skype

When the video conferencing trend kicked up last year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was no surprise that Microsoft would jump on the bandwagon as well. What was a bit surprising, however, was that it prioritized bringing its younger Teams platform up to snuff instead of promoting the video conferencing service it has had for years. In fact, some might have almost forgotten about Skype at this point, including Microsoft. Two years after launching its new Web app, Microsoft has finally made Skype work on Firefox, though not without what might be an unnecessary warning.

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Microsoft has revealed what it has planned for the future of Skype, taking the wraps off the updated user interface and some of the features in the pipeline. Among other things, the company says the next big Skype redesign will bring a 'super modern' look alongside 'buttery smooth' performance.

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Microsoft Teams' Together Mode feature has arrived in Skype, enabling more people to see themselves as part of a group using the power of AI. With Together Mode, participants in a video call are presented next to each other rather than isolated in their own windows, providing a more compact view of everyone in a somewhat more natural arrangement.

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Google recently got a lot of flack for its aggressive campaign to push Google Meet to everyone and inserting links to it in apps like Gmail. Now it seems that Microsoft is following suit, though not with Microsoft Teams. Instead, the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview Build reveals the company's plans to make Meet Now in Skype as an integral part of the Windows experience. Whether it will be received more favorably will depend on Insider feedback.

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In the future, it's likely we'll have a whole bunch of artificial intelligence-based features like "Eye Contact" for all video calls. It's an interesting bit of tech that uses AI to modify the video feed the person sees on the other end of your video call. With this feature, you will always appear to be making eye contact with the person on the other end of the call, even if you're not looking directly at the camera - because that's awkward.

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Microsoft has released the latest update for Skype, adding a feature we've seen pop up in a number of similar products: custom backgrounds. These images can be used during video calls to replace the user's real-life background, obscuring the clutter, boring background, or simply offering a cleaner, neater background for distraction-free video chats.

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While some work that has been taken home can often be done solo, employees in more collaborative offices often need more than just email or text messages to communicate. Sometimes even real-time team chats aren't enough, especially for those used to looking for visual cues on their teammates' faces. Video conference services are, of course, a dime a dozen but some claim to be easier to use than others. There is probably nothing easier, though, than just sending a link and nothing more which is exactly what Skype's new feature promises.

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After its acquisition, Microsoft has tried to reinvent Skype's image as something not just for businesses anymore but as a communication tool for groups as well as personal chats well. In other words, Microsoft wants people to know they can use Skype for any and all chats, be it text, audio, or its original video functionality. Unfortunately, it seems that putting all your communication eggs in one Microsoft basket may have repercussions in terms of privacy, especially after the latest report that exposes the company's rather lax security standards for the service.

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Skype has been updated on desktop and mobile with a variety of new features, the most notable improvements involving messaging. Starting now, Skype users on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS can bookmark any Skype message, making it easier to find in the future. As well, the updated software now also supports saving message drafts, split windows on desktop, and more.

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Last week, word surfaced that Microsoft, as with Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook before it, was using human contractors to listen to some Skype and Cortana audio clips. Though other big tech companies have paused these practices in light of consumer concerns, Microsoft has taken a different route, updating its privacy policy to explicitly state that people are listening.

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Amazon, Google, and Apple have recently come under fire because of the way they have handed audio clips to human reviewers with users' knowledge. All three companies have commented and put their programs on hold to avoid possible lawsuits and further backlash. It turns out that it's not just voice-controlled smart assistants are involved in this business practice. Even Skype calls, long considered to be sacrosanct, are apparently subjected to the same treatment and some Microsoft contractors have become privy to those conversations, even very intimate ones.

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Microsoft has announced that Skype will lose support for SMS Connect, the feature that enables users to view and send text messages from their computer instead of their phone. The feature is very convenient for those who use SMS messaging, but who are on their computer during work and don't want to separately handle their handset. Though the loss is disappointing, Microsoft says there is an alternative option.

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