Skype announces IPO

Today Skype announced they are going public, and have filed the paperwork for an Initial Public Offering to be listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. How many shares and price haven not been determined
yet. If you listen closely, you can hear eBay crying.

[Skype]

Skype for iPhone updated for multitasking

Skype just updated their iPhone app to allow for background calling. Apple demonstrated this during it's keynote for iOS 4, but we're just getting the update today. It'll work pretty much like the iPhone's built in app, it'll pop up a notification when you get a call, when the phone's locked and you get a call you can unlock to go straight to the call, and you can also use other apps while on a call. One thing that was not added was video calling, which will most likely come further down the road. At least there's another good option for making calls on the iPhone now.

Update: Skype blocks Fring

Apparently there was a little more than network "stress" that Skype was causing Fring. In a press release by Fring this morning, they stated that they are ending support of Skype services following the threat of legal action by Skype. You'll still be able to make Fring-to-Fring video calls, but Skype chatting and video calls are now out of the question. On a positive note, does this mean that Skype is working to enable video calls in their mobile apps? No news from them yet, but let's hope so.

[Fring press release]

Update: Techcrunch has spoken to a Skype spokesperson that says they have been in discussions with Fring for a while over whether Fring operates in accordance with Skype's licenses, and that the decision to remove Skype access from Fring was entirely Fring's decision. Fring says this simply isn't true. Oh boy.

[Techcrunch]