Skype's Filters Bring Some Life to your Video Messages

The Skype team doesn't have it easy these days -- it not only has to compete with legions of live chat apps, but also the back-and-forth video messaging of Snapchat. What's it going to do? Fight on Snapchat's home turf, apparently. Microsoft has released Skype updates for Android and iOS that let you add "fun" filters to your video messages, such as a creepy inverted color scheme or goofy face stretching. Yes, it comes across as trying to stay hip with what the kids are doing, but it could be helpful if your birthday greeting just isn't festive enough. And don't worry if you like plain vanilla videos, since there's something new for you as well. Skype now supports 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, so you can quickly start a call or peek at a conversation.