The Ten Deadly Sins of Mobile Video

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.

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.

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.

Skype is coming to Mobile World Congress

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.

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.

Get Skype on your Sony Ericsson phone

Skype is now available for the Sony Ericsson Satio, Vivaz and Vivaz pro – all you have to do is visit skype.com/m on your phone, 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.
Skype for Symbian lets you:

• Make free Skype-to-Skype calls to your friends and family on Skype anywhere in the world*
• Save money on calls and texts (SMS) to phones abroad
• Send and receive instant messages to and from individuals or groups
• Share pictures, videos and other files
• Receive calls to your online number
• See when your contacts are online and available to call or IM
• Easily import names and numbers from your phone’s address book

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.
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.

Skype for Symbian now supports the new Symbian phones and includes improved call quality

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.
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.
Skype lets you:

• make free Skype-to-Skype calls and IM on 3G or WiFi *
• save money on calls and texts to phones abroad
• share pictures, videos and other files from your phone

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.

Skype mobile available on LG Fathom, LG Octane and Pantech Crux from Verizon Wireless

Back in March, we brought unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls and messaging to a variety of Verizon Wireless’ Android and BlackBerry smartphones, and earlier this year, we expanded the availability of the Skype mobile application onto a variety of 3G Multimedia phones with an app based on the BREW platform. Today, we’re announcing support for two new phones running BREW, the Pantech Crux and LG Octane, which will be available from Verizon Wireless later this week.
In addition, we’ve added support for Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones from Verizon Wireless, starting with the LG Fathom. As you may recall, we withdrew Skype for Windows Mobile from the marketplace earlier this year, due to the challenges of maintaining a consistent user experience on this platform across a wide range of handsets. By working closely together with a mobile operator like Verizon Wireless, which has a very strong user base carrying devices running Windows Mobile 6.5, we can now give consumers a better experience on this platform.
The expansion of Skype mobile to a wider selection of devices will enable even more Verizon Wireless customers to tap into the Skype mobile experience and make unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls* to friends and family on Skype, great value calls to landlines and mobile phones overseas, and send IMs to people on Skype anywhere in the world.
To get Skype mobile on your new Pantech Crux or LG Octane, you can download it from Media Center on your phone or from the Verizon online Media Store – or text SKYPE to 2777 for instructions to download.
To get Skype mobile on your LG Fathom, visit www.skype.com/m on your phone or text SKYPE to 2255 for a link to download.
Skype mobile is already supported on a wide range of Verizon Wireless 3G phones. See the full list of supported phones, or shop for a new phone.
* You’ll need a data plan in order to use Skype mobile on your Verizon Wireless phone.

Skype

Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chats over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system. Skype has also become popular for its additional features which include instant messaging, file transfer, and video conferencing. Skype has 663 million registered users as of 2010.
^{Unlike other VoIP services, Skype is a peer-to-peer system rather than a client–server system, and makes use of background processing on computers running Skype software; the original name proposed – Sky peer-to-peer – reflects this.}