Skype 3.0 has been released to public. This new version of Skype includes features such as Public Chatroom, Extras Manager. Extras can make Music Recommendation (through Last.fm) and game playing possible. There are many more extras which can be added through the Extra Manger.
While browsing the Extras Gallery, KishKish Lie Detector caught my attention. It can determine whether you friend is lying or not by conducting voice stress analysis. Pamela Call Recorder has also been added as an extra, it allows you to record your conversation (this could be useful, if your creating a podcast). This gives me feeling that Skype is trying competing with Yahoo Messenger. I tried to download Skype 3 using Free Download Manger, surprisingly 12 out of 165 FDM users have reported it as malicious. I’m not sure why they did it.
Skype users from US and Canada enjoyed free PC to landline calls this year. The offering is coming to an end by the end of this month and from the beginning of next year, users will have to pay, but Skype has come out with a insane package which gives you unlimited minutes of outgoing calls for just $14.95 for a year. This package is available only until January 31, 2007 after which you’ll have to pay 50% more.
Sounds damn cheap, but unfortunately my country is thinking of banning Skype (and few other VoIP services). I’m not a regular Skype user, it obstructed the working of WAMP (a tool which I use to run Wordpress locally). I’m happy with Google Talk.

wrote, on December 14th, 2006
I too didn’t use Skype much until I had a video conference with some folks in the US. I was shocked at the clarity and quality of both the audio and the video and you know our connections!
I don’t have many on Skype, though i definitely prefer it over Google!
wrote, on December 15th, 2006
Ajay: Yeah, Skype is good in terms of Voice Clarity, but most of my contacts prefer GTalk, so I stick on with Gtalk