You probably already know how great video calls on Skype are (and if you don't, you've got to give it a try!). Seeing the face of a far away friend or family member never fails to put a smile on my face. But if you're not always making video calls (or you have an extra webcam), there are a bunch of neat applications for webcams that go beyond the call of the video call. What else can you do with a webcam?

Before I get into these other uses, I have to say again that I think the best use of webcams is for video calls on Skype (especially when you're following these tips to look your best). Video adds a whole new dimension to calls. But without further ado, you can also use your cam for:

Remote Monitoring

You can use your webcam to take photos at regular intervals or when motion is detected, for security or to make stop-motion animations. Dorgem is a free Windows program that does this and can also upload photos to an FTP site so you can check to see that everything is in order at home or the office or in nature while you're away.

It's also pretty neat to see where other webcams are pointing. Goocam World Map takes public cameras that are streaming in the motion jpeg standard and geotags and maps them to a clickable Google map. Also have a look at EarthCam and Opentopia for other peeks around the world.

LifeStreaming

You may have heard of Justin.tv, one man's project to wear a webcam and 'lifestream' everything he does. Now you can very easily set up your own webcam to lifestream or even host your own show (using only your webcam and browser) on Justin.tv or similar sites Ustream.tv and Stikam.

Media Librarying

Another cool use for a webcam is to assist in cataloging your personal media library. All of your books, CDs, DVDs and video games have bar codes on the back that identify them. If you have a large number of these media items and want a neat database to keep track of them all, you can use cataloging software like MediaMan on Windows or Delicious Library on OSX. These programs are smart enough to recognize the barcodes they see through your webcam and add them to a database with cover graphics and descriptions.

Any other good webcam uses I haven't thought of? Add them in the comments. And if you need a webcam, there's currently a deal going on in the Skype Store for two Logitech webcams for the price of one, so you can take one and give the other to your mum / dad / brother / sister / girlfriend / boyfriend who lives far away / recently left for uni / is traveling for work. Or whatever. Check it out here.