Skype Play

"Virtual" Fantasy Baseball Draft with Group Video Calling

Today is Opening Day! It's the the beginning of a new Major League Baseball (MLB) season. While the real players hit the field today, fantasy baseball season has already been in full-swing, with baseball enthusiasts around the world busily drafting players for their fantasy teams. Now, they can even strategize a home run on Skype.

The game of Fantasy Baseball lets fans manage a roster of MLB players, keeping track of their scores and statistics in a friendly competition throughout the season. To pick players in the preseason, leagues must use their knowledge of players and predict who will have an outstanding season. With all this information, league members draft their picks, hope their players have a great season and let the fun begin!

To celebrate the Fantasy Baseball season and the many fantasy leagues strewn across the country, Skype partnered with popular fantasy sports site RotoWire to facilitate a "virtual" fantasy draft via video call. With the help of Skype Group Video Calling, nine baseball enthusiasts across the country were able to conduct a mock fantasy baseball-draft together. Despite the distance between them, the members were able to discuss each other's picks and get excited for the upcoming season.

To learn about RotoWire baseball expert's number-one picks this year, you can watch the first round of their draft via group video call below:

Skype at McGraw-Hill Innovation Showcase: Social Media for Higher Education

Skype continues to break barriers in the classroom. Last week, we had the opportunity to attend McGraw-Hill's Social Media for Higher Education conference. As part of Social Media Week New York, this event was a trade floor of information and introductions between educators, higher education influencers, media, and today's "game changers" in education technology.

At the conference, we had the opportunity to demo the newest apps, tools, and social media features available for students and teachers, so Skype was a natural fit. This was a great chance for our team to showcase the various ways Skype can be brought into the classroom to enrich students' education. We were also able to demonstrate how group video calling can bring together groups of up to ten students or educators, so that teams can collaborate and learn. What's more, Skype video calling on both the iPhone and coming soon to Verizon 4G LTE smartphones, allows students and teachers to share educational experiences, even while on-the-go.

Attendees were excited to learn about the Skype in the Classroom (beta) site, a free online directory that connects teachers interested in using Skype in their classrooms. Educators and media at the McGraw-Hill event were excited to hear about the teaching resources and community of educators all available at this one resource, to help them make the most of Skype.

Skype and McGraw-Hill will continue to make strides in the classroom and we'll be sure to keep you posted. Skype is such a seamless fit into any students' dialogue, and we hope to spread the word to more educators and students in the near future.

Skype Palo Alto office in pictures

Photos by Skype’s Jason Fischl.