The latest update of the Skype Click to Call supports the latest release of Firefox (Firefox 18), the second-newest release of Chrome (Chrome 23), as well as Windows 8, Skype announced. However, it's not clear at this point whether the latest update will support Chrome 24 or not. The newest version of Skype Click is still available for Apple's desktop platform and of course for Internet Explorer and Safari. Download the latest version 6.5 for Windows and version 2.4 for Mac here.

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As per the Skype announcement, the major updates in this release are:

 - Numbers which are FREE to call are now highlighted in magenta, so it is even easier to spot them while browsing the Web.

 - Firefox 18 and Chrome 23 support (Click to Call is also available on IE and Safari)

 - Windows 8 compatibility

 - Various performance and stability improvements

Skype could face a stiff competition from the new Facebook feature that lets iPhone users make free voice calls through the iOS Messenger app. Although the Facebook service is currently restricted to U.S. users only, it is expected that a global roll out won't be far off. The feature is iOS-only at this point; however, Facebook is reportedly working on making the app compatible on other operating systems as well.

As the Wired writer Roberto Baldwin rightly said, the Facebook initiative can well be the first step towards leapfrogging its video-calling partner, Skype. Facebook has a long-term relationship with Skype as Microsoft's search engine Binge powers Facebook's out-of-network searches. Microsoft acquired Skype for a reported $8.5 billion in 2011. "When asked if Facebook and Skype were partnering to bring VoIP to Facebook apps, a Skype spokesperson told Wired.com via e-mail a simple 'No,' and would not comment beyond that," the report said.

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