Another day, and another bunch of big companies discover the joy of text. Today, HSBC and First Direct have announced a plan to offer banking via text message, and Boots says it plans to text health test results to customers.

So it seems a good day to flag up Skype's SMS service. You can use Skype to text any of your Skype or SkypeOut contacts if they've added their mobile number in their profile. The rates are Skype-tastically cheap (6.4p per text to phones in the UK), and the money is simply deducted from your Skype Credit.

Butterfingered types among us are particularly grateful for the chance to compose texts using our computers rather than phone keypads, which are now getting so small that dextrous ants would find them fiddly.

Find out more in Skype's guide to sending SMS.