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Outlook.com update brings a load of new features, including GIFs
Microsoft teased a revamped version of Outlook.com last year, including a preview that began in May. Today, the company announced that the updated web-based email service is now open to all. In addition to a redesigned look, Outlook.com migrated over to the Office 365 platform. New users who sign up for the first time will be privy to the update immediately and existing users can expect the changes to roll out over the coming weeks.
Skype has Valentine's Day video cards for you to send your loved one
Animated emoji with music composed by Paul McCartney is't the only way Skype wants you to connect for Valentine's Day this year. Today, the company is announcing a new series of video message Valentine's Day cards that you can send to anyone you want. Just as it did over the holiday season last year, these video message cards let you record a quick message and add a variety of themed video filters over the top. While you'll make the recording in Skype itself, you can send these any way you want. You can save the video to your phone and share with any of the services you have installed as well as just send it as a standard Skype message.
Microsoft apps now come with Android devices from 74 companies
If finding Microsoft apps on the Galaxy S6 caught you off-guard, you're in for a real surprise this year. Microsoft has announced that its apps are now bundled with current and future Android devices from 74 companies, including newcomer Acer as well as ASUS, LG, Samsung and Sony. That's a healthy boost from 31 vendors last year. There are bound to be gaps in coverage, but the odds are now fairly high that you'll find the Office suite, OneDrive, Skype and other Redmond-made tools on your brand new smartphone or tablet.
Paul McCartney wrote tiny songs for Skype's new animated emojis
Last fall, Skype took the emoji and sticker craze and ran with it, introducing a new animated emoticon the company simply called the "Moji." It's basically an animation coupled with an audio clip, and they launched with big content properties like The Muppets and Jurassic Park. Now, to go along with Valentine's day, Skype has a new set of 10 Moji it designed to convey the feelings of the holiday in a bunch of silly / cute ways.
Skype hides IP addresses to protect users from online trolls
Let's be honest: it's pretty hard to find someone who will be genuinely happy for you when you win something. When it comes to online gaming, however, that probability falls to zero. Losing a multiplayer game leaves some people so angry that they'll go out of their way to force fellow players offline. In order to do this, gamers can use tools to locate a target's IP address from just their target's Skype username and then launch a DDoS attack to overload their internet connection. It's not the most common attack vector but Microsoft has changed the way its messaging app works so that gamers, and the wider Skype community, can rest a little easier knowing it's harder for them to be tracked.
Skype for Android lets you schedule calls, open Office files
Skype is constantly getting new tools to make call-related tasks easier, and today the Android version received two more. First, there's now an option for scheduling calls in the mobile app. Select the contact you want to schedule a call with and select the appropriate item from the drop-down menu. This will allow you to block off time in Outlook or your calendar app of choice.
Skype makes it easy to start work calls in Slack
If you think the one thing Slack is missing is the ability to start voice/video calls, you're in luck. Skype released a preview version of its Slack integration, allowing you begin calls inside the workplace chat room app. Once you add Skype's new feature to Slack, typing /skype in a chat window will offer a join link for your colleagues to call in.
Outlook for iOS turns your meetings into Skype calls
If you use Skype on a frequent basis, you've probably wanted to schedule a few of those internet-based calls. Doing that on your phone, however, has been a hassle -- at least, until now. Microsoft has rolled out an update to Outlook for iOS that lets you turn any meeting into a Skype call, and join that call by tapping a button. Theoretically, you'll never hold up an important talk while you're sifting through your Skype contacts. And there's more on the way if you prefer face-to-face video chats, too.
ICYMI: E-paper kicks, robot directions via thought and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-978000{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-978000, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-978000{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-978000").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Shiftwear wants to change your shoe game with color e-paper screens that can move and shift into beautiful pictures on the sneakers you're wearing. It's too early to tell whether they will fund; or look as good as they do in the online video. There's also a nail-art printer if you're in the mood to spend a lot of money on something temporary.
Skype updates Android app so you can save video messages
Next time you receive a memorable video message on Skype that you want to keep forever, you can tap it and then choose Save to Gallery if you're using an Android device. The messaging application has released an update that adds the capability to its Android version, along with a few other features. For instance, you can now long-press a conversation on your Recents tab to bring up a new toolbar, which gives you quick access to delete, mark as read and mute notifications buttons. The new app gives you an easy way to share images from your gallery to a group convo and forward images from one conversation to another, as well. In addition, you can now forward Mojis (these are short reaction video clips similar to GIFs) and take advantage of a better search function. Skype has already rolled out its latest Android version, and you can download the app with all these features from Google Play if you haven't yet.
Adware found in MacUpdate's Skype Installer package
Long-trusted software site MacUpdate has apparently gone the way of its competitors: It has been tainted by adware. A Twitter user tried to download a Skype Installer package from the site and discovered that all was not as it appeared. The file looks normal at first and when opened you're prompted with a user agreement that people generally just click past, but it's here that gives the installer the right to change browser settings and add a "search-assist" browser extension. This type of software-trickery is identical to those used by InstallCore adware and as soon as the Skype agreement is confirmed, an InstallCore browser is added to Safari. It's usually wise to download software from the developer's site but the appeal of MacUpdate was that it acted like a one-stop-shop of sorts, carrying with it a strong reputation for reliable downloads. Now, with this news coming to light, maybe it will have to be added to the boycott list right under Download.com and Softonic.
Skype co-founders build delivery bot that rides on sidewalks
While companies like Amazon and Google are betting on airborne drones for the future of delivery, two of the founders of Skype are taking a more pedestrian approach. They've created a company called Starship Technologies, and its eponymous robots are autonomous rovers that drive along sidewalks to carry packages at an average speed of 4mph. The aim is to deliver "two grocery bags" worth of goods (weighing up to 20lbs) in 5-30 minutes for "10-15 times less than the cost of current last-mile delivery alternatives."
UK police force trials virtual crime visits over Skype
In an effort to cut costs and make its officers more efficient, police in Peterborough, England are asking citizens to report their crimes over Skype. So, whereas before a local "bobby" would come round to their house, notepad in hand, to ask questions and take down what happened, the entire process will now be conducted over webcam. Alternatively, victims can do the follow-up on the phone or at the station -- handy if Skype is being its usual, unreliable self. The system is being trialled for crimes reported via 101, the police's non-emergency contact number. The force says it'll give people more flexibility with appointment times, and also ensure officers spend more hours each day on patrol. We suspect it also has something to do with the major budget cuts facing forces up and down the country.
Skype video and voice chats come to Office and Outlook on the web
You can already have Skype text chats while you're collaborating on Office Online docs or checking mail at Outlook.com. But wouldn't you rather talk to your colleagues and keep your hands free for, you know, work? You're about to get just that: Microsoft says it will bring Skype's video and voice chats to everyone using Office Online and Outlook.com, starting in November. On top of this, it's trotting out a Chrome extension that lets you quickly work with Office and Sway content in the browser, whether it's stored on your PC or in the cloud. All told, you don't have to worry quite so much about leaving Office's native apps behind.
Skype's filters bring some life to your video messages
The Skype team doesn't have it easy these days -- it not only has to compete with legions of live chat apps, but also the back-and-forth video messaging of Snapchat. What's it going to do? Fight on Snapchat's home turf, apparently. Microsoft has released Skype updates for Android and iOS that let you add "fun" filters to your video messages, such as a creepy inverted color scheme or goofy face stretching. Yes, it comes across as trying to stay hip with what the kids are doing, but it could be helpful if your birthday greeting just isn't festive enough. And don't worry if you like plain vanilla videos, since there's something new for you as well. Skype now supports 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, so you can quickly start a call or peek at a conversation.
Skype gets shareable conversation links for easy invites
Need to invite someone to join a Skype session? Well, that task just got a lot easier. The video-chatting app added a new feature that lets you invite folks to join a conversation with a shareable link. All you have to do is nab the URL, send it to the person and they can click it to join. What's more, the invitee doesn't need a Skype account to do so. Clicking on a shared link can employ Skype on the web as a guest, but it'll still offer access to messaging and both video and voice calls. If you're familiar with sharing links to Dropbox or OneDrive files, you have an idea of how this works. It sounds like a simple addition, but it's sure to save time, and allow people who aren't using the app to easily participate as needed.
Skype Translator is rolling out to all desktop users
After a preview offered access to Skype's live translation tool on the desktop earlier this summer, the feature is rolling out to all users. If you're in need of a quick refresher, Skype Translator converts video calls in English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish and 50 messaging languages inside the Windows app. The company says that the software leverages machine learning, so it'll only get better as more people use it. In fact, folks who signed up for the preview have already pitched in there. When the tool arrives, you'll notice a new translator icon in Skype that'll let you know it's ready to go to work.
Skype dons Android Wear support
If you've been waiting for the day you can use Skype on your Android Wear watch, then update your app ASAP. The messenger now supports the wearable platform and gives you a way to read and reply to new messages on your wrist using pre-written responses or via the voice-to-text feature. You can also reply with emojis, though, just like on Skype for Apple Watch. To do so, channel your inner artist -- or not, since it looks like the app can recognize even first-grade level emoticon doodles -- and draw on the watchface.
Skype is the latest in a series of high-profile web outages (updated)
The last 24 hours have served as a reminder of just how precarious the strands that connect us to the internet can be. Skype is reporting that some its services have fallen over after a bug was found that's preventing users from being seen as visible, rendering them incapable of making any voice or video calls. The news comes just a few short hours after The Next Web reported that an Amazon Web Services location in Virginia broke down, forcing some of the world's most popular services, including Netflix, AirBnB and Viber, offline. The Amazon outage has been mostly fixed by now, and Skype is pledging to get its own issues shorted post-haste, but if any rival video call providers wanted to take advantage of the situation, now would be the time.
Skype for web will soon work without plug-ins on Microsoft Edge
Skype has been planning to make its voice and video call services available on the web without having to install plug-ins since 2014. Now, its parent company's preparing to make that happen for its new Edge browser. The latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build comes with Object RTC API. That's the element that allows real-time audio and video communication without the need for any installation not just for Skype for Web and Outlook.com, but also for other WebRTC-compatible services. This is just a preview of ORTC on Edge, though, and you can't enjoy this seamless experience right now. However, the service says the technology will exit the preview phase and go live sometime later this year. To note, Chrome, Firefox and Safari all support WebRTC standards, but it's unclear if and when Skype will enable a plug-in-less experience for those browsers, as well.
