Skype allows users to make free voice, video and text-based chats to other Skype users, plus call phones at discounted rates using pay-as-you-go credit or a monthly subscription.
Notable improvements in version 5.2 include a modified call phones dialog box that now contains an integrated contact number search – as you enter a contact’s number a series of matches from your contacts list will appear in a drop-down menu. Also introduced is a presence-aware call button, which includes a drop-down list of associated contact numbers.
Other improvements include better call handling when a user runs out of credit, along with additional help when searching for active calls. Elsewhere in Skype there’s a new simple button for sharing files and contacts with others, plus the presence icons have been modified to better indicate a contact’s availability – this includes a fix that incorrectly displayed someone’s status who is not in the user’s contact list.
There’s a new look for the contact profile area, plus a number of bug fixes across the entire application, including one which saw the rest of a message conversation being displayed in quotes if two successive messages using quotes were posted.
Skype 5.2 for Windows XP or later is free and available now. A broadband connection is recommended, particularly for voice and video calls. A separate Mac version is also available.
This article originally appeared at softwarecrew.co.uk
