Skype upgrades Skype for Windows

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 10 May 2007 01:05

Your IT - Home IT

Skype has released a new version of its Windows softphone, Skype 3.2 for Windows, which enables users to import address books from popular email and IM applications.

Skype says it gives users the ability of users to keep online relationships together by putting all their friends and families' contact details in one place. It allows users to import address books from other application including MSN Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo! Mail. Users can now also 'Share Skype' by sending convenient email invitations to those online contacts that are not yet using Skype.

A new video snapshot feature enables a user to take a picture of his/her self using a webcam and add it to their profile making it available to friends and family. Skype says that this video snapshot "builds on the popularity of video calling...introduced in beta in December 2005. Already, nearly one fifth of Skype calls are made using video."

Skype 3.2 for Windows also includes enhanced echo cancellation and background noise reduction technologies in order to improve the sound quality. Carter Adamson, director, desktop products for Skype said, "Now you can ...enjoy exceptional sound quality so much so that you feel like you're actually in the same room as the person you're calling." In this user's experience that is a wild exaggeration.

Also included in the new release is the Send Money feature which allows Skype users to send money to any of their Skype contacts via PayPal.