Skype 3.0 final has been released

A new version of the communications software Skype has been released today. Just head over to the Skype homepage and download the version for your operating system.

Skype 3.0 introduces some new features and bugfixes; please take a look at the release notes if you are curious to find out more about the changes.

The interface has seen some slight changes and some new features like public chat have been introduced.

I would not say that Skype made a big step forward in this release as I can't see many interesting changes yet.

Sure there are some new emoticons and stuff like that but this is not that important I think. In case you do not know Skype I decided to list the main features of it:

• Support of Windows, Mac and Linux
• Talk or chat with your buddies using Skype and a microphone (for voice chat)
• Video chat
• Cheap calls to (mobile) phones worldwide
• Send files using Skype
• Conference Calls

I'm using Skype mainly to see when my buddies come online. I know that instant messengers do the same but I never got used to one of those.

Updates: As far as development goes, Skype 5.8 for Windows has been released a few months ago. Probably the biggest news as far as Skype goes is Microsoft's Skype acquisition. The company has integrated Skype as a division and is planning to integrate Skype into several of its upcoming products as well.

Microsoft is for instance working on Skype for the Web which would make the service available independent from operating systems. All you have to do then is to point a modern web browser to the website the service is offered on to use part - or maybe even all - of the functionality that Skype has to offer on websites.

Another recent change is integration of Skype on Facebook where Facebook users can make use of video calling features that it makes available to all users on the site.

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