Consumer mag Web User has published a round-up of tips to get the best out of Skype, which it reckons to be "the world's number one internet calling service". And who are we to argue? Here's a quick pick of the tips:

Call forwarding
Have any incoming calls transferred to a phone of your choice; your caller will be charged at the standard SkypeOut rate. To set it up, open Skype and click on Tools, then Call Forwarding.

Video calling
Kit yourself out with a webcam, then open Skype and go to Tools, Options, Video (beta). You can choose who to receive video from and even decide whether your video output should begin automatically whenever you start a call.

Create call-specific ringtones
The free Ringjacker add-on for Skype 3.0 allows you to set a ringtone that your friends will hear when you call them – but they'll need to have the plug-in installed as well.

Check out the Web User website for more tips.

While we're on the subject, I've also spotted a list of 25 Skype-hacks on the Voip News website. Ingenious tips include using Skype as a home-monitoring system and even setting a wake-up call.