Software update: Skype 0.94.0.19 beta

Skype is a peer-to-peer Internet telephony program. The connection for conducting a call would be more stable and reliable due to more efficient routing techniques. In addition, the sound quality would even be superior to that of a landline call. Finally, Skype also offers simple instant messaging capabilities and, unlike its counterparts, should work flawlessly in almost all environments with firewalls, routers and NAT. The development team recently released beta version 0.94.0.19 with the following changelog:

Features:

• new language: Finnish
• new language: Polish
• new language: Romanian
• new language: Spanish
• password change
• new instant messaging
• instant messaging history
• support for USB Phone (Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server)
• speaker ringer option added
• added options->advanced->open find a friend in advanced mode
• implemented 3-hop routing
• added possibility to add speed-dial keys (1..4 numbers) to buddies.

Changes:

• new icons (mute/find/hold/padlock etc.)
• big call tab texts splitted to 2 line for better fit
• user login/relogin procedure
• red button is enabled to hang up the active call, if not on the call tab
• red button is enabled to close the current call tab, if the call is finished
• the ‘x Friends online’ is now a link going to Friends tab
• easier access to tray menu
• Skype handles callto links by default, can be changed from options
• the splash screen is closed earlier, before ‘new version’ prompt is potentially displayed
• new username must start with a letter from now on
• user entry window looks a little more responsive
• added timeout for logging in in user entry form
• hangup sound is played even if there was no active call (ringing)
• echo cancellation is turned off automatically when remote user uses headphones
• workaround for sound IO error with old sound cards
• calls/instant messages now refresh the locally cached profile of remote user
• improved connection process
• memory management improved
• security even increased
• hangup, busy and ringout sounds are now played on output device
• removed length limit on renaming friends
• Unicode-only languages ​​are not displayed in language selection menu, if system does not support Unicode

Bug fixes:

• some fixes to Portuguese translation
• call tab menu, ‘add to friends’ item was incorrectly enabled/disabled
• if call tab was closed automatically and call context menu was open at that time, some selections could cause access violation
• sometimes missed calls from renamed users did not filter correctly on call log
• fixed the frequent ‘range check error’ in menus
• fixed a bug in call menu building – sometimes hangup and hold submenus contained obsolete items
• fixes with red/green button hints
• field captions and ‘tell-a-friend’ link were not Unicode-enabled in find a friend form
• options can be changed during a call again – ie sound devices are not set if they are not changed
• find a friend maintains ‘searching’ state correctly if re-opened or re-activated
• sometimes searches did not finish
• permanent sound IO error if call using non-functional sound card is attempted
• skype would not connect if getinternetconnectedstate() returned 0