Skype is certainly on roll this week. Just yesterday it converted the latest beta of its Windows Mobile phone software into a full-fledged release. On Tuesday the VoIP company did it again for Skype 4.1 for Windows. In addition, Apple okayed Skype 1.1 for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which you can download now. Skype 4.1 beta brought back features like accessibility, birthday reminders, and the ability to send along a contact record to another contact. These had been left out when Skype first updated its interface to the 4.0 style, citing a wish to get core features out the door before piling on the extras. It's these extras that users nevertheless clamored for. This minor point update also contains a major new feature that was first introduced in Skype 4.1 beta, screen sharing. Screen sharing initiates a video call, using the technology to broadcast a recording of your screen--either a portion or the full screen--to one other viewer. Screen sharing has some limitations. You can't simultaneously see a video of your buddy, and since one viewer at a time can peep your screen, you can't use it as a free, makeshift replacement for collaborative Web conferencing. It doesn't help that the picture quality is still choppy and fuzzy, in both partial screen and full-screen view modes.
In addition to screen sharing, Skype 4.1 lets you feed a search for contacts from outside address books, including Gmail, AOL, MSN, Yahoo, Microsoft Outlook, and a school of other players. If you've got it installed, the Web toolbar will highlight toll-free numbers and of contacts' names so you can call through Skype. Skype 1.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch reintroduces the ability to listen to Skype voicemail and to send and receive SMS messages. These features had been available on the desktop version, but were not activated when Skype first came out for iPhone.It still has far to go if it's to get all the of the extra features and featurettes that round out the Skype experience--games and conference calling are but two.
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