Skype now offering Facebook video calls

Want to call your Facebook buddies through Skype? Well, get thee downloading the latest version of the VoIP and video service, because it now plays nicely with the social network.

The new Mac and PC editions of Skype allow you to view your Facebook news feed (friends' status updates, links, photos and the like) from a 'home page', as well as contact Facebook friends in one of three ways: instant message, voice call and full fat video call.

Open up the contacts window in Skype and you'll see a new section for Facebook, with friends that are online and 'up for a chat' designated with the standard green Skype logo. You can also call your buddies on their landline or mobile numbers, if they've added them to their Facebook profile. Your old Skype contacts are still there, of course, in another window.

You can also update your own Facebook status, 'Like' posts and view your wall directly from Skype.

Facebook and Skype first teamed up back in July of this year, when the former added Skype video calling to Facebook Chat via a plugin. So it's not a huge surprise to see Skype repaying the compliment now.

If you want to indulge in a spot of Skype-to-Facebook calling, you'll have to update to the latest version of the Skype software. We searched for updates through our old Skype app and were told we were running the latest version -- that's because the Facebook-flavoured update is still in beta. So to get it you'll have to go to the Skype website and download the old-fashioned way.

What do you make of Skype's new Facebook features? Will you use it or do you prefer to keep your Skype pals and Facebook buddies in separate cyber-worlds? Speak your brains in the comments section below.