Skype for browser
Microsoft’s voice and video calling app Skype is gearing up to step into the browser space with a US and England beta of Skype for Web via skype.com. Available as a smartphone app and desktop client, the new roll-out targets people who intends to respond to contacts via a bigger screen, or through an internet café computer that might not have the program installed.
Contacts and conversations sync between the two(app and browser versions), while Skype for Web combines the two categories in a single timeline view. Skype for Web also has pop-up notifications so can do something else while in conversation or waiting for one to start, but will need to be able to install a software plug-in for the website to work with Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari or Firefox.
Also read: Answer Time from Tumblr to rival Reddit’s AMA
Among other competitors, Google’s Hangouts dropped its requirement for a separate Chrome plug-in last year, Mozilla Firefox partnered with Telefonica for 2014’s Firefox Hello, Apple’s Safari supports the facetime:// protocol, while Opera Software had teamed up with JAJAH way back in 2006 to offer web-based telephony direct from Opera Mobile and Opera Mini.
Skype was founded by Skype Technologies in 2003. It was purchased by Microsoft in 2011. The new service is expected to be rolled out around the world in the next few weeks, according to Skype. Earlier this month, users found a bug that could crash Skype – and it was only eight characters long. The popular video chat service in a blogpost said that hundreds of millions wanted it.