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

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

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

Bank of America is calling the new technology Teller Assist, and it will allow customers to video chat live with tellers in order to do more at ATMs than what would traditionally be offered. This includes cashing checks and receiving change, making withdrawals in denominations other than multiples of 20, and even make loan or credit card payments straight from the ATM.

Bank of America says that Teller Assist will allow customers who prefer human interaction an improved way of banking during after-hours or on the weekends. I know that I enjoy the social aspect of banking, but sometimes I can only make it there in the evenings and on the weekends. This method, however, provides a nifty compromise.

The Teller Assist program is beginning to roll out now starting in Boston, and will make its way to other markets throughout the year. It won’t be a 24/7 program, but the company notes that Teller Assist ATMs will be open from 7 AM to 10 PM, and 8 AM to 5 PM on weekends, which should give early risers and night dwellers more time to hit the bank during the week.

Image via Flickr

House Representative Steve Pearce (R-NM) wants to create a “virtual Congress” of sorts that would allow lawmakers to check in from their home offices, and Pearce says that not only would it save money for the Congressmen and women, but he says that “keeping legislators closer to the people we represent would pull back Washington’s curtain and allow constituents to see and feel, first-hand, their government at work.”

Plus, it would allow all the representatives and Senate members to spend more time at home in their districts, which would allow them more time for their own constituents. Pearce brings up the fact that businesses and large corporations use telecommuting technologies all the time, and says that “it’s time that Congress does the same.”

However, not all companies are on board with such practices. Recently-appointed Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer got rid of the company’s policy that allowed some of its employees to work from home. Mayer’s new policy requires that all Yahoo employees work from the company’s many campuses in order to spark more creativity and boost moral.

[via The Hill]

This marks the first time that Skype has enabled HD video chatting in its smartphone app, and it’s compatible with any new Windows Phone 8 device that supports HD video recording, like the Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X, and the Samsung Ativ S. On devices that don’t support HD video, Skype will automatically use VGA video instead.

The app will also automatically set the video quality based on the speed of your WiFi or data connection, and Skype callers can use either the front-facing or rear-facing cameras, as well as switch between portrait and landscape mode for both cameras. Overall, the addition of HD quality should make calls a lot more pleasant.

The People Hub integration also makes it easier to start a Skype call with someone. All your Skype contacts will automatically be added to the People Hub on your Windows Phone device, that way you can start up a Skype call without having to open up the app in the first place. You can also switch between user accounts for Skype calls.

The pre-recorded questions will come from users who submit video questions through YouTube. Users will have until February 12 to upload a YouTube video that’s 30 seconds long at most, and it must be tagged with #askAstro. The same goes for questions on Twitter and Google+, while a separate Facebook page will be available on February 22.

The Hangout will be available on NASA’s official Google+ page, so be sure to bookmark it for February 22 at 11 am ET. It’s not said how long the Hangout will last, but based on past Hangouts with officials and such, it’ll probably be around one hour to two hours, which should allow for plenty of questions that I’m sure space nuts are excited to hear the answers to.

In the past, Google+ Hangouts have been a popular tool for communicating with government officials, including President Obama and Vice President Biden, both of which hosted Google+ Hangouts in the past to answer questions from citizens. As time goes on, we should see Hangouts become a more popular platform for such uses, and maybe even become the standard for Q&A sessions with various celebrities.

Users are now able to login to the Skype app using either their Messenger, Hotmail, or Outlook.com credentials, and then merge their accounts once they’re in. Users can also chat with their friends who use any of these Microsoft services straight from Skype, thanks to the integrated Microsoft account support.

If you have an iOS device with a Retina display, you can now also enjoy animated emoticons. We’re not sure why Skype limited this new feature to only Retina displays, but if you’re using a last-gen iDevice, you’re stuck using the inanimate emoticons until you can upgrade, but it’s probably not a huge deal for most users.

The updated app also lets you set up a new Skype account from directly within the iOS app. It also allows you to edit instant messages you’ve sent to your friends by tapping and holding individual messages. And as usual, you’ll find that Skype also included a handful of bug fixes and general performance enhancements.

Skype for iOS is a free download, and the new update is available now in the iTunes App Store.

Skype is offering both digital and physical gift cards that offer $10 or more in credits. These can be used either for the service’s VoIP calling or even some Skype WiFi at the airport. If you want a customizable Skype gift card, you’ll have to get one online, but if you’re looking for a physical gift card, the Microsoft Store, OfficeMax and Target have them available.

While $10 may not sound like a lot, Skype reassures you that $10 will get you plenty of calling time with your favorite people. They even made a quick infographic comparing different things that $10 will buy you compared to calling people over Skype. For instance, $10 will roughly buy you 1.62 cups of beer, according to Skype, but it will also get you a one-month premium subscription to Skype. When they put it that, it certainly sounds like a deal.

For those who live overseas from their family, a Skype gift card can certainly be a great Christmas gift. While Skype-to-Skype calls are free no matter where you’re located, calling landlines and mobile phones can cost a few pennies depending on who you’re calling, so if a family doesn’t have access to a computer, a Skype gift card is great for those who are forced to use a landline or cell phone.

Skype-to-Skype calls have always been free inside of the country, but if you ever wanted to call your dear Aunt Tilda who lives across the pond, you have to make use of your Skype credits. Same thing goes for calling landline phones and mobile devices. However, Skype is making all of that free for one month starting today.

We’re not sure if a lot of people actually make phone calls nowadays, but if something’s free, you might as well as take advantage of it. There is, however, a “fair usage policy”, meaning that you can’t chit-chat for too long and hog the line, and premium and satellite numbers remain ineligible. Still, though, the policy seems pretty generous.

You’ll also have to attach some sort of payment method to your account, just in case you want to use it after your free one month is out, and international calling is eligible in over 40 countries. You must claim your free month by the end of today, so be sure to head to Skype’s website as soon as possible to grab your free month.

[via Ubergizmo]

Instead, you can use your existing Facebook or Microsoft credentials to log in, and if you choose the latter then the various chat services Microsoft offers will instantly be supported too. Microsoft had already been talking up its Skype for Windows 8 app, completely redesigned to suit the Metro-style UI.

In the pipeline, meanwhile, is the ability to break out chat conversations into different windows so as to more easily monitor them on the Mac app; that’s already enabled in the PC version. There’ll also be the ability to make audio/video calls directly to Windows Live Messenger users from the Skype app, which Microsoft says is due in the “coming weeks.”

Skype is a free download, though there are premium services which you can pay for. Those include unlimited voice calls to landlines, group video chats for up to ten participants, and instant live-chat support from Skype itself.

One of the coolest features of the new suite is its cloud-based platform that allows users to chat with others right through a web browser, so there’s no need for both parties to have anything more installed on their computers. This not only makes it easier for businesses to communicate with one another, but it also removes a lot of the hassle associated with video conferencing,

The CloudAXIS Suite will be available for both large enterprises and service providers, and will offer what Polycom calls Video Collaboration as a Service (VCaaS) on private or public clouds. Overall, the new suite revolves around better user-friendliness and improved support for other video chat programs to make it easier to communicate with more people.

While Polycom’s CloudAXIS Suite will only be available in the corporate sphere, the included features would be excellent for regular consumers as well, and if or when a time comes when a company creates an easy, no-hassle solution like this for consumers, it would definitely be a big hit.

Apple’s handling of FaceTime has been shoddy, it has to be said. The company originally promised to open the system up to third-parties, making it a cross-platform service rather than limiting it solely to its own iOS and Mac clients. That hasn’t happened, and beyond revealing 3G support in the upcoming iOS 6 back at WWDC 2012, Apple has been quiet on where, exactly, FaceTime is going.

Leaving out carrier-specific details at the WWDC keynote is a good example of that, though Apple isn’t done any favors by AT&T’s famed reluctance to commit to anything until the last minute. Going by the error messages popping up on devices already running the iOS 6 beta, it’s looking very likely that AT&T will be demanding another tithe for those wanting to use the data they’ve already paid for to make FaceTime 3G calls – on top of mandatory data package fees and, if required, tethering add-ons.

Exactly how much that will cost – if, indeed, it happens at all – remains to be seen. AT&T could go for a pay-per-use fee, either on a per-call basis (say, $0.50 per FaceTime 3G call you make, regardless of length) or based on data consumption. Or, it could opt for a set fee each month for blanket FaceTime 3G calling; say, $10 more on top of your existing data package.

Is $10 too much to ask for the convenience of not using, say, Skype and instead relying on Apple’s streamlined alternative? Would $5 be acceptable? What if AT&T said you could make as many FaceTime calls over 3G as you like, as long as you also upgrade to a tethering package? How much is “too much”?

Listen to the current crop of complaints, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that Apple gadget users have been crying out for a video calling, but that the prospect of AT&T fees is going to yank the rug out from under it. Apple hasn’t released usage figures for FaceTime – perhaps indicative that it hasn’t exactly set the world alight, given Apple loves nothing more than loudly proclaiming the numerical evidence of its successes – but is the current lack of 3G support really the blockade, or is it the fact that video calling really just doesn’t rate highly on the priority list of most?

What does rate strongly is the suspicion that fat-cat carriers are preparing to squeeze yet more fees out of us every month. Even if we don’t want to use a feature, nothing enrages us like the possibility that someone might want to charge us for it. So, don’t conflate anger over the possibility of AT&T plan changes with a real appetite for video calling services. Sometimes, subscribers just like an opportunity to blow off steam.

For tethering, AT&T – like many other carriers – requires that subscribers pay for an extra data plan. It’s suggested that, given FaceTime will likely increase the amount of 3G traffic users consume, the carrier will demand they cough up another fee to cover it.

Interestingly, 9to5Mac found that Verizon handsets do not give the same error message as AT&T devices running iOS 6, though it’s not conclusive proof that the carrier will not be demanding an extra tithe for FaceTime 3G calls.

Whether AT&T’s fee is in the form of a set allowance for FaceTime 3G traffic, a pay-per-call charge, or a flat fee covering “unlimited” use each month (though likely with a “fair use” policy) remains to be seen. “We’re working closely with Apple on the new developer build of iOS 6″ AT&T said in a statement, “and we’ll share more information with our customers as it becomes available.”

It’s exact form could have a significant impact on those AT&T subscribers still clinging onto their older, now-discontinued unlimited data plans. If AT&T demands an all-new data package that covers FaceTime 3G, rather than simply adding the service as an account add-on, such users may have to choose between their grandfathered plans or the ability to make video calls over cellular data connections.

[via MacRumors]

Either the PS Vita’s front or rear cameras can be used to make video calls, and if you have credit on your Skype account you can make SkypeOut calls to landlines and mobiles. Skype-to-Skype calls are, as usual, free, though you’ll probably have to pay for data if you make them over a 3G connection.

Meanwhile, there’s also “background mode” support, allowing the Vita to receive Skype calls even when another game or app has the foreground. If a call comes through, gamers will have the option to pause the game and then resume after they’ve finished talking.

Not all games and apps will support background mode, Skype warns, so your milage may vary, but considering it’s something even Windows Phone can’t manage, we’ll still give Skype and Sony some credit. The app is a free download; more information at Skype here.

You still get free Skype to Skype voice and video calls, along with low-cost calls to landlines and cellphones if you add credit to your account. Both the front and back cameras on the new iPad can be used, and the app uses the SILK audio codec for what Skype describes as near-CD quality sound.

Alternatively you can turn your iPad into an oversized iPhone, getting a SkypeIn number for inbound calls. Apple obviously offers its own video calling functionality, in the shape of FaceTime, but unlike Skype that can only be used over WiFi connections.

You can find Skype for iPad here [iTunes link]. It’s an 18.5MB download, and a free app.

“While we are ending the sale of Umi, the Umi service remains unchanged” the spokesperson clarified. “Existing customers will continue to be able to use the service to make calls to other Umi subscribers or to Google video chat accounts.”

Outlandish pricing of both the hardware and ongoing subscription fees, as well as an apparent blindness to the rest of the video conferencing market seemed destined to scupper Umi’s chances. Cisco launched it at $599, then slashed the price by $100 in March last year as well as trimming service charges dramatically: down from $24.99 per month to just $9.99. Meanwhile a lower-resolution Umi 720 was launched, priced at $399.

With Skype offering subscription-free video calls, however, and a growing number of laptops, tablets, desktops and smartphones offering HD-capable webcams, even “cheaper” didn’t prove as tempting as “free.”

Video calling via Skype on Android has been limited but the company continues to test and support new devices. Skype is expanding the whitelisted devices, ensuring that more handsets will support its video calling and provide an optimized video experience.

Some of the latest whitelisted devices include the HTC Amaze 4G and the Motorola DROID RAZR. Overall, almost any device running Android 2.2 Froyo or above can try out Skype’s video calling feature. When you first start up Skype on a new non-whitelisted device, the app will let you know whether video calling can be turned on.

The app is free, but the service may require a 3G cellular plan when you are not connected to WiFi. The app can be downloaded at the Android Market.

The slim set-top device is designed to sit on top of your television set and hooks up to it via an HDMI cable. The camera in the device features a 5-megapixel resolution and can digitally tilt, pan, and zoom. Given enough bandwidth, videos can be viewed in up to 720p resolution, while audio is 16KHz wideband.

The 802.11n WiFi connection supports download and upload speeds of up to 1Mbps and requires at least 256Kbps for both. Calls can be made to another person who also has a Biscotti TV Phone or has a smartphone, tablet, or computer that can use Google Talk.

Since Google Talk is a free service, this means no monthly subscription charges. You pay just one time for the device, which costs $199 and will begin shipping by the end of the month.

[via Engadget]

The new anti-shake correction for Skype is a software-based trick that helps to reduce the jitter effect from holding your iPhone or iPad in your hand or while you’re walking. If you’re on the go a lot and need to video chat, this new feature will certainly save your friends from motion sickness. The addition of Bluetooth support makes it even easier now to chat on the go as the updated app allows for hands-free video calling.

Although Skype did not specify which security vulnerability this update fixed, it may have something to do with the address book theft vulnerability revealed last week. That security loop hole allowed address book content to be swiped through the use of Javascript in Skype’s chat messages.

The service remains free to use, but has now added advertisements, similar to what happened with the Skype 5.4 update for Mac. To get rid of the ads, you will have to sign up for Skype Credit, a premium subscription, or a calling subscription. The update is available now at Apple iTunes and requires iOS 4.0 or later.

[via TUAW]

The major overhaul that is the Windows Phone 7 Mango update does not come with a native video calling app. Instead, it supports third-party developers in creating apps that can use the front-facing camera on upcoming Mango devices. Hence, the demo in uses the Tango video calling app, which is already quite popular on Android and iOS.

Windows Phone 7.5 Mango devices are set to launch in the coming weeks, with the HTC Titan having been unveiled earlier this month at IFA 2011 along with the HTC Radar. Both phones will be launching in Europe sometime in October, but no timeline has been revealed for a US launch yet.

[via WinRumors]

Now that the 2011 iMac and MacBook Pro’s come with a FaceTime HD camera, it makes sense that Skype should take advantage of this and offer the option for HD video calling. The new feature also works with a variety of add-on high-resolution webcams. But to receive clear HD video calls its recommended to have a connection speed of at least 1.5Mbps.

The update also adds full support for Mac OS X Lion while promising backwards compatibility with Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Other improvements include new contact sorting, searching, and viewing options.

[via Skype]

When the Skype app launched for Android in June it supported the Samsung Google Nexus S, Sony Ericsson Xperia neo, Sony Ericsson Xperia pro, and HTC Desire S to start. The official supported handset list is much larger now and even includes a tablet. New official devices include all the original devices and the Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Droid Charge – Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tab, HTC Desire (2.2), HTC Thunderbolt – Verizon, HTC Sensation, HTC Evo 4G, HTC Evo 3D, HTC Incredible S, HTC Desire HD, HTC Flyer, LG Revolution – Verizon (2.2), Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, Sony Ericsson Xperia ray, Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro, and the Acer A5.

That is a bunch of newly supported handset and covers just about all the really popular devices out there. Skype notes if you are using an Android 2.2 or higher device not on the list you may be able to activate the video calling feature on your device in settings. However, the video quality might not be as good as an officially supported device according to Skype.

[via Android Community]

The 5.2 Skype update adds some neat features that allow for more collaboration between Mac users. One new feature is group screen sharing. On one-to-one call Skype calls, screen sharing is already available for free, but now it works with groups calls as well. But in order to use the group calling and screen sharing feature, at least one of the call participants must have a Skype Premium account.

Another new features is a call control bar that allows for multitasking. If you’re on a video call but want to open another program, you can do so and still see the person you’re on call with and control whether to hang up or mute.

The Skype 5.2 update for Mac is available now for free download. To take advantage of the group calling and screen sharing features, check out the 7-day trial for the Skype Premium subscription.

There may be another major announcement from Skype this Wednesday alongside Facebook, if insider predictions are correct about the “awesome” news scheduled to be revealed this week by the social network.

[via Skype]