You'll soon be able to make Skype calls in your browser

You'll soon be able to make Skype calls in your browser

Microsoft has just announced that you'll soon be able to make video and voice Skype calls from just about any computer with a web browser. Skype for Web (beta) calls will work on Chrome, Safari, Firefox and of course, Internet Explorer, with the addition of a "small plugin," at least for now. Microsoft said that it'll eventually work natively on browsers without plugins or downloads once WebRTC is more widely implemented. That'll be especially handy for users with no access to the dedicated app who may want to chat with or message friends from, say, an internet cafe in a foreign country.

It's arriving to "a small number of existing and new users" in a limited beta on Skype.com. If you don't see an invitation next time you log into your Skype account, that means you're not on that list for now.

Original Article at www.engadget.com

Introducing Skype for Business

Introducing Skype for Business

Yesterday we kicked off a global conversation about how Microsoft is reinventing productivity—across the board—to create a world where people can truly make the most of their time and lead more fulfilling lives. Connecting people across all of life’s moments – to talk, to share, to collaborate – is at the heart of helping people make the most of every moment. To that end, and for our business customers, we are bringing together the familiar experience and user love of Skype with the enterprise security, compliance, and control from Lync to create the most loved and trusted communications platform for doing things together.

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE

Original Article at www.skype.com

Microsoft bundles Office 365, Xbox and Skype subscriptions for $199

Microsoft bundles Office 365, Xbox and Skype subscriptions for $199

You may want to write this down so you can remember it later on, in case you really can't think of a better gift for someone in your life who depends on several Microsoft services. The company has just released a limited edition Work & Play bundle, which contains one-year subscriptions each to Office 365 Home (comes with unlimited OneDrive storage), Xbox Live, Xbox Music Pass and Skype Unlimited World and WiFi for a total of $199.

We've listed down the price of each service for you, so you can figure out if the bundle's worth buying:

• Office 365 Home: $9.99/month or $99.99/year
• Xbox Live 12-month Gold Membership: $59.99/year
• 12-Month Xbox Music Pass: $99.90/year
• Skype Unlimited World: €10.49 ($13.05)/month or $156.60/year if the numbers you're calling are mostly located in the US

Of course, if you use the cheaper Office 365 Personal service, don't bother with Xbox Music Pass (you only need it if you want to use the Xbox Music apps) and can make $10 worth of Skype credits stretch for years, you'll likely lose money on this deal. If the bundle does save you cash, though, check out its website to find a store where you can buy it -- and soon, since it's only available until January 4, 2015.

Original Article at www.engadget.com

Skype Coming To The Web Soon, But Only For IE

Skype Coming To The Web Soon, But Only For IE

Microsoft announced today that it's supporting the new ORTC API as part of WebRTC standard, and it has begun work to implement it in the Internet Explorer browser. This will eventually lead to IE users being able to make Skype calls directly from the browser, without needing to install the Skype application or any browser plugin.

There's just one catch: it will only work with IE (possibly version 11+, or even 12+), at least for now. The ORTC API, that Microsoft is adopting, is similar but incompatible with the WebRTC standard that IETF and W3C have chosen as the browser-based P2P video-chat technology that doesn't require any plugins. WebRTC was created to work with traditional telecom lines, and it contains some complex legacy code. If developers want to change certain controls, they can't do so without browser-level modifications.

ORTC (Object RTC), on the other hand, is completely based on Javascript code, and it is much easier to implement by third party developers in their video-chat web apps.

ORTC also has one other feature Microsoft cares deeply about since it created the WebRTC-competing standard, CU-RTC (Customizable, Ubiquitous Real-Time Communication) – the ability to use other codecs than Google's open source VP8 codec, which was also chosen by the IETF standards body. Microsoft wanted to be able to use the h.264 codec instead, so it created the CU-RTC API.

Unfortunately for Microsoft that initiative never took off, but the new ORTC already has a strong W3C community formed by 80 companies. Because ORTC allows Microsoft to use the h.264 codec, the company supported the ORTC project from early on. However, even Google, one of WebRTC's biggest supporters, is now a member of the ORTC group; however, it hasn't said when it plans to adopt it in Chrome.

The new version of WebRTC 1.1 will maintain compatibility with the old WebRTC standard, but video-chat web app developers will be encouraged to transition to using the ORTC standard. To have truly interoperable P2P video-chat from browser to browser, Firefox and Safari will also have to adopt ORTC. Mozilla is likely to follow Google and adopt it, too, but whether Apple will implement it in Safari remains to be seen.

Original Article at www.tomshardware.com

Kinect to the PC? Now it's Possible!!

$50 adapter makes the Kinect compatible with Windows

Xbox One owners with a Kinect could soon get more use out of Microsoft's powerful camera — assuming those same people are also Windows users. Today Microsoft launched a $49.99 adapter that will make the Xbox One version of Kinect fully compatible with Windows 8 and 8.1 PCs and tablets. Performance is identical between the repurposed Xbox sensor and the standalone Kinect v2 for Windows unit, but this option could save you some money if you bought Microsoft's console before the big decoupling. And if we're being honest, that Kinect's probably not seeing much activity right now aside from receiving your voice commands and maybe handling some Skype calls. Why not give it a new lease on life?
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Microsoft has also announced version 2.0 of the Kinect SDK for developers and, of more interest to consumers, the company is allowing third-party devs to deploy Kinect apps in the Windows Store for the first time. "We are delighted to enable you to bring more personal computing experiences that feature gesture control, body tracking, and object recognition to Windows customers around the world," Microsoft's Alex Kipman wrote in a blog post. And that kicks off today with apps like Yakit, which lets you animate still photos by speaking, and 3D Builder.


(Originally at The Verge)

Skype for Windows Phone lets you share drawings with friends

Skype for Windows Phone lets you share drawings with friends

Ever wanted to convey more in a Skype chat than simple text and photos can manage, such as directions to your home? If you're using Windows Phone, you now have a better way to express yourself. Microsoft has posted a new version of Skype for Windows Phone that, much like Google Hangouts, lets you send simple drawings to friends. You can start with a blank canvas if you're an artistic type, but you can also doodle on photos and annotate Bing maps. There are a few meaningful under-the-hood upgrades, too, including HD display support and the option to sign in with your phone's Microsoft account. The Skype team hasn't said when its Android and iOS apps will get sketching, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them receive matching updates in the near future.

Original article at www.engadget.com