July 7, 2011 12:20 PM

Skype from your Facebook and Facebook from your Skype

By
Chenda Ngak
Topics
Wired for Women

Facebook and Skype logos (Credit: Facebook/Skype)
(CBS) - Wednesday's announcement of Skype-powered video chat in Facebook was a mild jab at Google+'s Hangouts - the new feature is more akin to video chat in Google Talk. Although, the social network only supports one-on-one chat, Zuckerberg said at the press event that he wouldn't "rule anything out."

When Skype 5.0 for Windows launched in October of 2010, it included a deep Facebook integration. Skype users are now able to use Facebook Connect to see their news feeds, post status updates and chat right inside of the Skype client.

If all of this has you spinning, here's a quick guide for setting up both services...

Skype video chat in your Facebook

Setting up video chat in Facebook is fairly simple. Once you're signed in to Facebook chat, click on the contact that you want to chat with. The top, right side of the chat window should have an icon of a video camera. When you click on the camera, it will begin the installation process.

After the initial setup, you should be able to launch a video chat with anyone who has a webcam. The other user must accept your video request in order for the feature to work.

Facebook in your Skype 5.5 client

Signing onto Facebook from Skype 5.5 is just a matter of signing on via Facebook Connect. After you approve Skype's access to your account, you will immediately see your news feed. If you use Skype for work, the Facebook feature is a nice way to stay connected without committing to the website.

A partnership between the social network and chat service is a logical conclusion to Microsoft's involvement with both companies. The software giant purchased a 5% stake in Facebook in the fall of 2007 and acquired Skype in the spring of 2011.

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Add a Comment
by vcarvega July 7, 2011 2:59 PM EDT
This is cool news for the millions of Facebook users out there... but as far as staying in touch with friends, Google+ still looks a whole lot better. Especially their implementation of video chatting with more than one person!

Still, I think this and the dozens of games are probably enough to keep Facebook on top.
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