Skype Video Messaging is Now Available For Mac, iPhone and Android

Microsoft is launching a new Video Messages feature for Skype this week. The company has been working on the feature for a number of months, having previously revealed it a little early, and it debuts on iOS, Android, and Mac. Designed for online and offline messaging, Video Messages lets Skype users send up to three minutes of video to each other. Although it won't initially be available for Windows users, those using the Skype for Windows or Skype for Windows Phone will receive the messages with a link to view them online.

The feature works on Android and iOS by using the font facing camera, with an option to switch to the rear. You can send up to three minutes of video to users who are either online or offline and the video will be delivered in the chat part of Skype. The Mac client is very much the same, but there's an optional to download the video messages you receive. It's certainly no Vine rival as the feature doesn't let you record in loops, but Skype tells us that it's an early beta still in testing.

"We’re pleased that there’s interest for Video Messaging to come to Skype for Windows and Skype for Windows 8," says a Skype spokesperson. "We’ll let you know when we expand the service to the platform." We tested the feature out on all available platforms and it seems to sync the video messages just as you'd expect. If you want to download the messages on the Mac side, they're available in MP4 format. The Video Messages feature is available to all US and UK Skype users initially, with a rollout to other countries expected in the future. [TheVerge]

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Mailbox is a New iOS App That Was Released To Revolutionise Mail

I’m already sold on the upcoming Mailbox iOS app. I watched the teaser video, read up on what it does, and I’m ready to use it. I’ve been happily using Gmail for iOS since it launched, but I may have found a reason to try something new—something better.

Unfortunately, the initial demand right now is off the charts, so the company is only accepting reservations in the run up to launch. I’m in line, somewhere, confirmed. Once the app is officially made available—the company is shooting for a few weeks—not everyone will have access right away. Like I said, demand is huge.

So what’s the big deal? Mailbox wants to make email delivery as fast and secure as possible, from the cloud pushed right to your device. But what’s really interesting is the way Mailbox is designed. Probably the most exciting feature is being able to snooze email: for later today, tomorrow, this weekend or some other day. This will make getting your inbox down to zero so much easier.

“Stop staring at emails you can’t deal with now,” it says on Mailbox’s website. “Mailbox lets you put off messages until later with a swipe and a tap. Snoozed emails return to your inbox automatically, so you can focus on what’s important now.”

Mailbox is, for now, going to be offered for free when it launches, with the possibility that the developer will add premium features over time; one option might be a fee to add more than one email account. When it does launch, Mailbox will only work with Gmail/Google accounts right off of the bat, but that should cover more than enough users.

We reached out to the company to see if we could get early access, so hopefully we can bring you a hands-on relatively soon. We’re excited to try it out, if only to snooze those pesky emails we need to deal with but want to put off until later. [TechnoBuffalo]

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Twitter Redesigns Embedded Tweets to Show More Content

Twitter has announced a couple of tweaks to its embedded tweet feature: embedded tweet boxes have been redesigned to enhance readability, and to display more context (like retweet and favorite counts). Sources tell us that the update also expands the amount of content that will be automatically displayed by enabling automatic expansion for all of Twitter's cards partners. Previously, only content from Twitter and videos from YouTube would automatically expand in embedded tweets.

Twitter says that embedded tweets should load faster on third-party websites, and it's made it easier to embed tweets. Now, users can select the "more" link within a tweet, presenting a drop-down menu that provides embed code. The move reduces the amount of steps required to embed a tweet — a welcome change for those of us who embed them with reckless abandon. Website owners, however, may not be quite as happy; the redesign is retroactive, so previously embedded tweets will reflect the new size. [TheVerge]

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