The Great Skype Blackout of 2007

This blog entry originally started as a happy note about the new Skype Beta client for Mac that has some cool new features, including address book integration. However, after installing the new Beta, I could no longer connect. I thought it might be a glitch of the new version, but unfortunately it looks to be a serious Skype-network-wide problem.

Problems with Skype login - Heartbeat: "Some of you may be having problems logging into Skype. Our engineering team has determined that it’s a software issue. We expect this to be resolved within 12 to 24 hours. Meanwhile, you can simply leave your Skype client running and as soon as the issue is resolved, you will be logged in. We apologize for the inconvenience..."

Adobe Launches Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) BETA

"Adobe® AIR™, formerly code-named Apollo, is a cross-operating system runtime that allows developers to use their existing web development skills to build and deploy rich Internet applications to the desktop."

Photoshop CS3 Beta One-on-One Preview

"On December 14, 2006, Adobe announced the first-ever public beta for an upcoming version of Photoshop, its flagship image-editing software. Best-selling author and Photoshop guru Deke McClelland has teamed up with lynda.com to create the first video training on this landmark release. Photoshop CS3 Beta One-on-One Preview offers a personal video tour through a series of real-world examples that illustrate each of the key features and enhancements in the Photoshop CS3 beta. Major and minor features alike are covered in meticulous detail.

We are proud to offer this training course for free, in honor of Adobe publishing a free beta version of a major software release for the first time in history."

Whether you want to see what's new without the trouble of installing the new BETA, or if you've installed it and want some guidance, this preview is excellent!