Earlier this week we asked you for your thoughts on the possibility of Microsoft releasing an Xbox 720 console with Blu-Ray support for games only, blocking the use of Blu-Ray movie playback. Now we have further information suggesting that voice chat is going to be one of the main upgrades for the next Xbox, with Skype replacing Xbox Live voice chat as the default software.

As most of you may already know, Microsoft purchased Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, meaning that they now have complete control over the company and have authority on where Skype becomes available for other use. It has been a strong rumor that Skype will be a close part of the Xbox 720 setup and now we’re hearing that Skype will now actually become the ‘center’ of Microsoft’s main communication services going forward.

That means that aside from functionality inside the next Xbox, Skype could end up as the default chat client across Windows PCs and tablet devices as well. As a knock on effect, it also means that we’ll say goodbye to MSN chat for good, as Microsoft is planning to replace it with a Skype chat client, as noted by a CVG article.

As one of the most reliable video chat services available online at the moment, we think that adding Skype integration as a main communication tool is a great idea. Cross game chat powered by Skype would be an impressive feature to add to the list of ‘next-generation’ features and it would be one main advantage that Microsoft would have over their rivals Sony and Nintendo.

One potential talking point though could be with the fact that Skype is a free service at the moment. How will Xbox Live users feel knowing they have to pay for the usage of Skype as part of their subscription, when it is free on PC and mobile devices? Perhaps Microsoft are planning some premium features that will be exclusive for Gold subscribers to make the service a lot more worthwhile.

Full integrated Skype support on the Xbox 720. Does this sound good to you or not? How will Sony and Nintendo compete with this?

Windows Messenger had been the service of choice when speaking to friends on their computers but we knew that its days were numbered because of better social services, which is why Microsoft made the decision towards the end of last year to end the service. The date Windows Messenger will be switched off is March 15, 2013 and users are being diverted to Skype instead.

Those with Windows Live IDs will be unaffected by this and Windows Messenger will still be available in China, although the service will run under license. Although March 15th will be a sad day, it’s not like users don’t have better options available to them, such as the preferred Skype with instant message and video chat options.

The decision to end the service is no real surprise since Microsoft purchased Skype for £5.2 billion back in May 2011, so forcing the two to meet was the only way forward. According to a report Windows Messenger has been about since 1999 and by 2010 there were more than 100 million users, which just shows how popular the chat service was.

For those who wish to make the move now, Microsoft has included an upgrade button on desktop messenger, once selected the chat software will be uninstalled and Skype will take its place. However, you can still use the Messenger service as normal up until the 15th of March. Microsoft will want their users to make the move way before the deadline as they fear that if they do not divert to Skype before the service closes they could lose those users altogether.

A few months ago I had a dilemma on my hands, should I go for a half decent Samsung Smart TV, or do I pay the extra and have the model that comes with the built-in camera. I had to ask myself what I would use the extra features for and while it would have been good to do the video calling, it wasn’t worth paying the extra for the other benefits. The good news is you can achieve one of those features thanks to the Logitech TV cam, which simplifies HD video calling on Skype.

With having a few friends that live in other countries it’s certainly nice to stay in touch and while I can already do this on my 27-inch iMac, there nothing better than sitting in the comfort of your living room and having a video chat with a friend on the couch on a 46-inch screen in HD. There’s also the added benefit that the video chat will be in HD, although both parties will need to have the Logitech TV Cam HD in order to benefit from the improved quality.

To take advantage of the Logitech TV Cam with Skype video chat in HD all you need to do is to connect it to your HDMI port on any TV and then clip it to your television. However, there’s no need to connect the device to a computer because Skype is built in. Now you may worry that you could miss a call when your TV is off, but you will be pleased to know that Logitech’s cam will ring even if the TV is switched off, and if you do miss it there’s also voice mail.

The Logitech TV Cam HD price in the US is $199.99 and £179.99 in the UK and while this sounds like a lot to pay, you have to consider what you will be getting. Apart from what we mentioned above there is also the benefit of a wide-angled view, which means it can take in more of your surroundings as well as the fact that the camera can work in low-light conditions. To see this device in action take a look at the video embedded below.

There’s an increase in news surrounding Windows 8 apps considering the new OS has a release date for later this month, which will see Microsoft explain again why they feel this is the best computer operating system for consumers. In our opinion Windows 8 is needed to put Microsoft back on the map, and from what we’ve seen so far it looks like they’ve done a pretty good job.

Skype for Windows 8 – within the last couple of days promotion has stepped up a gear for the new Skype app, which included a video launching on YouTube to introduce people to Skype for Windows 8 on a tablet. You can see this video below on this page, and the Skype’s tagline promotions a chat app that is easy to use while being fast.

The new Skype app for Windows has a modern design that is also uncluttered, which is certainly welcomed considering the busy software Skype produced in the past that made it less simple to just chat. The UI is full screen and you can launch the app from the new Windows 8 Start screen “as a live title”, which also allows you to see certain features in the app without opening it thanks to the new live title feature in Windows 8, so if you missed a call you’ll see that on the title.

Will you download Skype for Windows 8? Take a look at the video overview below that delivers a quick look at what to expect from the new Skype app, and also see this hands-on review with plenty of screenshots. What do you think of the new Skype design, and of course Windows 8 as well?

Skype is a hot commodity these days and after emerging as a dominant player in the video chat business on desktop computers, Skype has now recently begun extending its capabilities on gaming devices as well. The PS Vita is the most notable appearance in recent times for Skype, giving users the option of having video chats over a 3G or WiFi connection.

Skype if you are not aware, is now owned by Microsoft and there is continued speculation that its services will soon be available on the Xbox. Skype has yet to make an appearance on the Xbox 360 which is frustrating for users, but we have learned that the popular service may be an integral part of Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox plans.

A job listing has been discovered online, as Microsoft are currently searching for a Lead Program Manager that will help to bring Skype services specifically to the next Xbox. To pick out a direct quote from the job listing tells you all you need to know as the company are ”focused on enabling amazing new in-game and in-console voice and video experiences for the next generation of Xbox.”

If Microsoft are trying to keep their next console and its potential features a secret, they are really doing a bad job of it at the moment. How does in-game Skype voice chat sound to you though? Imagine a scenario when the game will automatically pause itself and a Skype video call will pop-up in the future. Better yet, you then have the choice of minimizing the game to take the call, or continue with your game whilst chatting to your friend at the same time in a corner of the TV. This is probably the ultimate goal that Skype and Microsoft are working towards and we would love to see this become a reality in the near future.

Are you excited about the upcoming Skype features on the next Xbox? Give us an idea of the kind of functionality that you would like to see.

Rick Osterloh, Microsoft’s vice-president of the Skype division is the source behind this news after the comments he made during CES last week. He is reported to have admitted that the company is ‘working on a Windows Phone product that will be coming out soon.’ As the Telegraph reports this is a controversial move as Windows Phone is the only OS that lacks a Skype device, despite being owned by Microsoft.

Reports are also suggesting that the first Skype compatible Windows Phone device will not have a deep integration of the service on the platform; instead it will be made available as a downloadable app from the MarketPlace. It is thought that the feature will be integrated more heavily in the updated version of the OS, although it is believed an initial version will be unveiled at next month’s Mobile World Congress.

The Window Phone OS is currently on the version called Mango and according to reports Microsoft are currently working on updates that will bring the OS up to Tango and then Apollo versions, both of which could be the version which Skype could feature more heavily in, although nothing official has been announced as of yet. Head on over to the Telegraph for to see a video of the interview in which it was revealed that Skype would be coming to Windows Phone soon.

Are you looking forward to using Skype on Windows Phone devices?

Skype first began integrating Facebook into their service over a year ago when they started allowing users to link their Facebook contacts to their Skye desktop. In order for the latest update to work users must first link their Facebook and Skype accounts, as the Microsoft owned firm’s design chief, Rick Osterloh explains. Users can then select a Facebook friend in their Skype contacts and hit the video call button to begin talking to them on Facebook face to face.

According to Metro, Osterloh went on to say that Skype’s new beta version 5.7 allows group screen-sharing for Windows users and version 5.4 gives better video rendering to Apple Mac computer owners. Push-to-talk support is also enabled which lets users use Skype like a walkie-talkie. Experts say the timing of the recent announcement is perfect as Facebook just closed a deal to bring Bing search to their site.

Skype was purchase for $8.5 billion dollars by Microsoft, who has every intention of integrating the VOIP service into their products which include Office, Xbox Live and now Windows Phone. The company has also reassured existing users of Skype that it will still remain available to products not necessarily associated with Microsoft. As the Windows Phone OS attempts to take off in the market, being fairly new and taking on the already successful iOS and Android OS, Skype integration is likely to play a key part.

Will you be making video calls on Facebook to your Facebook friends?

Their VOIP service will allow O2 customers to make calls to others in the UK mobile or landlines via the internet, but unlike Skype it will be limited to just in the UK meaning users of the service will not be able to make international calls. According to 3G the service is to be trialed to begin with using 1000 smartphone owners who will be chosen and who get to experience the service free.

The company intends on bringing in certain charges when O2 Connect starts rolling out properly, although no details about how much the service will cost have been disclosed. Whether or not the charges will be inclusive on certain tariffs or will just be charged as added extras also remains to be seen. The service does not have to be used in just O2 hotspots it can be used over any Wi-Fi network.

For now O2 are only allowing Android and Apple iPhone users to apply for the service, but we expect other smartphone users such as BlackBerry owners will also be able to use the service when it becomes fully functional. Until then however we will all just have to carry on using Skype on our devices. Will you be using O2 Connect when it launches or will you prefer Skype?

This news was confirmed on Twitter when the Windows Phone New Zealand Twitter account tweeted this:

Nice, they just confirmed at TechEd NZ that #WP7 devices with forward facing cameras are coming with Mango – and Skype will support it.

Previously we have not seen any Windows Phone 7 smartphone with a front-facing camera, so we presume that manufacturers will release devices in the future to make the most of this new WP7 feature. It has to be said that at the moment it is unclear whether this will be an app which has to be manually installed or something which comes as part of the Mango update, we would prefer it to be forced upon users like how RIM gives all of its smartphones BBM, this will promote its use in our opinion.

With Skype apps available for pretty much every software platform out there the potential of this new WP7 feature is massive, Facetime is limited to Mac products, however Skype apps are available for Android, iOS, PC, Mac and Linux so the possibilities are endless – could we soon video chat across all of the platforms seamlessly? We sure hope so.

As you are probably aware a smartphone codenamed “Sea Ray” is being released by Nokia later this year, this is Nokia’s first attempt a Windows Phone 7 device, however so far we have seen no evidence which suggest that this will feature a front-facing camera – we think that if this is the case Nokia needs a rethink as if video chat takes off in WP7 the Nokia Sea Ray will be lagging behind when it arrives – what do you think?

When the Skype launched the function a lot of Android users were disappointed to see that it was only available for four handsets that use Google’s OS. The company has finally updated their service however and it is now compatible with devices that use Gingerbread. That means handsets that ship with the upgraded Android or have been updated with it will now be compatible.

The list of handsets that now have the Skype video calling functionality is quite a substantial improvement, bringing the total number of devices with the support to 21. The list also consists of some very popular smartphones including the Samsung Galaxy S II, which had already been reported to get it unofficially and some hotly anticipated devices like the HTC EVO 3D.

Completing the list is the Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung DROID Charge, Acer A5, LG Revolution, Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro, Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, HTC Flyer, HTC Desire HD, HTC Incredible S, HTC EVO 4G, HTC Sensation, HTC Thunderbolt and the HTC Desire.

The only downside seems to be that for some reason Skype can only access the rear camera with Android 2.2 and some cases 2.1, despite other applications not seeming to have this problem. This is the reason why Gingerbread is required for the support. Check out the Android Market now where you will find the updated information and some reviews from those already using the application.

Will you be using Skype video calling on your Android device now?