tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71164903171815321962024-03-13T03:24:56.884-07:00SkypeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-91531000772693252752012-11-15T04:22:00.000-08:002012-11-15T04:22:41.405-08:00Hackers highlight major Skype security hole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.motorscraft.com/contactus.aspx" target="_blank">Russian hackers bypass security measures with just an email address</a>
</h3>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RCDa9MvCbCU/UKTbydFZKLI/AAAAAAAAIWY/IqwszNeYoR4/s1600/Skype_Logo-900-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RCDa9MvCbCU/UKTbydFZKLI/AAAAAAAAIWY/IqwszNeYoR4/s400/Skype_Logo-900-75.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://skype-euros.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Skype</a> disabled its password recovery
function after Russian hackers exposed a major flaw in the service's
security.<br />
<a href="http://www.motorscraft.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Update</strong>:</a> We've been in touch with Skype to find out
more. The company told us, "Early this morning we were notified of user concerns
surrounding the security of the password reset feature on our website.<br />
"This issue affected some users where
multiple Skype accounts were registered to the same email address. We suspended
the password reset feature temporarily this morning as a precaution and have
made updates to the password reset process today so that it is now working
properly."<br />
Skype has said it is now getting in touch
with users who have been affected by today's security issues so if you don't
hear from the company, you should be safe. <br />
Original story continues: <br />
It was discovered that hackers were able
to access Skype users' accounts armed with just their username and the email
address linked to the account.<br />
The Microsoft-owned VoIP service was
forced to issue a statement acknowledging the hole, saying, "We have had reports
of a new security vulnerability issue."<br />
<h3>
<a href="http://www.eurosmedia.com/" target="_blank">Vulnerability issue</a></h3>
"As a precautionary step we have
temporarily disabled password reset as we continue to investigate the issue
further. We apologise for the inconvenience but user experience and safety is
our first priority"<br />
Although hackers would need to know your
Skype username and email address to access your account, those concerned are
advised to change the email address their account is registered to.<br />
It hasn't been a particularly good week
for Microsoft on the security front: yesterday it was reported that a
16-year-old had managed to create a prototype Trojan for Windows Phone 8.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-32665747795390839342012-11-06T22:35:00.001-08:002012-11-06T22:35:54.537-08:00Microsoft to discontinue Windows Messenger, replace with Skype<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.motorscraft.com/" target="_blank">'Shift to Skype. It's easy!' </a></h3>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kPU6yZ4oleU/UJn_g867UyI/AAAAAAAAIEs/lqrafpad5lE/s1600/Skype%2520Windows%2520Messenger%2520merger-900-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kPU6yZ4oleU/UJn_g867UyI/AAAAAAAAIEs/lqrafpad5lE/s400/Skype%2520Windows%2520Messenger%2520merger-900-75.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Microsoft announced Tuesday that it's
retiring Windows Messenger in favor of Skype, just one day after a report <a href="http://www.motorscraft.com/services.aspx" target="_blank">surfaced</a> that it was considering such a move.
</div>
"We've got good news to share!" a Skype
blog exclaimed. "Skype and Messenger are coming together."<br />
Microsoft will discontinue Messenger in
all countries worldwide in the first quarter of 2013, except in mainland
China.<br />
The transition away from Messenger began
several weeks ago, Microsoft noted, with the release of <a href="http://www.motorscraft.com/aboutus.aspx#About%20MotorsCraft" target="_blank">Skype 6.0 for Mac and Windows</a>, an update that lets users
sign into Skype with a Microsoft account.<br />
<h3>
<a href="http://www.eurosmedia.com/" target="_blank">Skype made simple</a></h3>
Microsoft tried to soften the blow to
<a href="http://www.eurosmedia.com/aboutus.aspx#main_body" target="_blank">Messenger users</a> as much as possible by reiterating the simplicity of making the
switch.<br />
All it takes, the company said, is an
update to the latest version of <a href="http://www.eurosmedia.com/software.aspx#main_body" target="_blank">Skype</a> and sign up through a Microsoft account.
Once those steps are complete, users' "Messenger contacts will be there."<br />
"We will work with you over the next few
months to help you transition and offer information and help along the way,"
Microsoft assured. <br />
For those among the over 100 million
Messenger users not quite ready to make the Skype migration, enjoy the last few
months with the IM service while it's still around.<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-57272865559169432912012-10-23T06:24:00.001-07:002012-10-23T06:24:55.252-07:00Skype for Windows 8 arrives with battery-saving features<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><a href="http://www.eurosmedia.com/" target="_blank">New UI brings boatload of new tricks</a> </b><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5y1UlRNqmQ4/UIaZrb0lm5I/AAAAAAAAHmk/k9-B4PGQ9jU/s1600/Skype-900-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5y1UlRNqmQ4/UIaZrb0lm5I/AAAAAAAAHmk/k9-B4PGQ9jU/s400/Skype-900-75.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Skype for <a href="http://win8-os.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Windows 8</a> has been officially unveiled,
offering a <a href="http://www.eurosmedia.com/services.aspx#main_body" target="_blank">'completely new Skype experience'</a>.<br />
The new software has been redesigned to
bring a constant connection without smashing your laptop or tablet's battery
life.<br />
This is achieved through Windows 8
integration using a single connection to ping the server rather than performing
the task as a separate action from the app itself, which allows Skype to stay
happily running in the background.<br />
The UI has been redesigned too, featuring
options like Snap mode, which allows you to resize the video chat to enable
multi-tasking – apparently you'd want to be mapping or emailing while chatting
with your best friend. We'd call that rude, but whatever.<br />
<div class="article-body" itemprop="articleBody">
<h3>
<a href="http://www.motorscraft.com/" target="_blank">It's new, right? NEW</a></h3>
Other updates include a new 'modern' dial
pad which enables the calling of other phones, with Skype Credit clearly
displayed should you want to get on board with SkypeOut.<br />
Skype is promising a 'fast and fluid'
Windows 8 experience by being baked into the OS itself (once downloaded) and
living as a live tile on the new Windows 8 UI, showing missed messages or
calls.<br />
Skype for Windows 8 will be released on 26
October following the launch of devices running the new Microsoft OS – so you
can video call your Gran in a new fast and fluid way… although whether she'll
care or not is down to you.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-19437987035028793562012-10-12T11:15:00.002-07:002012-10-12T11:15:52.109-07:00Skype worm chats up victims<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.eurosmedia.com/branding.aspx#main_body" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A9KRtqg2ro0/UHheDuCK8LI/AAAAAAAAHak/W0ayquJQjTM/s320/skype+wi-fi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A worm that locks Windows PC users out of their computers unless they pay a $200 ransom is rapidly spreading via Skype.</div>
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Once it has secreted itself into a machine, the malware tricks further victims into installing it by using the Microsoft-owned VoIP software to send messages that read "lol is this your new profile pic?" The malicious missives, dispatched to the infected user's contacts, include a shortened goO.gl link to a zip file hosted by Hotflie.com.</div>
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This archive contains an executable that,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>antivirus biz Sophos says, installs a variant of the Dorkbot worm and recruits the compromised machine into a botnet army.</div>
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Left to its own devices, the worm may switch to its ransomware mode, locking the punter out of his or her computer and inform them that all their files have been encrypted and will be deleted unless a $200 payoff is forthcoming.</div>
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Previous Skype scams<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>have also spread through bogus links in the software's instant messaging client.</div>
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Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, added: “Skype users may be less in the habit of being suspicious about links sent to them than, say, Facebook users."</div>
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Trend Micro said some 400 computers were infected in the first 24 hours of the worm outbreak last Thursday. Skype said in a statement:</div>
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Skype takes the user experience very seriously, particularly when it comes to security. We are aware of this malicious activity and are working quickly to mitigate its impact. We strongly recommend upgrading to the newest Skype version and applying updated security features on your computer.</blockquote>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-41719874196681105722011-12-23T10:13:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:13:02.441-08:00Skype Connects U.S. Travelers with Free Skype WiFi this Holiday Season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Great news Skype friends! Skype is setting out to make travel a little more pleasant this holiday season by offering a free hour of Internet access to third-party wireless hotspots within the Skype WiFi hotspot footprint in select airports across the U.S. From December 21st thru December 27th, travelers passing through or delayed in over 50 airports across the country will be able to access third-party hotspots using Skype WiFi and connect with loved ones via a Skype video or voice call for free.*<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZABgiE9-ZiQ/TvTDJGnx_fI/AAAAAAAAGXM/qTnvXb0B9rA/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZABgiE9-ZiQ/TvTDJGnx_fI/AAAAAAAAGXM/qTnvXb0B9rA/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Skype WiFi is available to travelers on PCs, Macs and iOS devices.** To get started make sure you've downloaded the latest version of Skype for Windows or Skype for Mac, or have downloaded the Skype WiFi app on your iOS device. Once you have signed in with a valid Skype ID, check your wireless network connection to see if you are in a supported hotspot. It's that simple.<br />
The holidays are all about connecting with those you love. Skype is excited to help you maintain these meaningful connections wherever you may be this holiday season. A voice or video call via Skype when you can't be together for the holidays is the next best thing to being there. For more information on Skype WiFi please visit http://www.skype.com/go/skypewifi/. <br />
Skype also encourages you to tweet with the hashtag #freeskypewifi and tell us how free Skype WiFi made your travels a little more enjoyable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='300' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9A1fRbCT3k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-74786819239198197662011-12-23T09:58:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:58:17.221-08:00Skype WiFi - now available on iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Skype WiFi (formerly known as Skype Access) is coming to iOS. We've just launched a new iOS application that's free to download from Apple's App store.<br />
With the new Skype WiFi app, you can go online on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch (running iOS 4.1 or above with multitasking) at over 1 million WiFi hotspots around the world, including hotels, airports, train stations, convention centres, bars and restaurants. And with Skype Credit you only pay for the minutes you use. So, there's no need to buy an hour or day WiFi voucher if you're only looking to check your email or make a quick Skype call.<br />
Skype WiFi is great for travellers all over the world: It's a must-have app, for your iPhone or iPad whether you're on a business trip or enjoying holidays abroad. Skype WiFi offers you a cost-effective and easy way to get online with an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. Paying on a per-minute basis for WiFi Internet access is great when you're abroad as you can avoid data roaming charges when you update Facebook, send a tweet, make a Skype call or upload photos. <br />
WiFi access prices through Skype start from US$ 0.06/4p/€0,05 (inclusive of VAT) per minute* and you will only be charged for the minutes you are connected. There are no limits on the amount of data you can upload or download.<br />
All you need to enjoy Skype WiFi on your iPhone or iPad is a Skype account and some Skype Credit.**<br />
It's easy to get started with Skype WiFi:<br />
• Go to the App Store and download the Skype WiFi app<br />
• Open the Skype WiFi app for iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad<br />
• Sign in with your Skype account details or visit Skype.com to create a new account<br />
• Tap Go Online and you're online! <br />
• Once you've finished, just tap Disconnect<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aUZ_2GCxMAw/TvTAC_NscqI/AAAAAAAAGW4/WBtv-linZpc/s1600/Skype+Wifi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aUZ_2GCxMAw/TvTAC_NscqI/AAAAAAAAGW4/WBtv-linZpc/s400/Skype+Wifi+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSvjz6JcrNA/TvTAEqmmExI/AAAAAAAAGXA/uF4LC4gTmHk/s1600/Skype+Wifi+pic+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSvjz6JcrNA/TvTAEqmmExI/AAAAAAAAGXA/uF4LC4gTmHk/s400/Skype+Wifi+pic+1.png" width="266" /></a></div><br />
To celebrate the new Skype WiFi app and to give you a chance to try it out, Skype WiFi will be free around the globe from Saturday 20th August 00:00 till Sunday 21st August 23:59 BST for a maximum of 60 minutes***. To enjoy free wireless access, download Skype WiFi on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch or make sure you have the latest Skype software on your computer. Find yourself a hotspot and connect!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-36896356546901524202011-12-23T09:49:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:49:14.459-08:00Skype Now Optimized for your iPad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Since the introduction of Skype for iPhone with video calling on New Year's Eve 2010, we've seen growing demand for a Skype app for the iPad. <br />
The wait is over, as today we launched Skype for iPad now available for download in the iTunes App Store.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FLOrf0tGMCc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Skype for iPad is beautifully designed and optimized for the iPad. It offers the best of both worlds for users who want a larger Skype experience, on-the-go. The large iPad screen is perfect for bringing Skype video calls to life, in either landscape or portrait view, and because it is on the iPad, Skype video calls can be made at the beach, in a car or even lying on a couch.<br />
Not only does Skype for iPad feature an interface that takes advantage of the large screen, but there are a number of additional iPad-optimized features found in this new app, including:<br />
<ul><li><strong>Two-way video calling.*</strong> With Skype video calling available on iPhones, as well as in Skype for Android, Skype for Mac, Skype for Windows, Skype on HDTVs and more - you can connect to over 170 million Skype connected users worldwide**.</li>
<li><strong>Instant messaging.</strong> You can even instant message during a video call on your iPad, with emoticons to personalize your message. </li>
<li><strong>Simple to view contacts.</strong> Contacts are now displayed in a grid on Skype for iPad, showing large avatar photos - making it easy to find your contacts and conversations.</li>
<li><strong>Easy navigation.</strong> Find your recent Skype conversations and history at the touch of a button making searching simple.</li>
<li><strong>Simple SMS texting.</strong> An SMS text message can be sent by simply opening a contact and selecting SEND SMS or by opening the dial pad, typing in the number you wish to SMS and then typing your message.</li>
</ul>The new Skype for iPad app also takes full advantage of the iPad 2's dual cameras, allowing users to talk face-to-face with the iPad's front camera or switch to the rear camera to show what they can see. Skype for iPad also allows users to call landlines and mobiles using Skype's great low rates - all a user needs is a little Skype Credit. Skype for iPad works across both 3G*** and Wi-Fi networks and also allows users to make voice and video calls across platforms from their iPad to other Skype users on iPhones, Mac, Windows, HDTVs and more.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-29769808598946663212011-12-23T09:45:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:45:55.977-08:00U.S. State Department Connects Families via Skype During "Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays" Event<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">In order to brighten the spirit of the holidays, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton hosts an annual "Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays" event honoring the service, dedication and sacrifice of U.S. government employees and their families who are separated for long periods of time due to assignments in hardship posts around the world. Understanding how important it is to stay connected to loved ones, this year, the Office of the Chief of Protocol turned to Skype to help bring these separated families together over the holiday season using new and innovative technologies.<br />
At this year's event, which is taking place later this afternoon, families will be able to celebrate and re-connect in a meaningful way with their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and other loved ones who are serving at US Embassies around the world via Skype. In addition, a Skype Group Video Call will also be set up so that personnel around the world can view a live stream of the program hosted by Secretary Clinton.<br />
Skype feels privileged to be playing such an instrumental part in connecting these diplomatic families with their loved ones at this event. We'll be attending the event and sharing photos and video from the event via @Skype on Twitter and in a gallery on our Facebook page. Perhaps we'll even have the chance to talk with Secretary Clinton or Ambassador Marshall about the important role these diplomats are playing around the world? If we do, we'll be sure to share it with you.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-66781939755962418082011-12-23T09:43:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:43:10.043-08:00The Ten Deadly Sins of Mobile Video<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">After decades of waiting for it, mobile video is finally a reality but people still want more. Not just content with watching it, we've wanted to interact with it, make it and use it on the go. Technical limitations, however, have limited us. But no more. Today we live in an age where mobile video shooting, editing and so much more is possible from devices small enough to fit in even the smallest of pockets.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow, our Chief Technology Strategist, Jonathan Rosenberg will be talking at SXSW about how this has come about. In what will be a brutally frank presentation, Jonathan will look at what has inhibited progress and what has needed to happen to allow us to get to where we are today. He'll share details on the technical hurdles that the industry has been working on to help the science fiction of mobile video conversations become a reality as well as a little on what Skype has learned along the way.</span> </div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> We invite all that are in Austin for SXSW to come and join us for this behind the scenes eye opener. And don't forget to bring your questions.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-37125475836675121902011-12-23T09:40:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:40:57.643-08:00Businesses Countdown to TechCrunch Disrupt with Help from Skype<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XVoCBLHLEXw/TvS8-aa5ViI/AAAAAAAAGWs/4iJMIV5jodY/s1600/techcrunch_disrupt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XVoCBLHLEXw/TvS8-aa5ViI/AAAAAAAAGWs/4iJMIV5jodY/s320/techcrunch_disrupt.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We’re counting down to TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco next week. A team of us from Skype’s Silicon Valley office are planning to visit the headliner event. We’re not only excited to check out the sessions, but we’re especially looking forward to the Startup Battlefield event at TechCrunch Disrupt. <br />
As the official video calling host for TechCrunch Disrupt, Skype has been a key tool in the event’s Startup Battlefield competition. According to TechCrunch event organizers, “We’ve performed over 250 video calls and demos for Disrupt on Skype plus countless hours of calls, conference calls and chat sessions.”<br />
That’s great. Not only do we think Skype is an essential tool for almost any business, but we also think it’s really novel that hundreds of startups and entrepreneurs are using Skype to be interviewed by TechCrunch. The final selected contestants will have their chance to pitch their ideas or products in person at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference, for a cash prize of $50,000 that can be used to help them bring their idea to the market.<br />
Millions of people use Skype every day, and in the first half of 2010, Skype video calling represented approximately 40% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes. In fact, approximately 37% of over 40,000 of our connected users surveyed in the first quarter of 2010 told us they use Skype occasionally or often for business related purposes. Businesses are using Skype to benefit from lower costs and expand how employees, customers, partners and suppliers communicate and collaborate with ease-of-use, greater convenience and efficiency.<br />
<br />
Check out these tips to get started using Skype for your business today.<br />
<ul><li>If you can’t arrange an in-person meeting, suggest hosting the meeting over a Skype video call. Ensure you have a high quality webcam and microphone, high-speed Internet access, and Skype software downloaded to your computer.</li>
<li>If there are more than two parties on the call, Skype’s latest beta for Windows can support group video calling, so you can talk to multiple colleagues or customers.</li>
<li>If you want an easy way to manage and allocate credit for multiple Skype accounts for your organization, use Skype Manager. </li>
<li>Don’t forget if you want to show a demo or run through a presentation, Skype’s screen sharing feature is easy and useful. In fact, check out this great TechCrunch post here about Skype screen sharing.</li>
<li>Last but not least, a little bit of etiquette can go a long way when communicating with business associates over Skype. We enjoyed these great etiquette tips from TechCrunch here. </li>
</ul></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-1806760683169777162011-12-23T09:33:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:33:16.094-08:00Skype Joins Mashable, 92nd Street Y & United Nations Foundation in Launching a Discussion on Social Good<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">At Skype, we know the power of conversation. We know that just one conversation can spark incredible ideas. Ideas that address the world's most intractable problems - like hunger, poverty and disease. We also know that all too often conversations on these subjects are limited to the inner circles of world leaders, politicians and think tanks. That's why we are so proud to join 92nd Street Y, Mashable and the United Nations Foundation in opening up the conversation around social good.<br />
On September 20, Skype video calling will be used to connect leaders from the online, business, policy and media worlds to the Mashable and 92Y Social Good Summit. At the summit, top minds in digital media will come together to discuss how technology and social networks can play a leading role in addressing the U.N.'s "Millennium Development Goals" (MDGs). Participating speakers include Pete Cashmore, CEO/Founder of Mashable, Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and founder of Jumo, Susan Smith Ellis, CEO of (RED), and Ted Turner, the Chairman of Turner Enterprises, among others.<br />
The Social Good Summit takes place during United Nations Week, which plays host to the annual General Assembly and a historic summit on global issues known as the "Millennium Development Goals" (MDGs). The Social Good Summit will be open to the public and will enable millions to join the conversation via livestreaming. <br />
Skype will also play a central role in the UN Foundation and Mashable-sponsored Digital Media Lounge, which will be hosted at 92Y throughout UN Week, September 21-24, allowing real-time, face-to-face communications. The fully wired lounge will provide the online community exclusive access to high-level UN officials and international leaders. Bringing UN closed-door conversations out in the open, experts in poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDs, women's health, and climate change will be able to connect with bloggers and journalists both in person and through Skype video calling interview facilities.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-36128970436486598602011-12-23T09:30:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:30:03.881-08:00Announcing our representative office for the Middle East and Africa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KnM-qGN9NQU/TvS6heUumXI/AAAAAAAAGWU/J7G16DM4lWY/s1600/AfricaAndTheMiddleEast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KnM-qGN9NQU/TvS6heUumXI/AAAAAAAAGWU/J7G16DM4lWY/s320/AfricaAndTheMiddleEast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'm happy to announce that we have just opened our representative office for the Middle East and Africa region in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.<br />
Today, at a press conference held jointly with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, we explained some of the key reasons to why we chose Bahrain.<br />
Bahrain provides one of the most energetic environments to support and encourage innovation - it has a talented local workforce as well as forward thinking economic development strategies that help support business. In addition, as a gateway to the Gulf, Bahrain is the ideal location from which to support our global strategy - ensuring Skype is available for anyone, anywhere who want to do things together.<br />
I'll be leading Skype's activities in the region, so if you have any questions, queries or just want to discuss the squad selection made by Algeria's coach <img alt=":)" src="http://download.skype.com/share/emoticons/0100-smile.png" />, please get in touch.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-27595364776640088782011-12-23T09:23:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:26:15.611-08:00Skype and the Olympics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C6Qw8DE4g-E/TvS5rZarqiI/AAAAAAAAGWI/YRquMdG1oN4/s1600/turin2006_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C6Qw8DE4g-E/TvS5rZarqiI/AAAAAAAAGWI/YRquMdG1oN4/s320/turin2006_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Heather McPhie is an Olympic freestyle skier, who competed in the Ladies’ Moguls in Vancouver this year. I invited her to write about her experience of the Olympics and of Skype. Watch out for the second post about her competition day in the coming weeks.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>One of my favorite things about the Olympics is the sense of connection. Athletes, staff, family, fans, and Olympic enthusiasts from all over the world coming together to watch the dreams and dedication of the worlds top athletes. When I say coming together I do not mean solely the people who travel to the Olympics; I mean everyone who watches, thinks about, and becomes involved in the Olympics and what it represents. In my opinion it does not matter which athletes or what country you are cheering for or representing, it matters that you are part of it. It matters that the world is coming together to celebrate something positive.</i></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My world has exponentially expanded from becoming an Olympian. The amount of people I have gotten to meet, who have sent me encouraging words and been a part of my journey so far have made me feel more a part of the whole than ever. Made me feel closer to my hometown, my family and friends, my country and the world.</i></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>What an amazing gift to be able to connect people. Skype does that for me almost every day, and especially when I am on the road, away from many of my family and friends. To be able to see my sister and my nephew the morning of my event at the Olympics meant the world to me. I got a cyber hug from my sister, and got to listen to my nephew babble and laugh and play. To listen to my friend Susan talk about her Heather McPhie Olympic party in Park City and getting to Skype with people during the event brought tears to my eyes. It is an amazing sense of support and comfort to me, and I think of all the ways it has positively affected my life and I can not imagine how many other people feel the same way. </i></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Pursuing my dreams in freestyle mogul skiing has taught me so much about myself, and taken me all over the world. It has been a wonderful journey, but also one that has felt lonely at times. My trip to Olympics and the coming World Cups has me away from home for two months. That is a long time for me to not see my family and friends. Skype has shortened the distance, made it easier for me to feel a part of things at home, while being on the road.</i></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-41347805598657140682011-12-23T09:20:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:20:48.185-08:00Skype is coming to Mobile World Congress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next week in Barcelona is Mobile World Congress – the world’s biggest mobile industry event. We’ll be there in force, and will have a couple of exciting announcements to make. Russ Shaw, VP and GM of our mobile business, gives a few hints in the video above.</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can also join us at our tweetup for drinks and a chance to talk to everyone from engineers to marketers about the week’s announcements. It kicks off at 1730 on Wednesday 17th, and you can find us in the App Planet in hall 7 – just look out for the blue signs and Skype employees.</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-68272495914845762642011-12-23T09:18:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:18:08.493-08:00'Stand Up and Take Action!' with Skype, Ustream and the UN Millennium Campaign<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Change often starts with having a conversation. At Skype, we're proud to enable global conversations that can help end poverty. We are partnering with the United Nations Millennium Campaign to foster conversations about the most important issues facing our generation during "Stand Up and Take Action!," the annual mobilization where citizens gather at events around the world to demand that world leaders eradicate extreme poverty by 2015.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As part of the program, for the first time, Skype is collaborating with Ustream to enable video calls about global poverty between world leaders, celebrities, and citizens globally to be broadcast on the internet live via Ustream's interactive video broadcasting platform. The Skype calls will be broadcast on both the Stand Up Take Action! page on Facebook and Ustream's web site.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those participating in the Skype video calls include former Irish President Mary Robinson, as well as African entertainers Femi Kuti and Angelique Kidjo. The calls will take place throughout this week, leading up to the "Stand Up and Take Action!" weekend on October 16-18 when millions of citizens will take part in activities demanding that world leaders keep their promises to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-9988298564759043662011-12-23T09:07:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:07:58.682-08:00Skype in the classroom, now 20,000 members strong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Euw6-IeMacM/TvS1TCZwUdI/AAAAAAAAGV8/VHF9IUvSo3M/s1600/SITC+at+20K.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Euw6-IeMacM/TvS1TCZwUdI/AAAAAAAAGV8/VHF9IUvSo3M/s400/SITC+at+20K.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Today, we've reached a key milestone: Skype in the Classroom has grown to a community of over 20,000 educators who are collaborating on a wide variety of projects across the globe. To celebrate this milestone, I thought it would be a great idea to sit down with Tony Bates, President of the Skype Division of Microsoft, to have him elaborate more about this transformational program.<br />
<strong>What does Skype in the classroom mean to you?</strong><br />
<strong>Tony: </strong> I think of Skype in the classroom as a magnifying glass into what's happening in the world. It embraces the use of technology and overall transforms the way we learn. Classrooms are now bringing in all kinds of experts, educators and other students to talk over Skype. Olympians, NASA scientists, earthquake experts, celebrities, book authors, political activists and lots of other experts and students are making their way into classrooms across long distances due to Skype.<br />
It helps students globally understand and examine the very things that shape their views of society, cultures, economies, business and education. It fulfills something that many of us have never had, or at least haven't had easy access to in the past - and because of that, it has the potential to change the world.<br />
<strong><br />
How has Skype in the classroom been received by the teaching community?</strong><br />
<strong>Tony:</strong> It's been better than we ever could have hoped. It's been a great initiative led by one of our passionate managers, Jacqueline Botterill, who launched it about a year ago. Today, we've just reached a milestone - 20,000 teachers are now signed up and we are seeing dozens of new projects added every day. What's been really interesting is that activity doesn't slow down, even during school breaks. Teachers have realized the role that Skype in the classroom can play; they enjoy not only doing the actual video calls, but they also like getting together to discuss lesson plans, share advice and best practices in this community too.<br />
<strong>What is your ultimate goal of this program?</strong><br />
<strong>Tony: </strong>Our ultimate goal here is to help connect a million classrooms. More specifically however, we'd like to ensure that every teacher posting a project within Skype in the classroom finds an expert or partnering classroom, and has a great experience.<br />
We also want to continue to improve this platform and grow the community so it continues to be a vibrant destination for educators. We notice that the requests for partner classrooms are really interesting. Just the other day, I noticed a request for a partner classroom looking for a lesson on Cubism, and saw another classroom which was looking at Astronomy and how the night sky differs in different parts of the world. There's a really big intellectual curiosity out there among this network of educators and it's fantastic to realize the possibility of what kind of knowledge can now be brought into classrooms.<br />
The community is attracting other valuable participants besides just teachers too. So we need to be able to support and cater to the scientists, experts, and authors out there who want to contribute their time and expertise to educating our children.<br />
<strong>Where is Skype in the classroom most popular?</strong><br />
<strong>Tony: </strong>At present, secondary schools seem to be making most use of Skype in the classroom, but teachers with students of all ages are participating. Whilst we see a concentration of teachers in the U.S, we have teachers in over 170 different countries.<br />
<strong>Where do you see this going in the future?</strong><br />
<strong>Tony: </strong>There's a lot to be excited about here, but I think we are just at the very beginning. Distance learning has been around for a long time, and technology has helped it come a long way, but the power of this really unlocks as we get to a billion people, and access to the Internet and technologies like Skype stretches further into developing nations. That, in itself, is an inspiring vision because much of the world's differences, violence and prejudice comes from the lack of education and deep-seated cultural views. A simple face-to-face conversation between opposing sides can potentially be the beginning of inter-cultural cooperation and understanding, and starting that in the classroom is the best place. That said, I am concerned about the continued headlines around the declining support of education. Lack of funding, lack of internet access, lack of equipment, lack of support for teachers - are big barriers. It's important that we work together to help support education, and innovate further on the things that will invest in educating and improve the lives of young people across the globe.<br />
In closing, we're glad others are taking notice of this wonderful program. This past September, Skype participated in <em>The New York Times</em> event on education, and we're pleased to see they have just released a whitepaper called "Schools for Tomorrow" showcasing how teachers can bring technology, such as Skype, into the classroom.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-49242042003136952162011-12-23T09:05:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:05:22.098-08:00Experience Christmas and the Holiday season around the world on Skype in the classroom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: small;">As preparations for the holiday season are well underway in many schools around the world, Skype in the classroom teachers and their students are keen to share and compare their local traditions. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">For teachers and classrooms who want to show-and-tell their stories, songs, crafts and culture with schools worldwide, we've brought together some of the best seasonal projects for Christmas and the Holidays taking place on Skype in the classroom. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnAVv_azrnU/TvS0jfDiDuI/AAAAAAAAGVw/3fvaLXGaMDw/s1600/content-thumb-590x331-20995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnAVv_azrnU/TvS0jfDiDuI/AAAAAAAAGVw/3fvaLXGaMDw/s400/content-thumb-590x331-20995.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Children from Balatonbogla Primary School, Hungary participate in a monthly cultural exchange via Skype video. <span style="font-family: inherit;">They are looking for students from all over the world to share their holiday traditions with.</span></span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;">It's easy for teachers to take part in a range of projects and join our community of over 19,500 Skype in the classroom enthusiasts in time for the holidays.</div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Meanwhile, if you have any great holiday projects, stories, images or videos to share please tweet us using #SkypeClassroom. We'd love to hear about them. We hope to bring you more great seasonal projects in the New Year.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-37097335196762641982011-12-23T09:01:00.000-08:002011-12-23T09:01:26.988-08:00Video calling and video conferences with Skype<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A new whitepaper from Skype shows how innovative instructors have put the software to use for teaching students in new and interesting ways. <br />
As students of all ages and teachers around the world prepare to get back to school - or perhaps have already begun to settle in to the academic routine - many might think of Skype as merely something university students use to make cheap calls home.<br />
However, though we certainly think students should use Skype for video calls to mom and dad or instant messaging friends off at other universities, that's only the tip of the iceberg of what Skype has to offer, as shown in a recent Skype whitepaper .<br />
Through Skype in the Classroom, instructors from around the world have the opportunity to collaborate on projects or share ideas through Skype chat or international calls. With free Skype-to-Skype calls, it's never been easier - or cheaper - to compare notes with other teachers, from down the street to Dallas, Djibouti or Dubai.<br />
And the way classrooms from around the world have used Skype to provide a channel for information exchange has truly been inspiring. One chat that started between a classroom in England and members of the Maasai tribe in Tanzania blossomed into regular Skype-delivered English lessons and, finally, flights to Tanzania for a visit.<br />
Skype has also been used regularly for instructors to stay in touch with their classes when carrying out research elsewhere, or for master classes taught by special guests. Guest speakers who may not be able to travel are no problem with Skype either - with a web cam, your classroom will be ready to greet its guest of honour. <br />
If you're an educator or student whose education has been enhanced by Skype, why not let us know in the comments? We love to hear how Skype has helped in the classroom.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-77170917654658811022011-12-23T08:56:00.000-08:002011-12-23T08:58:43.839-08:00The Transformational Power of Skype in the Classroom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This afternoon, I had the opportunity to join a dynamic community of global leaders at the 2nd Annual Social Good Summit presented by Mashable, the 92nd Street Y, and the United Nations Foundation to discuss a big idea: the power of innovative thinking and technology to solve our greatest challenges.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Specifically, I took to the stage to discuss Skype's unique ability to facilitate social good through the removal of traditional economic, geographic and/or cultural barriers to communication. This can be illustrated through our 'Skype in the classroom' initiative, which embodies the three characteristics that are central to our brand: <i><b>Universal, Useful and Wonderful</b></i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The <i>Universal</i> nature of Skype software means that anyone anywhere can use it to connect with anyone somewhere else around the world. An example illustrating this took place earlier this year, when a geography class in the United Kingdom wanted to learn how tourism impacted the lives of the Massai tribe in Tanzania. Because they used the same Skype software, the class and the tribesmen were able to talk across continents and cultural boundaries to learn a lot about their different lifestyles.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The <i>Useful</i> nature of Skype means that educators can put it into practical use to truly enrich the learning process. From the hundreds of projects that educators have collaborated on, we seen that this ranges from bringing in actresses, authors, politicians and other guest lecturers to teach lessons or connecting with people overseas to learn more about the culture in a foreign country or to practice speaking another language with a native speaker.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But most importantly, Skype in a classroom setting leads to <i>Wonderful</i> learning experiences. For example, teachers can now not only give a lesson about the war in Afghanistan, but also they can start a Skype pen pal program with a class in Afghanistan to help their students understand what it's like to live in a war-torn country.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As you'll see from the testimonials in this video, there are so many different ways that educators are using Skype in their classrooms - the only limit is their imagination.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='300' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/K4CVbIInVWo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">During my speech, I also had the pleasure to talk live via Skype video call with an engineering class at the Oliver Street Elementary School in Newark, NJ. Oliver Street School is the first school in Newark to offer its middle school students courses from Project Lead the Way (PLTW), the leading provider of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) education curricular programs. The school's goal is to inspire students to pursue 21st Century careers by providing them a program in which they learn practical applications for what they learn in their core academic courses. And Skype is playing a huge role in getting their students excited about learning. I'd like to thank the school's principal, Mr. Havier Nazario, the class' teacher, Mr. Alan Usherenko, and sixth grader Giovanna Bialoglowka for opening their classroom up to us and sharing how they recently used Skype to connect with engineers at New York University to learn more about the fabrication and cutting of metal. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many of these connections wouldn't be possible without our free 'Skype in the classroom' online resource, which allows teachers and subject-matter experts to find like-minded individuals with whom they can collaborate on projects and share educational resources with one another. In the six months since 'Skype in the classroom' officially launched, the response has been greater than we ever could have imagined. The following infographic illustrates the scale of this initiative's global impact to date:</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y96gzu_pYr0/TvSzEkg4f7I/AAAAAAAAGVk/IWzISH6y_bY/s1600/skype-in-the-classroom-row.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y96gzu_pYr0/TvSzEkg4f7I/AAAAAAAAGVk/IWzISH6y_bY/s400/skype-in-the-classroom-row.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is truly amazing to visit the 'Skype in the classroom' site and read about the ways that our software is transforming the educational experience of students in so many teachers' classrooms. And it is inspiring to think about a classroom of the future where the learning process is never limited by physical, economic or cultural boundaries. It's a place where students will be able to use technology to have access to big data to start attacking some of the world's most pressing issues and crises. And it's also somewhere we can reduce suspicion of foreign cultures, minimize racism and increase tolerance through the connectedness that is born through technology.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We really see the possibility of making <u><strong>a million connected classrooms</strong></u> a reality and we will continue to do our part in working together to foster the classroom of the future, through the 'Skype in the classroom' resource and partnerships with both for profit, not-for-profit and governmental organizations. We invite you to join us in this initiative at http://education.skype.com.</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-4146655991743578112011-12-23T08:49:00.000-08:002011-12-23T08:49:54.953-08:00Skype in the classroom just got a little bit better<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over the last few months Skype in the Classroom has grown to a community of over 15,000 teachers who are collaborating on a wide variety of projects across the globe. During that period we've taken some time to sit back, listen to your feedback, and make some subtle improvements.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-if23-nYSzpU/TvSxAGCkXvI/AAAAAAAAGVY/8jrk9awIrM0/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-15+at+10.36.40.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-if23-nYSzpU/TvSxAGCkXvI/AAAAAAAAGVY/8jrk9awIrM0/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-15+at+10.36.40.png" /></a></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>New features include:</b></span></div><ul style="color: black; font-family: inherit;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Timezone converter:</b> on project pages you can now check which timezone your potential partner teachers or class are in to make scheduling easier</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Filter:</b> you can now filter teachers in the 'Teachers' tab by country by using the 'sort by country' drop-down menu on the left tab</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bookmark:</b> you can add 'teachers', 'resources', and 'projects' as favourites via the 'add as favourite' button and you ca<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>n see them all on your profile page</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Project participation:</b> If other teachers mark a project as their favourite, you can see who they are on the project page</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>View:</b> you can now view your own resources and projects on your profile page</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: black; font-family: inherit;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Share: </b> it's easy to share resources on Twitter by clicking the 'tweet' icon</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: black; font-family: inherit;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Manage: </b> you can now receive email notifications when someone comments on content that you share, by selecting the 'notify me' box when you edit your profile. </span></li>
</ul><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We hope these changes make it a little bit easier for you to connect with colleagues and classes around the world. If you'd like to let us know what you think you can email us at education@skype.net or click directly on the 'Feedback' tab on education.skype.com. Alternatively you can always follow us via Twitter or Facebook. Meanwhile, more work is in progress.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-57630378443934034472011-12-23T08:40:00.000-08:002011-12-23T08:40:51.094-08:00Skype Support Network Now Available on Facebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A few weeks ago, we rolled out our beta of the Skype Support Network, an online community where customers can learn about Skype from experts, find answers, and share information through topic-specific discussion forums. The community is available through Skype.com, and starting today is also now available from Skype's Facebook account page.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QfGvS84eiOA/TvSuHgzv4oI/AAAAAAAAGVM/LH9H6GQEh6w/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-01+at+11.14.21+AM-thumb-485x445-19931.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QfGvS84eiOA/TvSuHgzv4oI/AAAAAAAAGVM/LH9H6GQEh6w/s400/Screen+shot+2011-08-01+at+11.14.21+AM-thumb-485x445-19931.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We think there is a big appetite for information about Skype, and Skype Support Network was created in direct response to that. Having this information available within our Support Network and extended to various social media channels, such as Facebook, is part of our efforts to engage customers and help them access information they need. So, feel free to ask us a question or search our community for answers right from within Facebook or visit us at the Skype Support Network.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-25572650526793097882011-12-23T08:33:00.000-08:002011-12-23T08:33:33.253-08:00Skype to add 350 new jobs in 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='500' height='300' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9beCDzWzc8k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Skype is growing its team globally, and this is very exciting news as we continue to ramp our innovation of new products across many different platforms for consumers and businesses. Among the 350 jobs we’re adding, many of the roles will be in our Palo Alto office, where our focus is to add superstar engineers to our already super-talented team of engineers who are based all over the globe.<br />
We have cool new digs that we just moved into, and a smart, passionate, fun team. We created this video to show you what we’re all about, and to show you why Skype is <strong>the</strong> place to work in Silicon Valley. So if you want to work on the next great Skype idea and have the opportunity to be at a company that is transforming communications and bringing people closer together all over the world, check out our job opportunities, and get in touch.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-73209435626258007132011-12-23T08:30:00.000-08:002011-12-23T08:30:16.922-08:00Embrace your #TrueCalling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As you may have seen on our blog or read about here and here, we're hiring. <br />
<br />
Today we're taking this effort up a notch and are pleased to show-off our newly minted Skype billboard.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MdcGDtYggco/TvSsRyxXv-I/AAAAAAAAGVA/u1GafLm0bWo/s1600/SkypeBillboard_v2-thumb-590x353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MdcGDtYggco/TvSsRyxXv-I/AAAAAAAAGVA/u1GafLm0bWo/s400/SkypeBillboard_v2-thumb-590x353.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Now we could wax lyrical here about how great it is to work at Skype, but you either wouldn't believe us (or, at least have your doubts) or you already know that's the case. Instead, we want to ask you to share your true calling. <br />
<br />
We've had a lot of fun talking about what we wanted to be when we grew up, only to realize our "true calling" was in fact something very different. You'd be surprised at how many people wanted to be astronauts but ended up working in marketing with a side of volunteer work. <br />
<br />
With that conversation fresh in our minds, we'd like to hear from you. Work or otherwise, tell us via the comments below or @skypedeveloper what your #truecalling is. $5 free credit to the tweet or comment with the most likes or retweets.<br />
<br />
For more job information visit our career page or if you're smart enough, take a stab at breaking the code to find out more:</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-70734547910912469102011-12-23T08:01:00.000-08:002011-12-23T08:01:03.361-08:00Get Skype on your Sony Ericsson phone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Skype is now available for the Sony Ericsson Satio, Vivaz and Vivaz pro – all you have to do is <strong>visit skype.com/m on your phone</strong>, and you’ll be able to download it with a couple of taps. These three ranges are based on the popular Symbian platform, adding yet more phones to the hundreds of millions out there already compatible with Skype. <br />
Skype for Symbian lets you:<br />
<ul><li>Make free Skype-to-Skype calls to your friends and family on Skype anywhere in the world*</li>
<li>Save money on calls and texts (SMS) to phones abroad</li>
<li>Send and receive instant messages to and from individuals or groups</li>
<li>Share pictures, videos and other files</li>
<li>Receive calls to your online number</li>
<li>See when your contacts are online and available to call or IM</li>
<li>Easily import names and numbers from your phone’s address book</li>
</ul>Skype for Symbian will run on any Sony Ericsson smartphone using Symbian ^1, the latest version of the Symbian platform. Visit skype.com/m on your phone to download it now.<br />
<small>We recommend that you have an unlimited data plan to avoid incurring additional charges from your operator. You should also be aware that extra charges may apply if you use Skype over a mobile data connection when abroad.</small></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116490317181532196.post-19385512198067349052011-12-23T07:57:00.000-08:002011-12-23T07:57:28.040-08:00Skype for Symbian now supports the new Symbian phones and includes improved call quality<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylGn_5uAUN0/TvSkwVyeFiI/AAAAAAAAGU0/MbgqoEXTUf0/s1600/skype_symbian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylGn_5uAUN0/TvSkwVyeFiI/AAAAAAAAGU0/MbgqoEXTUf0/s1600/skype_symbian.jpg" /></a></div>We’ve just released an update to our Symbian app which adds support for the new Symbian phones, including the Nokia N8, C7 and E5. <br />
It includes SILK, our high quality audio codec, which should help make sure your calls are crystal clear, even when you’re on a low-bandwidth connection.<br />
Skype lets you:<br />
<ul><li>make free Skype-to-Skype calls and IM on 3G or WiFi *</li>
<li>save money on calls and texts to phones abroad</li>
<li>share pictures, videos and other files from your phone</li>
</ul>The update also contains a number of interface improvements, making it easier to add contacts, navigate, add a photo to your profile and set your mood message. Additionally, we’ve updated the interface to better fit larger screens.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0