MANEH

Just in time for Windows 8, Skype has now just released a major version update that adds improved integration with Microsoft and Facebook accounts, better messaging, and some minor changes to the user interface.

For those of you whove been living under a rock, Skype is one of the the most popular video chat and voice calling clients amongst our users as well as the world. It offers free calls to other Skype users over the Internet as well as very affordable rates for calling landlines and phones.

Version 6 brings a much simpler registration process, particularly with more integration with Facebook and Microsoft accounts. Now you can sign in with either Facebook or Hotmail and automatically use that as a Skype log-in. The previous version briefly incorporated Facebook features; its synchronization is much more apparent in the latest release. User contacts seemed to sync with profile pictures from more sources and the overall interface also looked cleaner. It wasnt a drastic overhaul, but subtle things like removing mini-banner ads from the bottom of the contact list and thin outlines over the tabs did contribute to a more modern look.

Call quality is still variable, depending on your connection and setup, but our experiences have been very positive.