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MARKETS » NFV Pandemic Tech News
February 10, 2009
Skype 4.0 is a Full-Featured Video and VoIP ToolBy Vivek Naik, TMCnet Contributor Skype reportedly has released a new version of Skype (News - Alert) called Skype 4.0 and is available for free download.
New features – such as personalized and full-screen video calling, multi-window conversation tracker, and the User Interfaces that are more user friendly than previous releases – have been driven by demands from more than 20,000 customers, according to the company.
For prospective and potential first time users, the application is used for Voice and Video over Internet Protocol, or “VVoIP,” calls, and its services are mostly for free – audio calls, video and audio calls, instant messages, sending files and emailing. Paid (News - Alert) services are for call forwarding when off-line, sending text messages to, and calling, phones and mobiles. VVoIP’s popularity may be gauged by a continuous live user counter, sometimes touching the thirteen and a half million mark, which appears at the bottom right side of the screen.
Personalized video feature include an option for a user to see how he or she looks before engaging in video sharing mode. Allegedly, this digital mirror-like reality check demand came from business and marketing resources, and members of the fairer sex. They all wanted to look more presentable before someone else saw them. Fish-eye effects – when a person gets too close to the video camera – are independent of Skype and will remain until super intelligent auto-adjust cameras are commonly introduced.
The video enhancements are spring-boarded by an integrated audio video bandwidth manager. 30 frames per second video quality is conditionally claimed when used together with a Skype Certified High Quality Video webcam, a dual-core processor PC and a 400 Kb/s or higher internet connection. The bandwidth manager also optimizes lesser configurations for the best possible video output.
Here's how Skype is advertising the upgrade:  The independent audio component has also received a make-over. A new compressor-decompressor (also known as a codec) program called SILK uses 50 percent less bandwidth than before. Built-in packet loss resistance enables it to deliver a super wideband mode (12 kHz) to compatible USB headsets. SILK (official expansion not yet known) has two modes, for audio and speech, is able to detect background noise and filter it to some extent. The bandwidth manager interacts with SILK to instantly adjust fluctuating bandwidths for equalized and optimum delivery.
The multi-window conversation tracker facilitates multiple mini-windows to pop-up for simultaneous conversations with different contacts. The windows are layout and tile customizable. Visual alerts highlight a new message. The most recent messages are place right on top of each conversation and a user simply types in new stuff to resume the discussion – sometimes days apart.
Two features are not available. Accessibility features such as keyboard navigation screen readers – generally used for activating commands via the keyboard and for Braille readability – and call transferring are not yet up and running, and will be available shortly, Skype said.
The second feature urges the public not to treat Skype as an emergency dialler and clearly states that it must not be considered as a replacement for other commonly used physical phones. However, normal dialling and emergency features are available on Skype enabled and dedicated mobile phones such as the 3 Skypephone reported by TMC.
A feature that engages a smile at first glance is Heartbeat. It checks if Security alerts, central contacting lists, Sign ins and registrations, accounts and payments, web and download servers are working normally or not.
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.
Vivek Naik is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Vivek's articles, please visit his columnist page. Edited by Michael Dinan |
