Skype boosts fun and productivity with V3.0 Windows software

With its latest software release, Skype is aiming to make free internet telephony and chat more fun and more productive - and to increase your usage of its services, of course. Version 3.0 for Windows adds hooks for plug-ins called Extras that let you do much more than just talk or text other Skype users.

Currently there looks to be just over 100 plug-ins available - the full list is here. Some of these Extras are free. Others are chargeable and can cost a fixed fee or offer different levels of functionality for different prices.

On the fun side, there are a dozen games Extras currently available, all for turn-based games. These take in two-person games, such as chess, backgammon and draughts (checkers), and multi-player games, including dominoes and Chinese checkers.

Among other titles are dominoes, noughts-and-crosses (tic-tac-toe), battleships (a 3D version) and the hangman (Gallows) word-guessing game. Bandwidth issues and the need for dedicated servers, we presume, partly explain why there are as yet no fast-response games such as shoot-em-ups to play via Skype.

Inviting someone to play backgammon over Skype

When you choose to play a game over Skype, in this case backgammon,
the invitation explains to the recipient what to
download if SkypeV3.0 is already installed and
also advises to go and get the latest version if it's not

A number of productivity plug-ins are for calls you've make or receive. Some others are for carrying out whiteboarding where you and another Skype user draw diagrams that each can see. There's even a free real-time chat translator that can double as a text-to-speech tool.

Pameal call-recording and playback windows - Skype 3.0

Free Pamela plug-in - one of a number of Extras for Skype
call recording. With the freebie version, recordings are limited to
15 mins' duration and are made in WMA format by default. But the
Pamela site has links to a couple of freeware DLLs
that enable MP3 recording and playback

Pamela warns that a call is going to be recorded

Pamela warns that calls are going to be recorded - putting up a chat
screen and playing a message that both parties can hear

Other Extras let you share large files and folders - including HD video - create multi-user calendars, share your Windows desktop and even set up web-based call centres for fun, community interaction or customer support.

Accessing Extras to use with a particular Skype call

Skype Extras Manager

The company makes a big play of another feature, Skypecasts - chat sessions that are open to multiple users. This still remains in beta but is, nonetheless, integrated into release-version 3.0 for Windows.

Click on the Live tab and you're shown a list of Skypecasts
that are currently-available and due to start in the next little while

There's no news as yet when V3 for Mac will come available. The latest Mac release version is V2.0, which can be downloaded here.

Clearly, there are lots of interesting new possibilities with V3 but, as always, the devil will be in the detail. Check out Skype's press release about V3.0 for Windows, then let us know your thoughts on Extras and Skypecasts in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle.news forum.

Do, please, also keep us posted over there on how you get on with the new features.