Hasta La Gadget!

Out of beta and free, Skype today launches its video messaging service across all its major platforms. Previously, video missives were limited to 20 free attempts during early testing, but free on premium subscriptions. You can now send unlimited video messages to your Skype contacts on Windows 8, Windows desktop or Mac, while mobile options encompass iOS, Android and BlackBerry. A Windows Phone version is, however, conspicuously MIA. To remind yourself how it all works, check out our early hands-on here.

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Software, Mobile, Microsoft

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Source: Skype

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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On the heels of yesterday’s revelation that the NSA is bulk collecting call logs from Verizon Business customers, the Washington Post is reporting tonight on another initiative, code named PRISM. According to the report, it gives the FBI and NSA access to “audio, video, photographs, e-mails, documents and connection logs” from the central servers of Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL (parent company of Engadget), Skype, YouTube and Apple. Another program called BLARNEY sniffs up metadata as it streams past “choke points” on the internet, continuing the theme of bulk scooping of data most would think is private. The Post’s knowledge of these programs comes from PowerPoint slides (like the one shown above) provided by a “career intelligence officer” driven to expose how deep it goes.

So what can the project allegedly see? Analysts based at Fort Meade use search terms to determine at least 51 percent confidence in a subject’s “foreignness” before pulling data, which can include that of people found in a suspect’s inbox. On Facebook, they can utilize the service’s built in search and surveillance capabilities, monitor audio, video, chat and file transfers or access activity on Google’s mail, storage, photo and search services. So… are you still logged in?

Update 4: Now we’ve come full circle, as the original Washington Post article has been expanded to include the various company’s responses and denials (listed after the break). Another element that has changed is the mention of another classified report that suggests these companies may not be knowingly participating, and the NSA’s access may not be as direct as originally claimed. Claiming the difference may be the result of “imprecision” by the NSA author, the arrangement is now described as “collection managers [to send] content tasking instructions directly to equipment installed at company-controlled locations.”

Filed under: Internet, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook

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Source: Washington Post, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

It seems that Microsoft’s Skype as well as Lync will now be able to communicate with one another without any more hassle.

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It Original content from Ubergizmo.

As predicted, Microsoft is taking advantage of a little cross-platform action, connecting up Skype with its business-minded communication service, Lync. The connection brings together “the enterprise richness of Lync and the global reach of Skype,” according to the company, letting users sign into Skype with their Microsoft account on Windows or Mac or merge their contact lists together on the popular VoIP service. At present, you can use instant messaging or audio calling, with more features — including video calling — coming later. You can check out a detailed version of the sign-in process by clicking on the source link below.

Filed under: Storage, Microsoft

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Source: Skype Blog