Skype 5.0 Launch Includes Facebook Integration
Except for the brief period of time in 2008 I spent in Brooklyn, maintaining a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend on the West coast, I don’t often use Skype. But after today’s update to version 5.0, I may rethink my VoIP habits.
This morning, Skype announced the availability of a new Skype for Windows on their company blog, which played up a number of user-friendly accessibility features. The interface is redesigned, and (arguably) easier to tinker around with and navigate than its predecessor. The update boasts group video calling, which seems like it would be fun enough, although I can’t imagine many people I’d want to speak with at one time.
The most prominent new feature, however, is Skype’s integration with Facebook. The new interface is partitioned into the left-hand Skype contacts pane, and the larger right-hand pane with tabbed selections. After signing in through Facebook Connect, the Facebook tab allows a user to display his or her newsfeed of status updates and friend activities within the Skype software:
Those friends that have their phone numbers entered into their Facebook page information will display a ”call” or “SMS” button to the left of a friend’s feed post:
Another fairly cool feature is the “Phonebook” option under the Facebook tab. When clicked, Skype’s software compiles a list of every one of your Facebook friends who have phone numbers listed in their profile information, displaying them alphabetically. Those that don’t have listed number are displayed below those contacts, with the option to ask a friend for their phone number.
It’s a smart move for Skype – many of the friends whose numbers are available to me through the “Phonebook” option are people I’ve either never called, or haven’t spoken to recently. Now that Skype’s integration with Facebook reminds me I have the choice to do so, there’s more incentive for me to purchase Skype Credit, the virtual currency Skype uses to charge its members. And it’s in line with Facebook’s vision of “making the world a more open” (and therefore more connected) “place.”
But the real question is, do we really want access to phone numbers for people we haven’t seen since high school?
No comments:
Post a Comment