The Bloog

We use Skype and we like Skype but as of version 4′s integrated interface, many find it confusing and long to switch between conversations and more importantly, to quickly get to that new message you heard you received.

One of the ways to make things simple and intuitive again is to go back to the way Skype used to be: a dedicated contact list and individual windows for each contact/conversation. To do that, you can simply switch to Compact View. Switching to compact view is as easy as going to View/Compact View, if you can remember that that’s what you need to do, which people tend to forget.

So I get asked very often: “How do you make Skype normal again?” – “You switch to compact view”.

Today, I just noticed that there is an even quicker way to switch to compact view by clicking the dedicated button in the window title area. Once clicked, that “switch view” button can be clicked again to go back to “default view”. See screenshot below:

Use Skype's dedicated Compact View button to make Skype "normal" again.

The other issue I came across today while fiddling with Skype is that of making a test call. Usually, there is a contact in your list called “Skype Test Call”. Strangely enough, that test call contact was missing from my list. So how do you get to make a test call then? There is a way. Go to Options/Audio Settings and click on the link at the bottom of the window, called “Make a free test call”. That will automatically call the Skype Test Call contact which will also suddenly reappear in your contact list and then just as suddenly disappear at the end of the call.

How to make a free test call when the Skype Test Call contact has gone missing.

As a last quick tip, in the screenshot above you will also see an additional option highlighted. That is the Ringing dropdown menu. Up until Skype 4, you could only choose one ringing device to ring when a call would come through. If you have a USB headset like the Logitech ClearChat Wireless one, then that was a problem if you didn’t have the headset turned on and on your ears. Fortunately, as of Skype 4.0, now you can set Skype to ring on all devices, thusly increasing the chances of hearing the call ringing.

Happy Skyping!

Now here’s a way to impress friends and especially clients. Use your iPhone or iPod Touch to remotely control/fire your DSLR camera. I haven’t tried it myself, but as soon as update 1.1, which supports Nikon cameras, makes its way to the Appstore, I’ll be all over it.

For a more detailed article, see the link below:

Rob Galbraith DPI: DSLR Camera Remote for iPhone comes to life in v1.1.