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After false start, Skype releases iPad appAug 03, 2011 (San Jose Mercury News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Skype's iPad app was available for free Tuesday in the App Store, but only after being submitted Monday and quickly yanked back. The app, which allows two-way video calling for free between Skype members using the software, showed up in the App Store for a time on Monday, but Skype quickly announced via Twitter that the app should not have been available. "To ensure your best Skype experience, we've temporarily removed Skype for iPad, which went live prematurely today," the company wrote in its Twitter feed at 9:45 p.m. Monday. Less than 12 hours later, the company was ready to go live with the service again, tweeting, "Finally, Skype for iPad is now available." at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday. The app uses either the front- or rear-facing cameras available on the iPad 2, allowing the caller to choose which camera is broadcasting during a call, according to a Skype blog post. The app also allows calls between platforms -- an iPad user can call someone using the iPhone app or the standard desktop Skype software for Mac or Windows -- as well as text messages and instant messages. Calls can be made on Wi-Fi or 3G networks. "Skype for iPad gives Skype users the best of both worlds for video calling: the large screen and display of a personal computer but the portability of a mobile phone," Neil Stevens, Skype's vice president and general manager for product and marketing, said in a news release. San Jose-based eBay (EBAY) purchased the company in 2005 for $2.6 billion, then sold two-thirds of its stake to an investor group in 2009, ahead of the company's 2010 IPO. In May, Microsoft agreed to purchase the company for $8.5 billion. To see more of the San Jose Mercury News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mercurynews.com. Copyright (c) 2011, San Jose Mercury News, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |