An iPad-specific version of Skype is expected to hit the App Store shortly, perhaps as early as today.

An iPhone / iPod touch version of Skype has been available for years, but an iPad version would not only allow users to take advantage of the larger screen on the tablet without pixel doubling, it will also make it possible for iPad 2 users to have video chats with other Skype users with the onboard front-facing camera.

VoIP and video chat apps are nothing new for the iPad, but with the addition of Skype, Apple’s tablet will be yet another device the hundreds of millions of current Skype users can use to stay in touch with friends, family and business contacts via video chat.

The iPad Skype app is expected to be free. 

Source: ComputerWorld

Update July 26, 2011: It’s been nearly a month and no iPad-specific Sype app has shown up in the App Store.  Guess we’ll have to wait a while longer after all…

I’m not a fan of text messaging as a primary form of communication.  Sure, there are situations where it’s preferable to a phone call, but watching people endlessly tappity-tap-tapping out texts in a messaging trance makes me queasy.  So I tend to shy away from the medium, lest I become one of them.

Because of this bias, I’ve opted not to pay for an additional messaging plan, choosing instead to take my per-message lumps whenever a friend texts instead of calling or sending email.  But this can add up quickly.

But now I don’t pay extra for bulk messaging or even per-use fees. ‘Cause I use Google Voice [App Store Link] for my iPhone text messages – and it’s free.

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Flipping through newspaper classifieds while sipping morning coffee is likely not something the typical iPad user does often.  But if you feel you’ve been missing out on this proud tradition, as the saying goes, there’s an app for that.

Lifelike Craig HD [iTunes Link] takes content from Craigslist, sifts it based on your current location, and presents Craigslist ads in a familiar classifieds-format that looks a lot like a newspaper of old.   And it’s the first of this week’s two App Picks.

There are browsable categories like Housing, For Sale, Jobs, and Services, along with sort-by filters, search, text size adjustment, and the ability to mark favorites as you search so that you can review them later (favorited ads are circled in red – nice touch).  Products can be shown from your immediate area (city) or surrounding areas; you can even view the seller’s approximate location with the built-in map tool if they’re off the beaten path.

The presentation is excellent, and the app’s pretty snappy if you have a fast data connection.  If there’s a contact email address in the ad, you can email the poster right form the iPad, or create a contact from a listed a phone number to call later on your phone. And you can email an ad to yourself or a friend with the built-in email tool.

I’ve always had a soft spot for perusing classified ads, and they can be very helpful if you’re looking to buy an inexpensive tool, find a job or located local service providers.   Lifelike Craig HD beats the hell out of Craigslist on the web (on the iPad or anything else).

Lifelike Craig HD is on sale today for $0.99; the price will go back to $1.99 at midnight.

There’s been an incredible amount of buzz around The Daily, an iPad-only digital newspaper/magazine from News Corp (parent company of The Wall Street Journal and the Fox News Channel).  Before its release in mid-January, this buzz was mostly positive – but its arrival steered the feedback sharply to the negative.

Why?

Because first few versions of The Daily  were buggy, slow and – quite frankly – frustrating. Reactions the actual content of the daily news magazine took a backseat to its lousy performance, which was surely not the want of the folks behind the digital publication.  

But v1.0.3 of the app just hit the iTunes Store, and this version has addressed many of the problems of those that came before.  The Daily [iTunes Store link]has now climbed its way into my recommended category, and it’s the first of this week’s App Picks.