skype

Microsoft has completely rebuilt Skype, taking one of the more frustrating - but, for many, essential - apps and giving it a much-needed makeover. Apparently remade from the ground up, the new Skype launches on mobile first before segueing to the desktop. It puts chat at the forefront, and not just voice calls, and makes a serious (or seriously needy, depending on your stance) play for Millennials who might be currently obsessed with Snapchat.

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A few months ago, Microsoft launched its Skype for Linux Alpha software, giving Linux users a chance to utilize the popular VoIP application. Things appear to be moving smoothly, as Microsoft has announced the launch of Skype for Linux Beta 5.0, marking the software’s transition from alpha to beta status. With this transition, says Microsoft, comes some new features for Linux users.

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Skype WiFi is being discontinued, Microsoft has announced, with the company planning to shutter the service on March 31. Once that date rolls around, no one will be able to download the Skype WiFi app, and those who already have it installed will no longer be able to use it -- that is, it won't find hotspots anymore. Microsoft's reason for discontinuing the service? It has better things to focus on.

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Emojis are so big that there’s even a movie about them. Of course, you don’t have to go that far to see that. Just open up your favorite messaging app and see for yourself. Unless you happen to be using Skype, in which case no emojis for you. That, however, changes with the latest Skype Preview, which promises users new ways of expressing themselves. Which is just a thinly veiled statement that says, yes, Skype is getting emoticons and stickers.

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Volvo Car Group has announced Skype for Business integration for the automaker’s 90 Series vehicles. This integration will increase drivers’ productivity by bringing Skype for Business to the cars’ large center display, making it possible to see what upcoming meetings are in the pipeline, who is attending, and more. The company also said it is exploring the idea of using Cortana.

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Skype's cool real-time translation feature, appropriately named Translator, is getting a rather significant expansion today. What was once limited to Skype-to-Skype calling is now expanding to calls with mobile phones and landlines. This assumes a few things, most importantly that you're part of the Windows Insider program.

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Once upon a time, Skype was the household name when it came to voice communications over the Internet. Today, that pie has been munched up by many services and companies, like Slack for teams and businesses. As part of its attempt to reclaim lost ground, Microsoft has spread Skype far and wide with new features and new audiences. It latest trick? Making it possible to use Skype without having to sign up for an account first. Together with its free tier, Microsoft has just made it far too simple for people from all over the world to get connected.

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Microsoft's messaging and video calling platform Skype has released two updates heading into the weekend, one each for the Mac and iOS. The first isn't technically an update, but a brand-new app for the desktop: Skype for Business, the platform's service that focuses more on inter-office communication and productivity, along with heavy Office integration. The second is an update the regular Skype app on iOS, which introduces the ability to send messages by dictating them to Siri.

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Now that Apple's iOS 10 has been out for over a week and is making its way to most users' iPhones, lots of popular apps are updating to take advantage of the software's new features. One such release is today's update for Skype, which allows the app make use of the new Siri API for third-party developers. Now users can ask Siri to place a Skype call to someone without even opening the app.

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Earlier in the month, we heard that Microsoft was plotting a competitor to Slack under its Skype branding. This new program, Skype Teams, was rumored to borrow a fair number of features while at the same time attempting to improve on the experience Slack offers its users through things like deep integration with Office 365. Now, we're hearing that Skype Teams could launch as early as January, with Microsoft rolling out a large scale beta before then.

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Microsoft has unleashed a new update for Outlook on iOS and Android, bringing a handful of quality-of-life improvements to the app's calendar feature. While some of these are geared more toward your personal life, most of them have some sort of application in the professional world, giving users changes that are centered around making the calendar easier to use and edit on mobile devices.

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Earlier this year, we heard that Microsoft had considered putting in an $8 billion offer for Slack, a group messaging service that has quickly grown in popularity over the last few years. Then, remembering that it had already shelled out billions of dollars for Skype, Microsoft pulled out of negotiations with Slack. Now it seems Microsoft is planning to use the Skype platform to develop a Slack competitor, calling it Skype Teams and offering a fair amount of functionality that Slack doesn't have - namely Office 365 integration.

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