Skype 5.3 for Windows

Like some other technology trademarks, "Skype" has entered the vernacular, even being used as a verb by such luminaries as Oprah and Ellen. Its importance to modern life was highlighted by the outcry when the service went down for nearly two days. But as Skype's influence becomes more powerful, so does the software itself: New in Skype since our last review are HD video calling, group video calls with up to five participants, and a completely new and clearer-sounding audio codec called SILK. Skype 5.3 is simply the best way to make voice and video calls using your Internet connection and computer.

Skype is much more than just VoIP or even video calling, however. It's really a whole communications ecosystem. A Skype account can offer screen sharing, phone-card like calling with Skype to Go, Wi-Fi access in airports and other public places, even lessons in anything from a new language to relationships through Skype Prime. Mobile apps enable calling from PC-to-phone as well as PC-to-PC and smartphone-to-smartphone. Skype 5.3 even makes video calls between iPhones and Android phones possible. And don't forget there are Linux and Mac versions, as well as HDTVs that come with Skype video calling—the number of possible combinations is staggering.

Interface
Skype's interface hasn't changed as drastically between versions four and five as it did between three and four, but it's both more polished and more capable. Setting up an account and installing the software is a breeze. You have to enter your country, language preference, e-mail, desired username, and password. A welcome screen gives you all the help you need to get fully set up with your webcam, mic, and address book. I had a webcam attached to my PC, and a message at the top of Skype's windows told me it was working. I could preview my video and take a snapshot.

Once you're logged in, a large window with a contact list on the left and Skype Home on the right appears. This right area is tabbed, letting you switch between Skype Home, Profile, and Facebook (see the slideshow). As in version four, you can split the interface into a more-traditional, narrow IM contact list and a separate larger window. But that larger window now has tabs for Skype Home, Facebook, Profile, and Feedback. Here you can view your Facebook newsfeed and post text-only updates. You can also call Facebook contacts if their phone numbers or Skype IDs are in their Facebook profiles. But the layout isn't as well presented as Windows Live Messenger's Facebook view and doesn't prioritize your news feed as the social network's own site does.

The new Skype Home tab of the larger side of Skype's window has its own social network update box and shows your contacts' thumbnails. You'll also see any alerts from the system here, along with help videos. When you start a call or video call the whole window is taken over for the video feed, call details, and IM chat on the bottom. Unfortunately, you can't use Skype for other IM accounts like AIM, Facebook, or MSN.

Adding Contacts
Privacy settings let you allow incoming calls from anyone, or restrict incoming calls to just people in your contact list. The same goes for video and screen sharing. But to be listed in another user's contacts requires mutual acceptances, à la Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, you can import contacts from that site, as well as from Hotmail, Gmail, Outlook, MSN, and more. Once you choose contacts to connect to, they'll receive a request in their Skype notifications, and if they accept, you'll always see their status and be able to call them. In earlier days of Skype, a SkypeMe mode let lonely souls connect, way before Chatroulette, but Skype has moved away from that model, probably for the best.

Microsoft to Acquire Skype for $8.5 Billion