Skype for Windows 8 arrives with battery-saving features

New UI brings boatload of new tricks 

Skype for Windows 8 has been officially unveiled, offering a 'completely new Skype experience'.
The new software has been redesigned to bring a constant connection without smashing your laptop or tablet's battery life.
This is achieved through Windows 8 integration using a single connection to ping the server rather than performing the task as a separate action from the app itself, which allows Skype to stay happily running in the background.
The UI has been redesigned too, featuring options like Snap mode, which allows you to resize the video chat to enable multi-tasking – apparently you'd want to be mapping or emailing while chatting with your best friend. We'd call that rude, but whatever.

It's new, right? NEW

Other updates include a new 'modern' dial pad which enables the calling of other phones, with Skype Credit clearly displayed should you want to get on board with SkypeOut.
Skype is promising a 'fast and fluid' Windows 8 experience by being baked into the OS itself (once downloaded) and living as a live tile on the new Windows 8 UI, showing missed messages or calls.
Skype for Windows 8 will be released on 26 October following the launch of devices running the new Microsoft OS – so you can video call your Gran in a new fast and fluid way… although whether she'll care or not is down to you.