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Skype for iOS updated with photo sharing and better battery life

Skype update
Skype

The latest update to popular messaging and calling app Skype for iPhones and iPads brings some welcome features that may save you a text message or two. Photo sharing just got easier, and further performance improvements mean less drain on your precious battery.

Just select Photo Share from the message menu and you can select any pictures you've taken on your iPad, or, presumably, any you've downloaded into your gallery app. There's no bandwidth or size limit, so go ahead and send the original resolution. Handy if you want to share with someone but don't want to deal with the small size forced on you by MMS or services like Instagram.

The other update is part of continuing work by Skype to make the app leaner. Coming from a desktop software background, Skype wasn't always the most lightweight app to be running, and having it idle in the background could mean a real hit to the battery. Skype claims that the latest versions address this, and this one improves load times.

It's free, of course, and available for any iPad or any iPhone from 3GS on. Pick it up at the App Store.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.