Pulse2 Technology and Social Media News » Skype

Skype Has Been An Issue For Windows Phone

Amit Chowdhry — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:59:07 +0000

When Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion this past October, people have been wondering how the software giant would integrate the VoIP giant. This issue has been extended to Nokia. Mobility blogger Tomi Ahonen wrote a report about the Nokia shareholders meeting in Finland and it sounded like Nokia CEO Stephen Elop had to answer some tough questions. Ahonen said “Elop had explained that Nokia, together with Microsoft, is now attempting to convince carriers/operators to accept Skype against their wills, by marketing/pricing/sales gimmicks. This admission says to me that the carriers are truly hostile towards Nokia about the matter and this negotiation attempt is futile.”

None of the Windows Phone devices have Skype pre-installed. Microsoft recently released Skype for Windows Phone 1.0 recently on the Windows Phone Marketplace. Elop even admitted at the meeting that in most countries where the Lumia launched has been poor. In the U.S. and Finland, Nokia sales have been stronger. In Europe, Lumia sales are not doing too hot though.

When Elop was asked by a shareholder about channel issues due to Skype, Elop said “If the operator doesn’t want us, it doesn’t want us. We will appeal to them with other arguments. We have more to offer to them. It is a good point to start the discussion from Skype.”

“This admission says to me that the carriers are truly hostile towards Nokia about the matter and this negotiation attempt is futile,” said Ahonen.

How To Look Up IP Address Of A Skype User

Amit Chowdhry — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:00:12 +0000

If you use Skype and are interested in finding out the remote and local IP address of other online Skype users, you may want to check out this website: http://skype-ip-finder.tk/. This website uses a script that has been uploaded on Github. The way the script works is by getting ready to add a Skype contact by request, but does not complete it. The log file will display the local and remote IP of that Skype user even if the user is not added to the list of contacts in Skype. If you are worried about this issue, then I would recommend not having Skype open when you are not using it. The IP address does not reveal a user name’s street address, but it can reveal which city they are logged in from. For additional discussion on this issue, I would recommend checking out this post on Hacker News. Below is a statement we have received from Microsoft.

“We are investigating reports of a new tool that captures a Skype user’s last known IP address. This is an ongoing, industry-wide issue faced by all peer-to-peer software companies. We are committed to the safety and security of our customers and we are takings measures to help protect them,” stated Adrian Asher, director of product Security at Skype.

Microsoft Says Skype For Windows Is Coming Soon

Amit Chowdhry — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:45:48 +0000

Microsoft subsidiary company Skype will be integrating their VoIP software into Windows Phone. Skype VP of products, Rick Osterloh said that the Skype division is “working on a Windows Phone product that will be coming out soon,” during an interview at CES 2012. The actual acquisition of the company was completed this past October so it is not surprising that we did not see the integration take place in 2011. Maybe we’ll see the integration at Mobile World Congress in February. [The Verge]

Skype Now Lets You Make Facebook-To-Facebook Calls

Amit Chowdhry — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:20:26 +0000

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) subsidiary Skype has updated their applications for Windows and OS X so that you can now make Facebook-to-Facebook video calls. You can do this by linking your Skype and Facebook accounts. When you link Skype and Facebook, your Skype friends list is automatically updated with your Facebook friends list. You will be able to share screens with your chat partners too. Check out the demo video below:

[Gizmodo]

Microsoft Closes Acquisition Of Skype

Amit Chowdhry — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:28:06 +0000

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has officially closed the acquisition of Skype Global S.à r.l for $8.5 billion. The board of directors at Microsoft and Skype previously approved the acquisition.

Microsoft and Skype plans on sharing a goal of keeping people connected across multiple devices. Skype will be a new business division within Microsoft.

“Skype is a phenomenal product and brand that is loved by hundreds of millions of people around the world,” stated Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “We look forward to working with the Skype team to create new ways for people to stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues — anytime, anywhere.”

Skype will also be integrated across an array of Microsoft products. Skype’s employees will continue to be located in offices in Estonia, Russia, Czech Republic, the U.K., Luxembourg, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the U.S.

Skype Opens A Third Party App Directory

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:12:33 +0000

Skype has launched a new app cloud directory that allows users to access third-party Skype apps for businesses and consumers to purchase. These apps are built on top of Skype’s APIs. Skype sorted the apps into groups by its genre and by the type of download it is like paid top downloaded free apps and top paid. Skype provides a landing page for each app, which shows the release date, screenshots, features, star ratings, etc.

Skype head of global web stores Ash Valeski said that there is an emphasis on the SkypeKit SDK. The Skype app currently has 23 apps featured. Valeski said that in the future, Skype will allow users to buy apps using Skype Credits. Currently in the Windows version of Skype, you will be able to access the app directory under Tools. It will be added to the Mac version soon.

[Skype App Directory]

Skype To Be Integrated Into Windows Phone Front Facing Cameras

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:07:19 +0000

At the Tech Ed conference in New Zealand, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) had confirmed front-facing cameras officially coming to the Mango update, which is expected soon. In the photo above, you will notice the icon for the front-facing camera feature is circled. A Microsoft staff member had confirmed that the front-facing cameras in the Windows Phone 7.5 operating system would support Skype integration soon. However it is unknown whether this will be through an app or a built-in operating system update. [Neowin]

Skype Acquires GroupMe for Rumored $85 Million

Riley Kennysmith — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:48:55 +0000

Skype has acquired mobile messaging service GroupMe. The companies have declined to reveal the terms of the acquisition, but AllThingsD reports that Skype is rumored to have paid $85 million for the company. Meanwhile, Skype is in the process of being acquired by Microsoft, and Skype also acquired video service Qik earlier this year. The GroupMe blog reports that the team will stay in New York and work on their standalone app for now.

Skype Launches Pay-Per-Minute Skype WiFi App

Riley Kennysmith — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:12:41 +0000

Skype just introduced a game-changer to the world of Wi-Fi: an iOS app that finds hotspots and lets users pay for them per-minute with Skype Credit. Instead of buying a block of time that might be more than you need, the app helps you pay for the time you use. TechCrunch reports that Skype WiFi supports more than a million hotspots around the world.

Skype Wi-Fi costs start at 6 cents a minute, and the company is offering up to an hour of free Wi-Fi to those using the app on August 20th and 21st.

Skype 5.3 Adds Lion Support & HD Video Call For Mac OS X Version

Amit Chowdhry — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:30:01 +0000

Skype has announced version 5.3 with Apple Mac OS X Lion support. Skype added a number of fixes and improvements to the user interface. Skype 5.3 features support for HD video calls as well. Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X is also compatible with past versions of OS X going all the way back to Leopard. To use the HD video feature, you will need to use the Mac’s built-in HD webcam or choose cameras from the Skype Shop such as the Logitech C910. To make clear HD video calls on your Mac, Skype recommends an upload/download speed of 1.5Mbps. [Skype Blog]