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Transfer PayPal funds mid-chat with Skype’s ‘Send Money’ feature
Skype and PayPal have teamed up to make it easier for you to transfer money to someone mid-conversation. If you're talking to a pal through the Skype mobile app and remember you need to reimburse them for those drinks they bought the other night, just swipe right and tap the new "Send Money" feature. PayPal will take it from there.
BMW drivers can't escape work thanks to in-car Skype access
In the age of after-hours company emails, working lunches and constant connectivity, the one place you can escape is your car, right? Not so fast, easy rider. With help from Microsoft, BMW has installed Skype for Business in select vehicles running BMW iDrive, the company's infotainment and mobility system. Just a few months ago, BMW added Microsoft's Office 365 tools to BMW's iDrive, so certain Bimmers really are turning into (very) high-speed offices.
Even Skype is copying Snapchat
Despite its smaller-than-expected user-base, everyone keeps trying to ape Snapchat. The latest in that trend is none other than Skype. Yes, the VOIP and chat app is trying its hand at being an ephemeral social network. Microsoft is calling its Stories clone "Highlights," and the posting process sounds really similar to Snapchat. From the main screen, swipe to access the camera to capture a photo or video. Once posted, the people in your network can comment with emoticon reactions or text. Oh, right: Texts within the app now support emoji reactions and colored banners. Skype's other effort to be all things to all people includes built-in chatbots and a colorful redesign. Sure!
Russia is building a secure Skype knock-off
Russia's state-owned technology business, Rostec, is building a secure voice and video communications platform. In a statement, the company revealed that the system will be a "Russian analogue of Skype," albeit with more security. The software is expected to set a "benchmark in terms of information security," capable of handling voice and video calls, text messaging and file sharing. The as-yet unnamed platform won't directly access the internet, so it won't be "deciphered by hackers or foreign intelligence agencies."
Skype's 'all-new' Windows 10 app makes the trip to Xbox One
Although Microsoft isn't promoting its Xbox One camera add-on nearly as much these days (and using one on new systems requires an adapter just to plug it in), it has acknowledged the Kinect with a new version of Skype for the console. This "all new" edition is based on the Universal Windows version available on other platforms but redesigned to work in the living room. While Snap picture-in-picture chatting is no longer available, it has a new look, controller shortcuts and now features manual zoom control to go along with its automatic zoom capability. Despite a number of attempts, living room video calling has yet to take off, but if you're properly equipped then the new version should be available on your Xbox One now.
Microsoft has its own version of the Samsung Galaxy S8 (updated)
Samsung has been bundling Microsoft apps like Skype, OneDrive, OneNote and more on its phones and tablets for a while now. However, when it comes to the Galaxy S8, the two companies are taking their partnership a step further. Microsoft is selling a Samsung Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition and it's accepting pre-orders starting today at its retail stores in the US ahead of the April 21st launch.
Google is ready to take over your office chat with Hangouts
Google's work of transitioning Hangouts from being its default chat app to a more business focus is nearly complete. First up is the formally announced Hangouts Meet. Sound familiar? That's because it semi-officially arrived at the first of the month. Now Google is ready to take it wide. At its core, Meet is all about making video conferencing faster and easier. That comes down to not needing any special software or logins for video chat -- just a shared link. No WiFi? No problem because people can dial in with a dedicated phone number too. So long as their organization is a G Suite Enterprise customer, of course. Meet will support video calls with up to 30 people.
Linux Skype goes from alpha to beta and gets new features
Since its debut on Linux last July, Skype's engineering team has been hard at work, fleshing out the open platform's features and making it more user-friendly. The team announced on Thursday that it has made enough progress in recent months to warrant moving the program out of alpha build and into beta version 5.0.
Microsoft creates a low-data version of Skype for India
Skype's place as the original gangster of internet messengers means that it's never had to watch its weight, until now. Microsoft has put the app on a diet to announce Skype Lite, a slimmed-down messenger designed for countries like India. You'll win no prizes for guessing that the Android app will heavily compress images and video and is intended to work reliably even on India's 2G wireless infrastructure.
Skype Mobile tests in-call reactions and retooled search
With the wide variety messaging apps adding video calls, Microsoft has been steadily rolling out improvements to Skype to keep up with the competition. Starting today, Skype users can help test a few new beta features that should make video calling and messaging an even more enjoyable experience on mobile devices.
Amazon Echo and Google Home want to be your new house phone
Right now, you can order a pizza, manage your to-do list and call an Uber on Amazon Echo and Google Home. The latest development from the smart speakers would give us yet another reason to leave our phones in our pocket. The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon and Google are considering adding telephone functionality to their devices, but it won't be easy.
Windows 10 is getting a picture-in-picture mode
Microsoft just made it easier to use multiple applications at once on Windows 10, especially when dealing with video-focused programs. The company released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15031 to developers today, and the main attraction is the introduction of so-called Compact Overlay windows.
White House adds four 'Skype seats' for press briefings
Starting this week, the White House will open up four so-called Skype seats to reporters outside of Washington, DC. Press secretary Sean Spicer announced the move in a briefing today, one that he says will "open up the briefing room to journalists who live beyond 50 miles" of the DC area. Spicer also explained that the virtual access will give news outlets that don't have press passes or the financial resources to travel a chance to attend White House news sessions.
Volvo's high-end cars will come with Skype built in
Many people depend on Skype to chat with family, colleagues and clients throughout their working day. To help them stay connected while they're outside the office, Volvo has announced plans to integrate Skype for Business into its high-end 90 Series cars. Accessible through a large touchscreen dashboard, drivers will see a list of scheduled meetings and a shortcut to their complete contact list. Tapping once will reveal a meeting summary, including the organiser, participants and the ways in which they can join the call. A "Join Meeting" shortcut will reside at the bottom so users can quickly dial in -- no pesky pin codes required (hopefully).
Microsoft will give Skype chatbots a voice next year
Not content with just stuffing Cortana into your home appliances, Microsoft now wants you to have real conversations with needy Skype bots. In a bid to make those awkward chatbot encounters feel more natural, next year will see the company granting third parties access to its Skype calling API. With this, Microsoft partners like StubHub and Expedia will be able to give their bots a voice, offering users an alternative to text chat.
Skype translations now work with calls to phone lines
Skype's live translations are no longer limited to fellow internet callers. If you're part of the Windows Insider Program, you now have access to a Skype Preview release for PCs that will translate calls to conventional phones, whether they're cellphones or landlines. If you need to contact a hotel where no one speaks your native tongue, you might have a chance of holding a conversation. The recipients get a notice that Skype is recording and translating the call, so they have an opportunity to hang up if they're particularly concerned about their privacy.
You don't need to sign in to use Skype anymore
Unless you have Skype configured to boot-up when you start your computer, starting the program, logging in and connecting to a call can be mildly tedious. It's not anymore -- Microsoft just announced a new 'Guest' mode for Skype that makes user accounts almost completely optional. Now if you want to join a Skype call, all you have to do is click a link and enter your name.
Skype's live translations are now available in Russian
Since launching last year, Microsoft has steadily been building out Skype's automatic live-translating ability, and making it even easier to speak with more people around the world. The feature, which translates the voice of the person on the other end of your Skype call into instant subtitles and speech, can now handle voice-to-voice and voice-to-text for Russian, in addition to the eight other languages it already supports.
Ask, and Siri will make Skype calls for you
When Skype updates on desktop and gives the "improving your experience" message it's usually pretty easy to dismiss that as a bald-faced lie. But the latest iOS update actually sounds really useful. The VoIP service will now tap into Siri for making calls, pull contact information from the app into your contact list and, like Facebook Messenger before it, make incoming calls look like regular ones. It all sounds genuinely useful. As always, if the update hasn't hit your iOS 10 device yet, that's what the source link below is for.
Windows Insiders can send and receive texts on Skype for PC
Windows Insiders who still miss the experimental Messaging everywhere feature may want to get the latest version of Skype Preview for PC and Mobile. Microsoft has updated the app to be able to send and receive text messages on Windows 10 computers, so long as Skype Preview is the default messaging application on their Windows 10 Mobile devices. The new version shows both IMs and text messages in a single view for each contact to prevent clutter, as well.
