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Microsoft Announces New Skype for Web Beta with Future Plugin-Free Safari Support

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Apr 12, 2001
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Microsoft today announced a new beta version of Skype for Web that brings a plugin-free version of the service to all modern browsers. Skype for Web beta will be available now to a small number of users, with a broader public rollout planned in the coming months.

skype-for-web-beta-mac.jpg
Skye for Web relies on Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) APIs to provide real-time voice calling, video chat and instant messaging via a web browser. At first, the new beta version will require a small download, but as WebRTC expands, this download requirement will disappear. It is compatible with all modern browsers, including Internet Explorer 10, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari 6.

Skype for Web will be available on Skype.com with invitations being sent out to customers on a rolling basis. Once enabled, users will be able to log in to their online Skype account and start messaging or calling friends with a just a few clicks. Though Skype's new web-based communication tool may be useful for some, Mac users on the go may want to meter their usage as Microsoft documents one known issue of increased battery consumption specific to the Skype for Web beta on Safari.

Article Link: Microsoft Announces New Skype for Web Beta with Future Plugin-Free Safari Support
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/11/14/skype-for-web-beta-mac/
2

2457282

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Dec 6, 2012
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video cha,t? I think you have a small type-o in your story.

Apple should do a better job of geeting these apps into the Mac App Store. Otherwise the security risks of discussed in earlier stories are real.
 
K

Kissaragi

macrumors 68020
Nov 16, 2006
2,340
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Cuban Missles said:
video cha,t? I think you have a small type-o in your story.

Apple should do a better job of geeting these apps into the Mac App Store. Otherwise the security risks of discussed in earlier stories are real.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that this isnt an app?
 
ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,560
6,059
Cuban Missles said:
video cha,t? I think you have a small type-o in your story.

Apple should do a better job of geeting these apps into the Mac App Store. Otherwise the security risks of discussed in earlier stories are real.
Click to expand...

As a web-app, I believe Apple approves of this. It's sandboxed by the browser, which itself is sandboxed (I think. Not sure, haven't checked.)

Remember that before the app store existed, Apple only wanted iPhones to run web-apps. I think we're actually on our way to a world of only web-apps. Two of the four apps I'm currently working on are web apps that utilize WebGL and asm.js, which should be able to handle 3D graphics and near native performance in a web-app, stuff that previously you would have only thought a downloaded app could handle.
 
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2457282

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Kissaragi said:
My understanding is that this isnt an app?
Click to expand...

ArtOfWarfare said:
As a web-app, I believe Apple approves of this. It's sandboxed by the browser, which itself is sandboxed (I think. Not sure, haven't checked.)

Remember that before the app store existed, Apple only wanted iPhones to run web-apps. I think we're actually on our way to a world of only web-apps. Two of the four apps I'm currently working on are web apps that utilize WebGL and asm.js, which should be able to handle 3D graphics and near native performance in a web-app, stuff that previously you would have only thought a downloaded app could handle.
Click to expand...

Well, I guess that is true. My wife wanted to get skype just yesterday and it was not available in the Mac App store. We went over to Skype.com and had to download an app to her Mac Air. Maybe with this new release the download will not be required, but if it is, then I will stand by my statement. If no download is required for the new release, then I will stand corrected.
 
B

brendu

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Apr 23, 2009
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I'm impressed with this post-Steve Ballmer Microsoft. That man nearly destroyed the company as far as I am concerned. These new moves are consumer friendly and put Microsoft in a position to compete with Google and maintain relevance going forward. Keep it up Microsoft.
 
\-V-/

\-V-/

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So with their idiot decision to make the new Skype minimum requirement be Mavericks, their web app will be supported by Safari 6? o_O This is good news for those that can't even upgrade their computers.
 
Madmic23

Madmic23

macrumors 6502a
Apr 21, 2004
894
980
This will be great news for Chromebook users. I keep thinking I should buy one of those....
 
iwbyte

iwbyte

macrumors member
Dec 5, 2005
38
2
Madmic23 said:
This will be great news for Chromebook users. I keep thinking I should buy one of those....
Click to expand...

That was my exact thought, but it looks like we're not quite there yet.

http://www.omgchrome.com/skype-web-beta-work-chromebook/

[Off-topic]

I did pick up a Chromebook a few weeks ago and am finding all the little things why they are cheaper - poor international language keyboard support, dearth of personalization settings, no skype/facetime, poor IMAP/non-gmail email support, etc.

But as a web surfing device, its cheap and fast, so I got what I paid for.
 
lolkthxbai

lolkthxbai

macrumors 65816
May 7, 2011
1,426
489
Cuban Missles said:
video cha,t? I think you have a small type-o in your story.

Apple should do a better job of geeting these apps into the Mac App Store. Otherwise the security risks of discussed in earlier stories are real.
Click to expand...
It's not an issue with Apple. Last I checked, Microsoft is the one that needs to publish the app on the Mac AppStore. Microsoft just doesn't want to give up their business model.

Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an App will be rejected
 
U

unplugme71

macrumors 68030
May 20, 2011
2,827
754
Earth
brendu said:
I'm impressed with this post-Steve Ballmer Microsoft. That man nearly destroyed the company as far as I am concerned. These new moves are consumer friendly and put Microsoft in a position to compete with Google and maintain relevance going forward. Keep it up Microsoft.
Click to expand...

I agree, another 3-5 years and Balmer would've put MSFT out of business. So far I'm liking what MSFT has been putting out. Nice to see the company in the spotlight again even though I may be an Apple fan
 
K

Kissaragi

macrumors 68020
Nov 16, 2006
2,340
370
Cuban Missles said:
Well, I guess that is true. My wife wanted to get skype just yesterday and it was not available in the Mac App store. We went over to Skype.com and had to download an app to her Mac Air. Maybe with this new release the download will not be required, but if it is, then I will stand by my statement. If no download is required for the new release, then I will stand corrected.
Click to expand...

I thought this one was basically a webpage without any downloads which is handy.

I agree skype should be in the app store tho. So annoying when big apps are not in there.
 
Michael Goff

Michael Goff

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Jul 5, 2012
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brendu said:
I'm impressed with this post-Steve Ballmer Microsoft. That man nearly destroyed the company as far as I am concerned. These new moves are consumer friendly and put Microsoft in a position to compete with Google and maintain relevance going forward. Keep it up Microsoft.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if this, like quite a few things, didn't start under Ballmer.
 
T

thekeyring

macrumors 68040
Jan 5, 2012
3,485
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London
ArtOfWarfare said:
As a web-app, I believe Apple approves of this. It's sandboxed by the browser, which itself is sandboxed (I think. Not sure, haven't checked.)

Remember that before the app store existed, Apple only wanted iPhones to run web-apps. I think we're actually on our way to a world of only web-apps.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but at the moment html standards are updated slowly, where as other OSes are updated quickly. Currently native apps can take advantage of things web apps can't.

The original iPad, iOS 4, Android 2 are all newer than HTML 5. With iOS 8, Android 5 has there been any talk of HTML 6? No.
 
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brendu

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Apr 23, 2009
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Michael Goff said:
I wouldn't be surprised if this, like quite a few things, didn't start under Ballmer.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you are referring to. Ballmer came in and rode on microsofts past successes and was completely blind to the innovation happening around him and thought MS could continue skating by on sales of windows, office, and the ancient and horrid windows mobile. He was late to the modern smartphone game, way late to making a great tablet, and basically failed to see the future of technology at all. His quotes about competitors products made it clear he just didn't get it.
 
Michael Goff

Michael Goff

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Jul 5, 2012
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brendu said:
I'm not sure what you are referring to. Ballmer came in and rode on microsofts past successes and was completely blind to the innovation happening around him and thought MS could continue skating by on sales of windows, office, and the ancient and horrid windows mobile. He was late to the modern smartphone game, way late to making a great tablet, and basically failed to see the future of technology at all. His quotes about competitors products made it clear he just didn't get it.
Click to expand...

A couple things that Satya it's getting credit for that started under Ballmer:

Option
Open-sourcing .NET
iPad Office first
 
AlecZ

AlecZ

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2014
1,173
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Berkeley, CA
After all these services every company has made, I still find AIM video chat through iChat or Messages to be the best and by far the most convenient in general. FaceTime is picky about the connection (almost unusable here for some reason), Skype is bad quality and glitchy, and Google Hangouts would be good if it wasn't so annoying to set up.
 
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2457282

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Dec 6, 2012
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Cuban Missles said:
video cha,t? I think you have a small type-o in your story.

Apple should do a better job of geeting these apps into the Mac App Store. Otherwise the security risks of discussed in earlier stories are real.
Click to expand...

Who is down voting me?
HOW are they down voting me?

Come on, they fixed the misspelling and I see no reason for this down vote. ESPECIALLY when I am not given the option. Poo. Come on MR, make this right.
 
Michael Goff

Michael Goff

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Jul 5, 2012
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brendu said:
Oh yeah I gotcha. Fair point, all the same I believe Ballmer was killing Microsoft.
Click to expand...

I would have agreed if he hadn't started the "devices and services" mantra that changed name to "mobile first, cloud first" with very little actual change in their path.
 
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