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Skype goes gold, makes group calling premium

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atvAdN9bENc&w=640&h=385]

Today Skype pulled the beta tag from its Mac client and with it the news that group video conferencing would be a paid feature (You can try it out for free for 7 days, and then purchase either a day pass starting at $4.99 (€3.49/£2.99)* or as a monthly subscription for $8.99 (€5.99/£4.99)* per month. New users receive a 7-day free trial.).

Notably, they’ve improved (or reverted) the application by going back to a smaller window which can rest on the side of the screen…

We’ve reduced the minimum window size, so that those of you who prefer to keep Skype to one side of your screen, for example, can do that more easily. We’ve also tightened up the contact list, so that you can see 30% more contacts at once. We’ve reduced the amount of whitespace in the sidebar too.

In addition, we’ve tweaked the way instant messages are displayed to reduce the amount of whitespace, allowing you to see more of your conversations without scrolling.

The contacts monitor is a great way to keep track of your closest friends, or your team at work, and in this version we’ve made it much easier to find – it’s in the Window menu.

You’ll be happy to know that we’ve brought back full screen mode in video calls. When you’re in a call, click the button to switch to full screen mode, and click it again to return the call to the Skype window. It’s also easier to chat while you’re on a call – again, just click the button to reveal the chat panel, and click it again to hide.

Direct download here.

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Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites.


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