The Big Blog

Spread holiday cheer with Say it with Skype

Here at Skype, we already helped you make birthdays more fun with the "Say it with Skype" app, first launched on Facebook and now available on Skype.com. Now we're thrilled to help our community amp up the traditional holiday card.

Skype has teamed up with artists like Alice Cooper, Autumn in Disguise, Boyz II Men, The Chakras, The Cuban Brothers and Scala & Kolacny Brothers to help ring in the holidays with a new group video greeting card to send to your friends.

To send a more meaningful greeting to your family and friends, launch the Say it with Skype app, select the band, enter the recipient, and then personalize it with a fun and festive video. Those who dare can sing along with the band as they deliver their holiday carol.

Whether it's Alice Cooper singing the classic "Merry Christmas," Boyz II Men's rendition of "Silent Night," the Cuban Brothers' comedic twist on "Deck the Halls," Scala's rendition of "Sun Kissed Snow," or your very own vocal contributions, you can now remix the typical 'happy holidays' greeting courtesy of Say it with Skype.

Say it with Skype

Some of us can't remember our coolest birthday card or can only recall that card years ago with the hefty stash of cash in it. Today, Skype is adding to the way we say happy birthday on Facebook with our new Say it with Skype Facebook app. The app will make your typical "HBD! Have a great one ☺" wall post go above and beyond what every birthday boy and girl expected this year.

With Say it with Skype, you can team up with bands and artists including: Ash, Body Language, Bowling for Soup, Charlie Simpson, CSS, Imogen Heap, Kill The Young, The Parlotones, and Scarlett Grey, to create a meaningful group video greeting that you can send to your friends on Facebook.

Here's how it works, you can send your friends a customized group video greeting by visiting Skype's Facebook page and clicking on the Say it with Skype app located on the left side of your screen. Next, choose the friend you want to send the group video greeting to and select from one of the ten participating bands. You can even join in on the fun, by singing along with the band's pre-recorded performance through your video webcam. Not ready for your close up? Personalize your message by adding a profile picture and writing a personal message for the band to hold up.

Whether it's Imogen Heap's alto tenor, Charlie Simpson's passion and tenderness, CSS's unique Brazilian influence, or your very own vocal contributions, you can create an unforgettable group video greeting and liven up the way you say 'happy birthday' on Facebook. Once you've sent your Say it with Skype video greeting card, why not follow up with a group video call - try it free with our 7 day trial.

Birthdays just became a little more special with 'Say it with Skype.'

Skype Users Invited to the Coca-Cola 125th Anniversary Happiness Celebration

Today marks the Coca-Cola Company's Quasquicentennial anniversary, and the company is celebrating 125 years of "sharing happiness" with a live streaming concert in Atlanta's Centennial Park. We are proud that Coca-Cola is choosing Skype to help spread the word through an ad placement running today on Skype Home, inviting you to connect with your friends and family on Skype to get them to got to their site to watch the live streaming concert.

Take a peek at the Coca-Cola ad on Skype here.

And, be sure to invite your friends and family to watch the online concert today May 7th from 12:00 PM EDT to 4:00 PM EDT, with special performances from One Night Only, Natasha Bedingfield, Ne-Yo, K'Naan, Kelly Clarkson, and more.

We at Skype relate to "sharing happiness" because that is what so many of you are doing everyday on Skype. So please join us in wishing Coca-Cola a Happy 125th Anniversary, and tune in for their happiness celebration.

And, just in case you are interested in finding out more about Skype's advertising solutions please click here.

Skype and the Sendai earthquake and tsunami - free WiFi and Skype Credit vouchers

Over the last few days, we've been watching and listening to reports from around the world about the ways people are using Skype to communicate during this time of crisis in Japan.

We're fortunate to be able to report that all of our Japan-based employees and their families are safe, and we're also incredibly fortunate to be among the providers of technology which help people stay in touch during times of need, even when other means aren't available.

Our hearts go out to all of those of you who have been affected by this disaster, and we're taking two steps to help people across Japan communicate:

• Providing free WiFi at hotspots throughout Japan with Skype Access*. With Skype Access, you can connect to the Internet using Skype, and this will be free in Japan until 19th March (our help page provides a list of compatible hotspots including WEP/WPA keys if required).
• Providing all of our Japanese customers with a ¥80 Skype Credit voucher**, worth a call of more than 25 minutes to a landline phone in Japan (and to some other countries such as China and the USA) or to send text messages directly from Skype. Vouchers will be issued by email in the next few days.

If you're in Japan, we encouraging you to participate in the Red Cross family reunification programme if you have any information which could help connect missing people. If you are outside of Japan and would like to help the relief effort in other ways, please visit the Japanese Red Cross or the International Red Cross for more information or donate directly.

* Connection to a Skype Access-compatible hotspot requires the latest version of Skype. Offer will be valid until March 19, 2011 GMT.

**¥80 voucher expires April 17, 2011. The actual number of minutes you can redeem with this offer may vary based on calling destinations. A connection fee may apply. Our global calling rates can be found here.

Get 50% off Group Video Calling with Groupon

For one day only, you can get group video chat through Skype for over 50% off our standard price. All you need to do is register at Groupon and then buy a voucher for 3 months of Skype Premium for just $10.

Skype Premium includes:

• Group video calling - Catch up with family face-to-face and work via video conference with colleagues all over the world.


• An exclusive webcam discount - Get even better video quality on calls with the faceVsion TouchCam N1 HD webcam. 25% off!


• Live chat customer support - Get one-to-one help from a Skype customer support representative. Currently available in English only.

All this for three months for just $10? What are you waiting for? Visit Groupon now to get your deal on Skype Premium.

Skype supports UNHCR Libya Appeal - how you can help

By donating to UNHCR now you can help to provide emergency aid to tens of thousands of people fleeing into Tunisia and Egypt to escape the violence in Libya.

Back in December, Skype announced a partnership with UNHCR, including support for fundraising and emergency relief efforts.

Since violence started in Libya UNHCR reported that 105,000 people have fled from Libya into Tunisia and some 101,000 to Egypt over the past 14 days. UNHCR immediately deployed emergency teams to provide humanitarian support on the ground.

Tunisia: Tents for thousands at the border.

At the Libya-Tunisia border, the situation was reaching a crisis point last Tuesday, March 1, with an estimated 10,000-15,000 new people arriving daily. UNHCR urgently dispatched tents to the Tunisian border and distributed 20,000 mattresses. UNHCR teams also set up a camp to host some 12,000 people.

To avoid a humanitarian crisis, UNHCR appealed to the international community for massive humanitarian evacuation for people fleeing Libya into Tunisia. As a result, more than 50 flights were organised on Thursday to take migrant workers, mostly Egyptians, back home. A total of around 12,500 people still need evacuation.

As of Friday, the number of civilians fleeing to Tunisia had dropped significantly, down to approximately 2,000 people per day. The sudden decline in people fleeing Libya into Tunisia has sparked new concerns that the security situation in Libya may be preventing people from crossing the border.

On the other side of Libya, people have also been crossing to Egypt. UNHCR has distributed relief items and food to help people in need. In eastern Libya, UNHCR has sent medical supplies and food. Staff in Tripoli have kept their office open for refugees, offering assistance to those able to reach the office and have been manning a 24-hour hotline. The hotline continues to receive desperate calls from refugees in Libya, saying they feel trapped and threatened, and from family members outside who worry for their beloved ones.

Since the beginning of the conflict more than 200,000 people have fled from Libya. You can help them now by donating to UNHCR emergency relief efforts.

Skype Access comes to 300,000 Fon WiFi hotspots + free WiFi on Fon

You now can get online at 300,000 Fon hotspots across the globe using Skype Access. You can now surf the web, send email and make Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls at select WiFi hotspots supported by Fon.

Skype’s collaboration with Fon expands the availability of Skype Access by 300,000 WiFi locations in addition to the existing 200,000 hotspots available globally from other WiFi providers.

To celebrate, Fon and Skype are offering free WiFi at Fon hotspots from 0001 CET on December 2, 2010 through 2359 CET on December 8, 2010.

Skype Access provides instant internet access over WiFi locations directly through the latest version of Skype for Windows and Mac. Skype Access actively scans for available Fon hotspots and presents a pop-up displaying the price per minute to use the Fon network using Skype Credit, and lets you connect to Fon hotspots with a single click.

Free WiFi for Internet Week Europe, thanks to Skype

To celebrate the first ever Internet Week Europe, we’re giving away free Skype Access, the single-click Internet access feature, across the UK for the duration of the festival.

With Skype Access you can pay for WiFi access per minute using Skype Credit. All you need is a connection to a Skype Access compatible hotspot and the latest version of Skype for Mac or Windows.

From 0001 GMT on the 8th November 2010 to to 2359 GMT on the 12th November 2010, Skype Access will be free to use, so you can surf the web, send email and make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls at Skype Access-enabled WiFi hotspots in cafés, hotels and airports across the UK.

Internet Week Europe is festival dedicated to celebrating Internet organisations and culture, and aims to bring over 80 events to London during the week.

Skype Access is made available through WiFi operators around the world. For a complete list of compatible networks, visit our Support site.

Moore's Law and Skype Video Calling

Moore's law describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware.

The law is named after Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore, who described the trend in a 1965 paper, whereby the "law" unfolds as a self-fulfilling prophecy – a predictable path for fully realized capability of computing hardware that leads to faster speeds, lower cost, smaller components and better performance over time.

Buy a $599 device and it can be subject to obsoletism at the hands of mass-market options that sell for half, then a quarter, and eventually a tenth of the price. And, when unbeatable lower cost, high performance options are readily available, spending at the top-end can be like throwing money away, especially if you are buying a video calling system and there is no one else to call.

So with Skype video calling, you don't have to worry about that.

• It's free or low cost to call your friends
• It's great quality with up to HD 720p video and SILK super wideband audio
• It's accessible by millions of people around the world
• It's available across many different platforms like desktop computers, mobiles, TVs and more.

So with no significant privilege to participate – you too can enjoy Skype and know, more than likely, that there will be someone on the other end who you can call.

Free WiFi at over 200,000 hotspots this weekend

It’s almost the weekend, and we’re celebrating this one by giving everyone free Skype Access, the single-click Internet access feature, available at over 200,000 WiFi hotspots worldwide. Just because.

With Skype Access you can pay for WiFi access per minute using Skype Credit. All you need is a connection to a Skype Access compatible hotspot and the latest version of Skype for Mac or Windows.

From 0001 GMT on Saturday 25 September 2010 to to 2359 GMT Sunday September 26, Skype Access will be free to use, so you can surf the web, send email and make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls at over 200,000 WiFi hotspots in cafés, hotels and airports worldwide.

Skype Access is made available through WiFi operators around the world. For a complete list of compatible networks, visit our Support site.

Peace One Day and Skype open classroom doors to the world

Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day, talks to students about intercultural cooperation.

Skype enables the world’s conversations. So does Peace One Day.

This is why Skype supports Peace One Day in its goals. One of Peace One Day’s goals is to inspire a generation across the globe to become the driving force behind the vision of a united and sustainable world. Available in Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Russian and Spanish, the Peace One Day Global Education Resource encourages students to connect with each other to talk about what peace means to them, learning about each other in the process. To make this possible, the first free, online interactive Global Education Resource in the six official languages of the UN has been launched today. Teachers and students around the world can register on Peace One Day’s website and download the Resource for free. Developed for 12-18 year olds, it contains 13 lessons for exploring issues of peace, non-violence, intercultural cooperation and the protection of the environment.

We support the Intercultural Cooperation lesson (lesson 4F) which is designed to encourage positive conversations about how to make the world a better place. This tutorial encourages students all around the world to share their ideas about peace with other pupils from around the world via Skype video. In this way, children of all nationalities can exchange real life experiences and debate ideas face-to-face, providing a window into other cultures.

Peace One Day aims to unite people who want to stand up for peace regardless of age, race, nationality, religion or gender on the UN International Day of Peace which is the 21st September, the day of global ceasefire.

The Global Education Resource can be accessed from the Peace One Day education pages.

We’re giving away 1 million Skype Credit vouchers to celebrate Eid

If you've never tried using Skype to call a landline phone or mobile, now's your chance to discover what else Skype can do.

We've got a feast of Skype Credit vouchers to give away - so you can call around the world for up to 30 minutes. To get yours, simply enter your email address on our promotion page. We'll then email you a special code to claim your free Skype Credit so you can start sending Eid wishes on us.

Offer subject to availability, limited to one million vouchers in total. Only one voucher per email address. Other terms apply.

20% off all 12-month calling subscriptions this week only

When you think of Skype, you probably think of video calling – rightly so as 40% of all Skype-to-Skype calls include video. At the same time, you still want the flexibility to call your friends, family and colleagues wherever they are – which is why Skype makes it possible for you to call any phone, almost anywhere, at unbelievably low rates.

Whether doing a Skype-to-Skype call for free or calling any phone for very little, people like you around the world have spent over 520 million minutes on average every day talking to people with Skype.

For the next week only, we are offering a 20 percent discount off all 12-month subscriptions. Sign up right up now and enjoy talking to your contacts longer, for less.

With over 3,600 types of subscriptions to call over 170 countries, you can stop watching the meter and talk for longer. A monthly subscription gives you the freedom to reach one or multiple countries for as cheap as €0.89 ($1.09/£.69)* per month, with rates as low as €0.01 ($.01/£.01) per minute to almost any destination around the globe.

For example, you can call the following destinations from virtually anywhere in the world for as low as:

€ .01 per minute to China ($.02/£.01)
€ .01 per minute to the United Kingdom ($.02/£.01)
€ .02 per minute to India ($.02/£.01)
€ .03 per minute to Mexico ($.04/£.03)

That means you can call these destinations cheaply whether you are in San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Cape Town or almost anywhere in between.

And if you prefer the flexibility to pay as you go, you can buy Skype Credit to make calls at low rates.

*.€1.02, $1.25, £0.79, including VAT where applicable

Use a Skype To Go number this weekend and get $5 of Skype Credit

This promotion is now over, but you can still get a free Skype To Go number to make great value calls from any phone.

A free Skype To Go number lets you make international calls, at the same Skype rates you pay now, but using your mobile phone instead of a computer.* All you need is a little Skype Credit or a monthly subscription.

Set up a free Skype To Go number, use it this weekend (14-15 August) and we’ll email you a voucher worth $5 USD of Skype Credit.**

Learn more about Skype To Go numbers

*Subject to operator fees where applicable. Use Skype Credit or your monthly subscription.
**To be eligible for the $5 USD voucher you need to set up Skype To Go and place a call using a Skype To Go number during the weekend of August 14-15, 2010. Existing Skype To Go users are not eligible. Vouchers will be emailed by September 6, 2010. If your Skype Credit balance is not maintained in US Dollars the amount of credit will be converted to your chosen currency at the conversion rate seen in the currency section on 'My Account'.

Free WiFi at over 100,000 hotspots on Sunday

This summer at Skype, we're helping you talk football with the world for free. On Sunday, Skype is making Skype Access, the one-click Internet access feature, available for free at over 100,000 WiFi hotspots worldwide in celebration of the final match.

With Skype Access you can pay for WiFi access per minute using Skype Credit. All that's needed is a connection to a Skype Access compatible hotspot and the latest version of Skype for Mac or Windows computers.

From 0001 GMT to 2359 GMT on Sunday 11 July 2010, Skype Access will be free to use, so you can surf the web, send email and make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls at over 100,000 WiFi hotspots in cafés, hotels and airports worldwide.

Skype Access is made available through WiFi operators around the world. For a complete list of compatible networks, visit our Support site.

Free calls to the USA, Mexico and many more countries for a month

This promotion is now over, but you can still make great value calls to regular phones around the world – no long-term contract required.

Why not kick off your football conversations this summer with our exciting promotion?

To celebrate a season of football, we’re offering you free calls to qualifying countries for a month. Pick one of these great deals and talk football with your friends and family.

• 60 minutes free calls to landlines in Algeria for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Argentina for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Australia for a month
• 400 minutes free calls to landlines in Brazil for a month
• 60 minutes free calls to landlines in Cameroon for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Chile for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Denmark for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in France for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Germany for a month
• 60 minutes free calls to landlines in Ghana for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Greece for a month
• 60 minutes free calls to landlines and mobiles in Honduras
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Italy for a month
• 60 minutes free calls to landlines and mobiles in Japan for a month
• 120 minutes free calls to landlines in Mexico for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in the Netherlands for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in New Zealand for a month
• 120 minutes free calls to landlines in Nigeria for a month
• 60 minutes free calls to landlines in Paraguay for a month
• 60 minutes free calls to landlines in Serbia for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Portugal for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Slovakia for a month
• 120 minutes free calls to landlines in Slovenia for a month
• 120 minutes free calls to landlines in South Africa for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in South Korea for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in Spain for a month
• 120 minutes free calls to landlines in Switzerland for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines in the UK for a month
• 60 minutes free calls to landlines in Uruguay for a month
• Unlimited free calls to landlines and mobiles in the USA for a month

After the first month, you’ll be charged our normal subscription rate. A fair usage policy applies where we offer unlimited calls. Subscriptions exclude service, special, premium and non-geographic numbers. Terms and conditions apply to individuals countries – see the promotion website for more details.

Global WiFi celebration this weekend

To celebrate our new subscriptions with rates as low as €0.01/£0.01/$0.012 per minute to phones in more than 170 countries around the world, we’re offering you WiFi access at over 100,000 hotspots worldwide for just €0.01/£0.01/$0.012 per minute this weekend (15th-16th May 2010).

Skype Access lets you connect to the Internet with one-click at premium public hotspots in cafés, hotels and airports worldwide. You’ll need the latest version of Skype for Windows or Skype for Mac to use it – just look out for the Skype Access window when you’re connected to a compatible hotspot.

From 0000 GMT on Saturday 15 May to 2359 GMT on Sunday 16 May, Skype Access will cost €0.01/£0.01/$0.012 per minute to use. Skype Access is powered by Boingo through WiFi hotspot operators around the world. There’s a complete list of compatible WiFi networks on our Support site.

Free WiFi from Skype to ease your travel pains

While the air traffic situation in Northern Europe gradually begins to return to normality, a lot of you around the world will still be spending more time than usual at airports. To help you stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues Skype is making Skype Access, the one-click WiFi access feature, available for free at over 100,000 hotspots worldwide from midday Wednesday this week until the end of Friday 23 April.

We’re removing the normal charges made for Skype Access until the end of the week so that you can surf the web, email and make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls at over 100,000 WiFi hotspots in cafés, hotels and airports worldwide – including the vast majority of international airports.

Skype Access is a new feature in Skype that lets you pay for WiFi access per minute using Skype Credit. All that’s needed is a connection to a Skype Access compatible hotspot and the latest version of Skype.

From 1200 GMT on Wednesday 21 April to 2359 GMT on Friday 23 April, Skype Access will be completely free to use.

Skype Access is powered by Boingo through WiFi hotspot operators around the world. There’s a complete list of compatible WiFi networks on our Support site.

Worldwide weekend of free WiFi with Skype Access

To celebrate the full launch of Skype Access, we’re offering you free WiFi access at over 100,000 hotspots worldwide this weekend (20-21 March 2010).

When you’re on the move and need to check your email or get access to the web, Skype Access is the easy and great value way to connect. It’s hassle-free, and you only pay per minute for what you use – no more paying for an hour’s access if you’re only online for 20 minutes.

From 0000 GMT on Saturday 20 March 2010 to 2359 GMT on Sunday 21 March 2010, Skype Access will be completely free to use from anywhere in the world. All you need is a connection to a Skype Access compatible hotspot and the latest version of Skype for Windows or Skype for Mac. You can download or update Skype for free if you don’t have it already.

And there’s more: if you’re unfortunate to be affected by the industrial action by British Airways cabin crew, you’ll be glad to know that we’re extending the offer in the UK to 2359 on Monday 22 March. If you get stuck in a UK airport with a compatible hotspot, you’ll be able to stay online for free to work, adjust your holiday booking or better still, make a free video call back home to your family with Skype.

Skype Access is provided by WiFi hotspot operators around the world. There’s a complete list of compatible WiFi networks on our support site.

5 artists in 5 locations waiting for your words

To celebrate Skype being mobile we’re inviting you to unleash your message in wild and wonderful ways. We’ve set up five artists across the globe to help transform your personal messages into outdoor art.

This very minute, messages from people like you are being sculpted into trees in Turkey, taken to the streets of Tokyo, turned into contemporary art in the USA, set free in the Australian Outback and re-imagined by street performers in Barcelona.

Each artist has the Skype application on their mobile phone – all you have to do is call one of them, leave a voice message and then have your message unleashed into the great outdoors. Whether it’s a well-wishing note to NASA for the Shuttle launch, an appeal to stop cuts at Leeds University, or just a reminder to write home, their creative minds will turn your message into a work of art.

We’re already taking over a thousand calls every day, so get yours in quickly – and watch the video above for some more inspiration

Complimentary WiFi in Spain thanks to Skype Access

Our mobile team are all headed to Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona next week, and have a little goodie for everyone in Barcelona – and in fact anywhere in Spain.

If you’re in Spain, you’ll be able to get one session of WiFi access, on us, for up to 15 minutes, thanks to Skype Access. All you need is Skype 2.8 for Mac or Skype 4.2 beta for Windows. When you launch Skype, you’ll be asked if you want to take advantage of this Skype Access offer.

The offer is valid from 0000 on Monday 15th February through to 2359 on Thursday 18th February, and available only through supported hotspots including those from Kubi Wireless and Boingo.

If you’re in Spain, please enjoy this little burst of connectivity whether you’re in your hotel, airport or across the showgrounds where Mobile World Congress takes place.

Football

Update: the World Cup is back! See what we're doing to help you talk football with the world for free in 2010.

From 2006:

The World Cup is just kicking off. See what Skype is doing around this. Go see what the Trinidad and Tobago is up to (our friends at eBay are supporting them), get a WeeMee or Klonie. Last but not least, there are some excellent Skypecasts around football oncoming. Sharing a game experience with a Skypecast or conference call is a great way to hook up with your long-lost friends or make new ones.