A little miffed that your iPod Touch isn’t exactly like an iPhone? Well, there is one reason why you shouldn’t be. Skype has developed an application that enables your iPod Touch to chat and call(granted that you have a 2G Touch, and a pair of headphones with a microphone) – just like an iPhone. Neat? Wait, there’s more!

Reviews say that this particular application is quite polished despite being a first release. Skype for both the iPod Touch and the iPhone works just like Skype on the desktop (minus video, of course). Quality and reliability depend on the network so don’t get nasty if you have a little bit of audio problem at some point.

How does it work? First, you have to install the 2.7 MB app which you can find here ( Skype for iPhone ). Access the program and enter your username and password. You should be able to see your contacts list. Now choose your poison – chat or call.

Chatting works just like any IM. You and the person you are talking with will be able to converse through speech bubbles with your pictures or avatars showing up next to them. Chats can be switched and there should be no problem if ever you decide to leave the conversation, for let’s say, a trip to the loo. You can always pick up where you left off!

As for calling, all the usual features are there. You may call anyone whether it’s a Skype number or a Skype Out one. Just use either to make and receive calls.

What’s the catch? According to reviews, there seems to be none. For one, it’s free and quite user-friendly too. Of course, it has limitations. For one it’s only available to Wi-Fi so it won’t change the face of telephony. We’ll see how things go for the iPod Touch though once the iPhone OS 3.0 is released.

Know more about the Skype for iPhone