Free Internet calling service Skype just got upgraded today, and it could change your world. Sure, Skype has been around for a while, but now the free Skype 5 software is smart enough to hook up with your Facebook friends. It's so much easier to find out who else is using the free Internet calling service, it might lure you into actually using it.
I like using Skype to make free video calls. It's great for old-fashioned audio conversations too, as long as those with whom you are conversing also use Skype. It's the kind of app that can take a big bite out of your phone bill. But as soon as you start calling your friends' phones with Skype from your computer, you'll have to start paying. That's why it's always been important to talk directly with other Skype users, from one computer to another.
However, that's not so easy if you can't find others who are using the free Skype service. Enter Skype 5 for Windows (sorry, Mac users), where you can import all of your Facebook friends who are also using Skype. This is a big deal, especially for our 45-to-65 age group, the fastest-growing bunch of Facebook users. If you're a Facebook user with lots of "friends", you can quickly conjure up a long list of people you never knew were also using Skype. It's fantastic. It's a surprising new feature, and it might just be the tipping point for this excellent, great-sounding communications tool.
There's more. Believe it or not, you can now have a video teleconference with 10 of your closest friends at the same time. Heck, that's almost a classroom full of people, all hooked up with video using their webcams.
And, the mobile version of Skype is still free, but that might not last forever.
This is great! Somebody pinch me.
Not familiar with Skype? Watch this video, or download it here to see for yourself:
