Last night we released Skype 2.0.1 for iPhone.

Please start downloading this build right away (from iTunes) and continue reading.

This new release brings to you the support for the multitasking, new iPhone 4G display resolution and of course we fully support the new iOS 4.0.

Now you are able to send Skype to the background while using other applications and receive incoming Skype calls or IM’s. Also Skype will stay online when you lock the device.

These new features are supported on iPhone 4G, iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch third generation models (released late 2009).

In addition to these updates we have added sound effects for incoming Instant Messages and authorization requests. We have also removed the need to connect to WiFi when it becomes available, when you are already connected over a mobile data connection. This stops the OS alert to connect to WiFi coming on the screen.

Please let us know what you think about this release by commenting on this blog post or talking on our forums.

There are also in some bug fixes and a number of known issues as-well.
The full release notes for Skype 2.0.1 for iPhone are:

Improvements:
• For all supported devices:
o Added iOS 4.0 support.
o Added sound effects for incoming instant messages/authorizations requests.
o Skype can now stay connected to mobile data connection even if there is a new WiFi network in range.
• Only for devices with multitasking support:
o Added multitasking support, so Skype can run in the background and you can remain available for incoming calls, IMs and authorization requests.
o Added local notification support, so you can see if someone is calling/messaging you even if you are using another app. You can see also contact requests, missed calls and voicemails.
o Added background calling support. Now you can continue talking in the background, even if you use another application. Red ‘Skype’ bar indicates that a live call is in the background.
o Now you can receive incoming calls and IM’s over WiFi when the device is manually locked.
o Added high definition graphics for the iPhone 4 Retina Display.
o Implemented stacked local notifications, so all missed/new Skype events are shown in one alert.
Known issues:
• When an incoming call notification is displayed, if the user taps ‘Cancel’ it doesn’t decline the call, it just closes the notification. The call will continue to ring until it is either forwarded, or goes to voicemail, or the caller hangs up.
• There is no elegant way in iOS 4.0 to exit/close the app anymore. We advise that you set Skype to ‘Offline’ to reduce data traffic and battery while not using Skype. We are looking in other ways to implement this. Other ways to quit Skype include: Hold the application icon on the task bar. That should bring up the remove badge icon. Press it and the application process should be terminated; Hold down the Lock button until you get the power down slider, then hold down Home button.
• A Skype call continues while you listening music using the iPod app.
• Skype audio is mixed with other audio channels if there are any.
• The red bar only indicates that audio is being recorded in the background. So e.g. a call on an iPod without microphone or a held call won’t be indicated when in the background.
• Skype could hang on start-up, if the app was terminated manually from the task bar.
• Dialpad ‘Call’ button could sometimes be slow, especially when there is heavy IM activity.
• The keyboard may not displayed properly if you get an incoming call.
• Sometimes, messages don’t appear as soon as you hit ‘Send’ button, especially if you have lots of conversations open. Going to the Chats list and back to the chat will solve this problem
• Landscape mode sometimes won’t work after sign-out/sign-in.
• The device system volume is sometimes changed after using Skype.
• Some graphic elements are not fully optimized for Retina Display.
• Missed call events in the local notification are not ordered correctly.
• Empty Contact List graphic is not centred.
• DTMF tones sometimes play erratically.
• Skype may shut down and not be re-started when it’s sent to background and the network connection becomes unstable.
Fixed issues:
• IM sounds are not played when in DND mode, when Notification Sounds setting is OFF or during live call.
• Fixed the issue when the action button erroneously appears on the messages view when it was in landscape mode.
• Improved UI behavior while logging-out.
• Fixed the issue when Skype crashed because of the recursive audio on iPod Touch without microphone attached.
• IM sound with overlapping ringing tone crashed Skype.
• Buttons Call/Chat/SMS didn’t sometimes work on iPad.
• iPhone Contacts: Skype crashed when calling a contact from the Address Book.

Ends.

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Skype – former crusader for open communications – bans competition after fring trail-blazes mobile communication innovation

London, United Kingdom, 12 July 2010. fring, the multi-award winning mobile over internet communication service, today announces that it is being forced to stop its 4 years of Skype interconnectivity following threat of legal action. Skype’s anti-competitive ambush comes in the wake of fring’s mobile video calling on iPhone 4 launch, which continues to set the standard in rich mobile internet communication.

Since its foundation in 2006, fring’s rich mobile communications have been available to both fring users and open 3rd party networks including GoogleTalk, SIP, Twitter and, until now, Skype. However, despite fring expanding its network capacity over the last days to serve its enlarged user base, Skype is refusing to allow fring to restore connectivity to Skype. Accordingly, fringsters will no longer be able to communicate with their Skype friends the way they want, but can invite their Skype friends to join fring and enjoy unrestricted mobile video calling from any mobile phone, chat and voice services without restriction to a user’s mobile operator and the freedom to choose internet connectivity (3G/4G/WiFi).

“We are disappointed that Skype, who once championed the cause of openness, is now attempting to muzzle competition, even to the detriment of its own users” said Avi Shechter, fring’s Co-Founder and CEO “We apologize to our users for the impact of Skype’s bullying and we will be happy to reconnect with Skype once Skype reverses their decision.” Avi continued, “We believe in communication openness and know that users will continue to vote with their mobile phones – opting for fring’s innovation, clarity, honesty and openness”.

fring’s newest version is now available for download from fring’s website here and from appstores.

Let freedom fring!

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and Skype Lite for Java handsets, including Android.

The download pages for Windows Mobile and Java have been removed from Skype’s site, although existing users will not lose functionality for either Skype for Windows Mobile or Skype Lite, the company said on Thursday.

“Neither of these apps offered a great Skype experience,” Skype said in a blog post.

Specifically, Skype Lite’s limited country list was a hindrance for many Java phone owners, and calls dipped into the user’s bank of minutes, according to the company’s critique of its own products. For its Windows Mobile showing, Skype also cited difficulty maintaining the app’s behavior from one device to the next. As some of the Java phones now also overlap with theSymbian operating system, Skype said it hopes Nokia users will pick up Skype for Symbian.

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Skype Expands in Silicon Valley

Today, I’m pleased to announce that Skype will expand its operations in Silicon Valley, and has just signed a lease with Stanford University for a 90,000 square foot office space in the Stanford Research Park at 3210 Porter Drive in Palo Alto, CA. Silicon Valley will add to Skype’s excellent engineering team in Estonia, Prague and Stockholm, and will also become the home of regional marketing, business development, and the Skype for Business team.

Making this move is an exciting step for us. Skype’s Silicon Valley offices are currently in San Jose and Brisbane, where approximately 80 employees work today. The plans are to relocate our Silicon Valley teams to the new Palo Alto space as early as October 2010. And, we hope to attract some of the best and brightest talent in the Valley, especially engineers who are skilled at building ultra-scalable infrastructure.

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So, this isn’t some sappy, romantic article on ways to “Survive Your Long-Distance Relationship.” Here’s the real problem: a third party has entered my relationship, causing fights, miscommunication and anxiety. She’s sleek, sexy and smooth. Her name is … the iPhone 3G.

When your beloved lives a plane ride away, the phone becomes your main source of staying connected, but iPhone — you are making this a challenge … am I just supposed to turn the other cheek because you are an otherwise wonderful multi-media device?

Both my boyfriend and I have an iPhone. For those of you who are owners, you know it is notorious for dropping calls, having terrible reception, and overall, they’re really awesome for playing Plants vs. Zombies and Sudoku, but for actual phone use, my five-pound Motorola from 1997 worked better.

In all seriousness, these technical difficulties have either caused arguments or added to an already tense moment. For instance, the other day we were having a little argument over GChat, when he all of the sudden logged off — which, in instant messaging terms, is the equivalent of hanging up the phone or getting the door slammed in your face. OH. NO. HE. DIDN’T.

But apparently, he had logged off to call me, and my phone didn’t even ring. He’s thinking, “What the hell, pick up the phone!” This goes on for a while, until I get a “voicemail” notification that he called. I tried calling him back, but none of the phone calls would go through. The final blow was when I got a delayed text from him saying: “I tried to call you. Where did you go?” AHHH!

Eventually, we managed to reach each other and everything was totally fine, but if it weren’t for our iPhones, those two hours of anxiety would have never happened. Because so many people have been complaining about the poor service, AT&T has introduced a reception tower to place in your home or office that amps up your reception.

Initially, I thought: Yes! A solution! But then the bitterness set in. Let me get this straight: I not only paid $300 for a “superior” phone, I also shell out over $100 a month in fees. Now you want me to fork over another $150 so I can get service? I’m insulted.

I’m still undecided on what to do. I know there is Skype and video chatting, among other sources of technological-aided communication, but I’m stubborn, and I want to be able to call my boyfriend when I want to.

It’s a simple request. So, I guess — deep in my heart — I know the solution: I just have to wait for the iPhone 4G to come out. I’m sure that will solve everything.

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Skypito is the world’s first safe Internet chatting solution for kids, created in cooperation with Skype. It was designed to mimic the Skype application but created specifically for younger users, ages 2-14. The idea behind Skypito appeared when we noticed that a safe chat and online communication tool for kids was missing from today’s market. Being a company that focuses on family-friendly technology we felt it was our calling to make one.

Skypito was funded exclusively by EasyBits, and it can be enjoyed free of charge by children all over the world. For years we have been developing family oriented products designed to simplify and enhance the computer experience. We deliver tools that prepare the little ones for the future, bring friends and families closer, and offer advanced technology solutions. All of our products are developed with this simple vision in mind: we believe in user-friendly programs and technology that is accessible to all ages and skill sets.

http://www.skypito.com/

Check here for additional info

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/06/11/video.playdate/index.html

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When eBay bought Skype from Joltid in 2005, the whopping US$2.6 billion price tag didn’t include the Global Index peer-to-peer software that the world’s biggest Internet Telephony system is based on. And now, Joltid is trying to cancel Skype’s license on the Global Index technology in a move that threatens to shut Skype down once and for all. Is it just a canny commercial chess move to force eBay to sell Skype back to Joltid at a huge discount – or is it the end of Skype as we know it?

Skype is not only the world’s biggest Internet Telephony engine – it’s also the world’s biggest international voice carrier. Developed by the brains trust behind peer-to-peer filesharing system Kazaa, it has quickly risen to dominate the market. But while it’s successful with users, it has proven to be a crippling investment for eBay, which bought Skype for US$2.6 billion in 2005, and has subsequently revalued it down by nearly a billion dollars to US$1.7 billion.

Now, details are emerging of a legal arm-wrestle that threatens to shut Skype down completely. When eBay acquired Skype from Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis’ company Joltid in 2005, the hefty pricetag didn’t include a core piece of Joltid’s peer-to-peer communications code, called Global Index. Global Index is the peer-to-peer communication layer that Skype is built on top of – and it’s also the basis of Joost, an upcoming P2P video streaming technology. The critical Global Index code was licensed to Skype moving forward.

With eBay struggling to get its money’s worth from Skype, and finding little synergy between the communications software and its main online auction engine, the company started looking to spin Skype off in an IPO that would get it operating as its own business – certainly, with nearly 450 million users and the lion’s share of the market, it’s a platform with potential.

But after a falling-out between Skype and Joltid, Joltid has claimed that, through certain legal actions, Skype has invalidated its license on the Joltid P2P code – which is imperative to the Skype engine. Skype is scrambling to develop alternative software to do the job, but with the final court battle set for June 2010, it appears unlikely that this will be possible – particularly without breaching Joltid’s IP.

This excerpt from a quarterly report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission explains eBay’s tenuous position – emphasis is ours:

Skype licenses peer-to-peer communication technology from Joltid Limited pursuant to a license agreement between the parties. The parties had been discussing a dispute over the license. In March 2009, Skype Technologies S.A. filed a claim in the English High Court of Justice (No. HC09C00756) against Joltid Limited. Following the filing of the claim, Joltid purported to terminate the license agreement between the parties.

In particular, Joltid has alleged that Skype should not possess, use or modify certain software source code and that, by doing so, and by disclosing such code in certain U.S. patent cases pursuant to orders from U.S. courts, Skype has breached the license agreement. Joltid has brought a counterclaim alleging that Skype has repudiated the license agreement, infringed Joltid’s copyright and misused confidential information. On the basis of, among other things, the parties’ mutual dealings since the execution of the license agreement, Skype asked the English High Court for declaratory relief, including findings that Skype is not in breach of the license agreement, that Joltid’s notice of breach and subsequent notice of termination are invalid, and that Joltid has certain indemnity obligations in relation to the U.S. patent proceedings.

Trial is currently scheduled for June 2010. Although Skype is confident of its legal position, as with any litigation, there is the possibility of an adverse result if the matter is not resolved through negotiation. Skype has begun to develop alternative software to that licensed through Joltid. However, such software development may not be successful, may result in loss of functionality or customers even if successful, and will in any event be expensive. If Skype was to lose the right to use the Joltid software as the result of the litigation, and if alternative software was not available, Skype would be severely and adversely affected and the continued operation of Skype’s business as currently conducted would likely not be possible.

So here’s where things get interesting from a commercial standpoint; this legal challenge could completely shut Skype down – so naturally enough, that black cloud will scuttle any IPO plans that eBay had to raise money from its difficult child.

If eBay is able to come up with an alternative platform that keeps Skype’s customers happy while abandoning Global Index and not causing any IP issues then it can go ahead with an IPO. But this is a herculean undertaking that even eBay admits it’s not very confident about. Given it’s already a cash sink for eBay, you’d have to wonder if the company is likely to throw big dollars at developing or acquiring another technology.

But if June 2010 comes around and eBay hasn’t sorted anything out, and the court case starts looking like it’s going Joltid’s way, then suddenly Joltid will be in an excellent position to put in a bargain-basement offer to buy Skype (and its projected US$1 billion 2011 revenue) back from eBay and laugh all the way to the bank.

With the future of the world’s favorite Internet Telephony service at stake, it will be fascinating to see how this plays out.

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N.S.F.N.T – Not Safe For Non Techie`s

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VOIP is growing like topsy and the company that leads the charge, Skype, has now rolled out Skype Pro, a new Internet communications package offering zero cents per minute calls to domestic landlines along with a series of premium Skype features and discounts on Skype Certified hardware. Skype’s popular features such as video calls from one Skype user to another, sending instant messages, transferring files, conference calls for up to 10 participants or joining in Skypecasts (live moderated conversations with up to 100 people) remain free to all Skype users across the world. Skype now has over 171 million registered users, is available in 28 languages and generates revenue through its premium offerings such as making and receiving calls to and from landline and mobile phones, voicemail, call forwarding and personalization including ringtones and avatars.

For a limited time only, you can purchase Skype Pro on a five month basis for EUR10 and receive EUR5 Skype credit free. After this introductory period, customers can continue with their subscriptions for just EUR2 a month.

“With Skype Pro, we’re making it easier for our 171m registered users to buy our paid for communications products. Skype Pro lets you call landlines and mobiles all over the world for exceptional value.

The combination of Skype’s free features with Skype Pro is very compelling. Along with zero per minute calling, Skype Pro includes free voicemail, a generous discount on SkypeIn numbers, attractively priced Skype devices plus five euros of SkypeOut credit when you sign up for five months. Skype Pro is a simple and cost-effective way for people to keep in touch with one another the world over,” said Stefan Oberg, VP & GM of Telecoms at Skype.

From today, people can choose to pay a low monthly subscription of €2 and make zero cents per minute calls to domestic landlines in 15 countries in Europe. Skype Pro subscribers will also receive discounts on Skype Certified devices and accessories. Skype Pro’s subscription package includes:

* Zero cents per minute calling to domestic landlines in [country] previously €0.017 per minute * Free Skype Voicemail (normally €15 per year) * €30 discount on SkypeIn™ numbers * €5 Skype Credit included as part of the introductory offer (see below) * A €30 discount on a Philips VoIP 841 cordless phone. * A €10 discount on an SMC WiFi phone. * Additional discounts on a series of Skype Extras are also available including desktop sharing, avatars, emoticons and ring tones * 15% VAT is added where applicable and all Skype Pro calls are subject to a connection fee of up to € 0.039 per call.

Skype Pro will initially be available across Europe in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the UK

Skype Pro will be rolled out to other countries worldwide later in 2007.

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