere in the world
· See who you are talking to with free video calls
· Chat with up to 100 people in group chats
· Conference call with up to four people for free
· Call ordinary phones with SkypeOut
· Superior sound quality
· Works with all firewall, NAT and routers ? nothing to configure!
· Friends list shows you when your Skype friends are online and ready to talk or chat
· Super-simple and easy to use
· Your calls are encrypted „end-to-end“ in order to safeguard your privacy
· Based on cutting edge peer-to-peer technology developed by the creators of Kazaa and Joltid

Requirements:

· Windows XP required for video calls
· Internet connection (broadband is best, GPRS is not supported for voice calls, and results may vary on a satellite connection).
· Speakers and microphone – built-in or separate.
· A webcam, if you want to make video calls.
· We also recommend that you have at least 400 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM and 15 MB free disk space on your hard drive.

What’s New in This Release:

What’s new:
· Microsoft and Facebook Account Integration Sign up and sign-in is easier than ever. You can now sign into Skype using your Microsoft or Facebook account – there’s no need to create a new Skype account. This makes it even easier to connect with friends on Skype without having to set up another account.
· IM friends on Messenger Now you can instant message your Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and Outlook.com contacts via Skype all in one place. If you use a Microsoft account today, merging your accounts is easy – just sign in to Skype with your Microsoft account.
· Calling with Messenger friends is coming soon We’re working on polishing a feature which will enable audio and video calls to Windows Live Messenger customers using Skype desktop clients. The feature will be available in coming weeks.
· Skype localized to six more languages We are excited to support our growing community around the world with new localized versions of Skype in Thai, Croatian, Slovenian, Serbian, Ca…

Users are advised to pay attention while installing this ad-supported application:

· Displays ad banners or other types of advertising material during its runtime