Skype 3.0: Streamlined and Enhanced for the New Year New Features Abound in v3.0 Joseph Moran
Additional Features in Skype 3.0
Click on Skype's Live tab to choose from among various "Skypecasts" or live public conversations
Originally available only as separate add-ons, Skype Toolbars for Internet Explorer and Firefox are now built-in to Skype 3.0. Anyone that frequently makes calls via SkypeOut in particular will find the browser toolbars useful since they automatically detect and highlight phone numbers found on Web pages, which lets you place calls to those numbers with one click (it works with Skype names as well). There are Skype toolbars available that do the same thing within Microsoft Office documents or Outlook, Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird e-mails, but they still must be downloaded separately.
Also new to version 3.0 are Skype Extras, which are essentially third-party plug-ins that provide additional features or ways to communicate. Thus far, most of the Extras are either games or otherwise whimsical in nature (such as an animated avatar), but some appear to have more practical purposes.
There are Extras that can record calls, speak and translate chats in real time, and one that purports to analyze voices for stress (sort of a Skype-based lie detector). Given that these Extras are developed from various independent sources, the quality and documentation — often little to none of the latter — of Extras can vary. Skype Extras also may or may not be Skype-certified, and we definitely had better luck using ones that had been certified.
There were only about three dozen or so Extras available as of this writing — a number that will likely grow. Indeed, if widely embraced by users (as happened with Yahoo! Widgets) the usefulness of the Skype Extras feature is likely to improve significantly with age.
If you're looking for something more than just one-on-one communication, you can click Skype's Live tab and choose from among various "Skypecasts" or live public conversations. This feature is still in beta, and at least as of this writing, we didn't find it particularly compelling.
There were plenty of Skypecasts going on during the times we spent testing, and the ones we joined appeared well-attended — many had dozens of participants — but it was difficult to make anything out though a din of muffled voices. (Amusingly, we found one Skypecast that required participants to remain silent for 20 minutes as "an experiment in global consciousness".) It's also worth noting that many Skypecasts are conducted in languages other than English, which isn't surprising given that Skype is more popular in Europe than in North America.
SkypeOut Pricing
For those who don't know a lot of Skype users, the capability to place cheap long-distance calls or international calls via SkypeOut will be a major factor when considering the software. Even though the free SkypeOut calls promotion is now history, Skype is offering a new flat-rate plan that's the next best thing. If you sign up before January 31, 2007, you can get a year of unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada for a paltry $14.95. (Afterward, the cost doubles to $29.95, which still isn't bad.)
As for international calls, Skype has indicated that changes are also afoot for its international rates. Full details are due to be announced on 1/18, and while Skype says its new pricing will be "disruptive," it remains to be seen whether that's good or bad for SkypeOut users.
Although Skype 3.0's new features like Extras and Skypecasting aren't earth-shattering (at least not yet), it continues to be a good choice for those looking to keep in touch with friends, family, or colleagues throughout the globe.
Pros: Free calls to Skype users, plus flat-rate plan available to call any phone in the U.S. or Canada; built-in toolbar lets you easily place calls to numbers/names found in Web pages
Cons: Limited quality/quantity of Skype Extras; SkypeCast sound quality wasn't very good
