Day: February 3, 2012

Features and improvements of Skype 5.8 for Windows are:

• Full HD video-calling
• Support for Facebook audio and video-calling (beta)
• Group screen sharing
• Hide offline Facebook contacts
• Push to Talk
• Skype updater service
• Bing Toolbar integration

Full HD video-calling
Now you can make crystal clear video-calls with your loved ones or business contacts by utilizing the latest technology for Skype and Logitech, which is incorporated into the latest update to Skype for Windows and the Logitech C920 webcam.

With Logitech c920 the video encoding is done inside the camera which enables full HD or HD video quality with older computers. To enjoy full HD quality at its best, you will need at least a 2 Mbps upload/download speed. (read more inside)

Group screen share

Group screen sharing allows users to share their entire screen or a single application window with other participants on a conference call while continuing to stream video. To start a group screen share, choose the + menu during a call and select “share my screen.” Group screen sharing is available with Skype Premium, which also includes Group video calling and live chat customer support.

Video calling to Facebook users

Now you can make video calls with all of your friends on Facebook, even if they aren’t Skype users. To start a video call with a Facebook friend, select the person in your list and click “video call.”

Push to Talk

We have introduced a “Push to Talk” feature in Skype. Many people who are playing multiplayer games have requested this feature, which allows users to set a hotkey to toggle microphone muting on a Skype call. You can set the “Push to Talk” up on the hotkey’s selection under tools > options > advanced > hotkeys.

Full release notes for the Skype 5.8.0.154 for Windows are:

New features and improvements:

• Full HD video-calling
• Support for Facebook audio and video-calling (beta)
• Group screen sharing
• Hide offline Facebook contacts
• Push to Talk
• Skype updater service
• Bing Toolbar integration

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Microsoft’s Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit is out of beta today with a fully supported 1.0 release. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer previously promised that Kinect for Windows would go official on February 1st during his CES keynote last month, and the company delivered the final bits to developers this morning. The final release adds support for up to four Kinect sensors on one PC, “near mode” functionality for the Kinect for Windows hardware, and the usual fixes and API improvements.

Microsoft says its Kinect for Windows hardware is shipping today in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain and United Kingdom, although an Amazon listing suggests there’s a one to two month wait for stock. Retailing at $249, the hardware will provide support for the new “near mode” feature, unique to Kinect for Windows, that allows the depth camera to see objects as close as 50cm away “without losing accuracy or precision.” Microsoft says it will introduce special academic pricing of $149 for Qualified Educational Users later this year. Now that developers have the SDK and hardware, all that remains is the magical applications that Microsoft hopes will create a Kinect effect.