Windows 8 grabs Skype Video Messaging in cross-platform bid

As the Skype Video Messaging universe expands, it would seem only natural that the Microsoft-owned company might have brought the service to Windows 8 first and foremost. As it is, this final push for the service hit their hero operating system last. Here it is, at long last – the Windows 8 version – fully functional, this time – of Skype Video Messaging. Let the away messages in video form begin!

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With the Windows 8 version of Skype you’ll now be able to both record and send as well as receive and view video messages. This means you’re recording a video of yourself with Skype, sending it to a person who isn’t actively on Skype at the moment, and allowing them to see the video independent of yourself. This differs from Skype’s normal functionality which is text chatting or real-time video chat.

recieve

This release allows for the latest release version of the app called Skype for Windows 8 to catch up to the versions on Mac, iOS, and Android. You’ll notice that Windows Phone 8 is not on this list – we’re expecting this and other current-release functions to appear on the platform sooner than later. For now though: courage.

The release being populated in your direction today is Skype 1.7, mind you – make sure you’re up to that version in Windows 8 for full functionality. This version also has a set of languages coming in at the same time as the original English version thanks to a series of what Microsoft says are volunteers – well done!

Bulgarian: Nikolina Filipova & Nikolay Filipov
Czech: Petr Silon
Dutch: Kees Koenders
German: Claudius Henrichs & Dick Schiferli
Lithuanian: Viktoras Kriukovas
Norwegian: Stig Auestad
Polish: Karol Szastok
Portuguese: Francisco Ferreira
Romanian: Péter & Mónika Henning

[via Skype]


Windows 8 grabs Skype Video Messaging in cross-platform bid is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Skype Video Messaging preview makes its way to Windows 8

Skype Video Messaging preview makes its way to Windows 8

Windows 7 users have been able to sneak a peek at Skype’s new Video Messaging feature since earlier in the week, but now the referenced Windows 8 version is available as well. The new tool, the service’s version of video voicemail, is still “in its early release,” so you may run into a bug or two. To that end, the team invites testers to reach out with feedback through a handful of channels. It’s all outlined at the source link below.

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Source: Skype

CopyTele sues Skype in its “patent monetization” scheme

CopyTele, or more specifically, its Secure Web Conference Corp. division has sued Microsoft’s Skype due to patent infringement. Copytele says that Skype infringed on 2 of its patents, one regarding a “method and apparatus for securing e-mail attachments”, and the other for a “portable telecommunication security device.” However, CopyTele didn’t sue Skype because it was trying to protect its patent portfolio. It sued Skype because it saw an opportunity to generate more money off its patents. Yes, unfortunately, CopyTele is known as a patent troll.

Copytele sues Skype in patent monetization scheme

Robert Berman, President and CEO of CopyTele, stated that for 30 years, the company focused on making products based on its technology, but now the company is geared towards making money off its patents. He calls this new business model “patent monetization”. Berman says that there are 100 other web-conference companies like Skype that also infringes on CopyTele’s patents, but the company decided to go after Skype because of its size.

CopyTele has used this patent monetization model in the past when it sued AU Optronics and E Ink Holdings back in January. It sued the two companies back in January because they were allegedly infringing on its electrophoretic display patents. It also plans on targeting more companies soon. CopyTele recently acquired two new patent portfolios related to loyalty programs, so in the future, we may see lawsuits against companies who have programs like frequent flyer miles, or an accumulative bonus points program for loyal customers.

Once CopyTele’s case with Skype is over, it may go after the other 100 web-conferencing companies that are allegedly infringing on its patents as well. According to TechCrunch, Berman says that the web-conference industry is a “$4 billion industry” and that this battle with Skype is just the “initiation of what will be a broader patent enforcement campaign.” He also states that the company will continue to acquire more patent portfolios so that it can go after more companies that provide “significant revenue opportunities”.

[via Forbes]


CopyTele sues Skype in its “patent monetization” scheme is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Copytele Files Patent Suit Against Skype

Copytele Files Patent Suit Against SkypeEver heard of a company known as Copytele before? Well, you might read more about them in the limelight from now on, as they being a company that specializes in patent monetization and patent assertion, has just announced that their wholly owned subsidiary, Web Conference Encryption Corporation, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Federal District Court against Microsoft Corporation. The whole reason behind this lawsuit? They claim that encryption technology which was developed in-house all the way back in 1999 and is being used by Microsoft’s Skype video conferencing service even as you read this.

Should Copytele manage to walk away from this patent infringement lawsuit as the winner, this could very well be a landmark case that sets a new precedent for other conferencing services, ranging from WebX to FaceTime, and I am quite sure that those behind WebX and FaceTime would keep their fingers crossed that Microsoft would emerge the victor here, otherwise Copytele would get fat simply by obtaining a percentage of the generated annual revenues which have been estimated to exceed $4 billion annually.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Netflix Streamling Library Bids Farewell To Over 1700 Titles, CenturyLink To Provide Gigabit Internet In Omaha,

    

Skype adds video voicemail to Windows desktop beta

Skype adds video voicemail preview to Windows desktop beta, Windows 8 users left hanging on the telephone

You’d think that with Skype firmly under Microsoft’s control, the service would roll out new features to Windows first. Bizarrely, though, that’s not the case. Skype’s video voicemail feature, which previously soft launched on Android, iOS and OS X, is now coming to Windows 7 and up (a Windows 8 version should be forthcoming), hitting the company’s end of April promise. The feature, still labeled a preview, works exactly as advertised, letting users record short video clips that can be sent to and viewed by any contact regardless of their OS. There’s one caveat though: you’ll need to install Skype 6.5 beta for Windows desktop and Flash to test it out. It’s just a risk your vainglorious self will have to take for modernity.

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Source: Skype

Skype for Windows adds video messaging (but Windows 8 has issues)

Skype for Outlook.com isn’t the only new software the VoIP firm has today, with Skype Video Messaging for Windows desktop also emerging for those who want to send quick video snippets to each others’ inboxes. Joining February’s Video Messaging functionality for iOS, Android, and Mac, the new Windows beta works fully on Windows 7, but those running Windows 8 only get partial support.

skype_video_messaging_windows_1

If you’re a Windows 8 user, or a Windows Phone user for that matter, you’ll be able to receive and view video messages but not actually create them. That will be added in “soon” Skype says, though is no more specific than that.

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The new functionality basically switches Skype from a real-time communication platform to one more akin to email. Users record a brief video using their webcam and, upon selecting a recipient, it’s shuttled off to that contact’s inbox ready for when they’re next online.

Each message can be up to three minutes in length, and you get to send up to twenty of them for free; after that, you’ll need to cough up $4.99 per month for a Skype Premium account. The new beta also addresses some calling bugs in previous Windows versions, particularly when there’s no webcam plugged in.


Skype for Windows adds video messaging (but Windows 8 has issues) is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft launches Skype preview in Outlook.com

Microsoft has launched a preview of Skype in Outlook.com for users located in the United Kingdom, with those located in the United States and Germany being slated to get the preview “in the coming weeks.” Following the full preview roll out will be the switch from preview mode, with video and audio calling being offered across the entire expanse of Outlook.com via Skype sometimes in the coming months. Hard dates weren’t provided for any of the planned roll outs.

Skype

The preview mode of Skype enables video and voice calls from within an Outlook.com inbox, reducing the number of words you have to type in communication, says Microsoft, by making it easy to make a phone call instead. If a phone call isn’t the right solution, a video call is also possible, and if neither of those work for you, instant messaging video Skype is also possible from within a user’s inbox.

If a video is worth a thousand words, the brief video above should give you a pretty good idea of how the service works, which shows a video call being placed from within an email by selecting the contact’s image and then the relevant Skype button. Needless to say, the user must have a Skype account to use the service, with the account and Outlook.com accounts being merged.

The new feature is available via a browser plugin, which is available for Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox. Contacts can be merged from Skype with Outlook contacts once the plugin is downloaded and the accounts tied together. If you’re a frequent user of both Skype and Outlook.com, you’ll be guaranteed to have the preview by this summer, possibly sooner if you’re located in either the US or Germany.

[via Skype]


Microsoft launches Skype preview in Outlook.com is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Make Skype Calls Straight From Your Outlook.com Inbox

Make Skype Calls Straight From Your Outlook.com InboxMicrosoft, the company that owns Skype after forking out a rather hefty sum for it (and subsequently bid adieu to their Windows Live Messenger program), has made sure that there is an even greater level of integration between their own software range, and the latest is this – Outlook.com, which was launched last summer, will now allow you to make Skype calls directly from your inbox.

Yes sir, from today onwards, Microsoft began to introduce a preview version of Skype for Outlook.com, where both communication experiences are now brought together in a single place. This Skype for Outlook.com preview will start to roll out in the United Kingdom, and will eventually make its way to the United States and Germany in the weeks ahead. In the coming months, however, you will find audio and video calls powered by Skype being opened up to every single Outlook.com inbox. This paves the way for easier and more convenient communication to connect to the people you care about most. This is the way forward – less typing, and more talking, and within its first six months after launch, Outlook.com managed to attract some 60 million new users, which lands it in the category of the “fastest-growing email service” in history.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Toshiba Canvio Connect Announced, Yahoo Announces WWE Streaming Partnership, Half A Dozen New Shows ,

    

Skype for Outlook.com preview launches in the UK, coming to the US soon

Skype for Outlookcom preview launches in the UK, coming to the US soon

Outlook.com’s 60 million-plus users will have another feature to take advantage of soon, as Skype is previewing built-in web access to its service. Currently available in the UK (headed to the US and Germany in “coming weeks,” — worldwide this summer) it lets users make calls directly from their inbox via a browser plugin available for Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox. Users with existing Skype accounts will also need to link their account to to the website which will allow their contacts to be merged, with the idea of having more choices of how to reach out to close contacts. Gmail’s added easy access to hangouts and even Facebook has integrated Skype-connected video into its messaging so we suppose it’s necessary for feature parity, with the added bonus of Skype’s large install base. There are two demo videos embedded after the break, or you can head to Skype’s blog for more details.

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Source: Skype Blog, Outlook Blog

Microsoft set to rebrand Bing, Skype, and Xbox

Albert Shum, Windows Phone Design Studio General Manager, and Todd Simmons, Creative Director at Wolff Olins, announced at the Design Day 2013 Event in Norway that there will be some rebranding coming to Microsoft soon. There will be logo rebranding for several of Microsoft’s services, including Bing, Yammer, Skype, and Xbox. They figured that since Windows 8, Microsoft, and Office all got new logos, why shouldn’t these services?

Microsoft set to rebrand Bing, Skype, and Xbox

All of the logos seemed flattened out, matching the design scheme that Microsoft is currently going with. The approach that Microsoft was trying to go for was to create products that feature similar looking logos, but are still identified as their own brand. Simmons, whose company has been working with Microsoft for quite a while, says that while coming up with Microsoft’s new look, they were influenced by Nike’s design. He says,

“We thought about Nike. When you experience the Nike brand in whatever form you may experience it, there’s always a Nikeness right… you can certainly see it without the logo.”

Microsoft set to rebrand Bing, Skype, and Xbox

The focal point of this rebranding has to do with the consumers. According to Shum and Simmons, “people, reach, and choice” were the prime reasons for this change. They both want to align design, marketing, product, and branding all into one “harmonious” package. They wanted to stray away from Microsoft being just a big business with products, and be more of a business that represents the consumers that use its products.

In the presentation, Simmons and Shum provided sketches of what some of the new logos may be. In the video above, you can see the concept logo that they have for Bing. These new logo rebrands are all part of a process Microsoft calls “re-imagining” itself. Simmons says that the entire project is a huge risk, especially since they’re rebranding products used by millions of people, but that you can’t be innovative without taking a chance.

[via The Verge]


Microsoft set to rebrand Bing, Skype, and Xbox is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.