Falling asleep at the keyboard? Set Skype to cover for you while you snooze.

The other choices on the General options relate to automatic changes to your online status — your visibility to others on the Skype network. Click the box next to Show Me As ‘Away’ When I Am Inactive For to set how long you want Skype to wait before automatically signifying that you’ve stepped away from the computer. When your mouse movement halts, Skype senses this mouse inactivity after the amount of time you set and automatically displays an Away icon next to your contact name. You control how long Skype waits to trigger a change in status; you may choose to have an Away sign posted after five minutes, and a Not Available sign posted after 20 minutes. To change these settings, choose Tools➪Options, click General, and adjust the number of minutes listed; then, click Save.