James over at our sister site jkOnTheRun has been trying the latest version of Skype (version 4.1 on Windows, 2.8 on Mac). This new version includes screen-sharing features that allow you to share your desktop with other Skype users. James tested it out while collaborating on a document editing session with co-writer Kevin and was extremely impressed with its simplicity and the way that it allowed real-time collaboration with very little lag. He says that using it enables “true collaboration; it is just like looking over the host’s shoulder to see what they are doing.”
Earlier today, I had a Skype call with James. Initiating a screen-sharing session during the call was as simple as pressing the “share” button and selecting whether to share the whole screen, or just a portion of it. It worked very well; James was able to see every detail on my screen with minimal lag, even though I am in the UK and he’s in Houston. Here’s a screenshot of my desktop he took during the call:
This new version of Skype provides a very easy (and free) way to share a screen with a colleague for collaboration or tech support. Check out James’ post for more detail.
Note: You might need to go to the Skype web site to grab the latest version; clicking “Check for Updates…” didn’t work for me.
Have you tried Skype screen sharing for collaboration? Let us know how it went in the comments.
Screensharing application Yuuguu is an old favorite of WebWorkerDaily. Today, the company launched support for Skype users, bringing its screensharing expertise to one of the largest communication platforms in the world. We caught up with CEO Anish Kapoor to learn a little about the features announced today and the company’s future plans.
Imran: Could you outline the new features announced in the latest edition of Yuuguu?
Anish: This new edition was all about making it really easy for Skype users to instantly screenshare and collaborate in real time with anyone, on any major IM network, not just Skype. Read the rest of this entry »
Screensharing applications are one of the essential weapons in the web workers’ arsenal and a popular topic here on WebWorkerDaily; in the past we’ve covered services such as Yuuguu and Oneeko.
The latest to join the fray is Mikogo, a cross-platform (Windows & OS X) screensharing solution that’s just launched a new Mac edition with a “remote support” feature, which takes the product from a straightforward web conferencing application to a broader service, offering live support and desktop sharing for remote clients and customers.
As well as conferencing and remote support, Mikogo suggest that screensharing is useful for product demonstrations, webcasts and teaching applications. The technology allows for 10 participants in a session, more than enough for all of these scenarios. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s been a busy few weeks for the team at online meeting service Yuuguu, with the announcement of Linux and Flash clients as well as support for Google Talk users.
Earlier today the company rounded out its ‘Yuuguu Inside’ strategy by extending its integration of Google Talk buddies to users from AIM, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo’s instant messaging networks, bringing cross-platform and cross-network support to the company’s ‘Yuuniverse’.
With a reach extending into hundreds of millions now, its easier than ever for users of the service to invite participants to a Yuuguu session, though it remains to be seen if removing previous barriers actually makes a difference in adoption of screensharing over face-to-face meetings.
Regardless, Yuuguu remains a useful free tool for web workers and one that now extends a little further.
UPDATE: Yuuguu CEO Anish Kapoor assures me that a bug in the acceptance of .Mac-based AIM screennames will shortly be resolved.
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
