The best technology for keeping in touch
One of the best parts of the technological age we are now living in is the advent of communications technology, which can help keep us connected to our loved ones. Up until relatively recently, “staying in touch” with a loved one interstate or overseas would have meant an STD phone call and/or a letter. As the Internet and more advanced connectivity became common-place, long distance phone calls may have morphed into texts and hand written communication into emails which allowed for more “real time” connection and commentary and the sharing of events as they happened as opposed to a few days or weeks later. In the here and now, technology has advanced far beyond the humble text or email to make it easier than ever to be an active part of your loved ones lives, even if they live 24 hours away. Here are our favourite options for keeping in touch:
- Skype – Video calls from your computer has made seeing your loved ones on a regular basis easier than ever. The majority of desktop and laptop computers are equipped with both a microphone and webcam meaning that all your really need to do is download the free Skype software and follow the easy instructions for setting up your account. Once you’ve done this you are able to find your loved ones, see when they are online and catch up via video whenever you like.
- Facebook – If you’ve taken the leap into social media and enjoy using Facebook then the messenger app is a great way to stay in touch with friends and relatives whenever and wherever you are. A popular way to do this is by setting up a ‘group chat’ in messenger. You can do this by adding friends through your friends list. Once your private chat group is set up you can start chatting! This allows you to ‘talk’ in real time, share images and video and stay connected wherever you may be in the world.
- Tapestry – One for the iPhone/iPad/iPod users. Tapestry is a specifically designed app for connecting over-60s with their loved ones. It helps simplify the online world to make it more accessible for the less tech savvy amongst us through its easy to use user interface (actually called “simplicity”) which allows users to view images/videos/messages from their loved ones whenever and wherever they like. The app is also completely ‘closed’ meaning it is private and secure and can connect large numbers of family/friends easily.
- FaceTime – If you’ve got an iPhone, FaceTime calls are a simple and effective way to chat to friends and relatives in real time. A FaceTime call is basically a video call made directly from your phone. The bonus is that it is in high definition and the sound quality is usually excellent. You also don’t need to be at home/at a computer to use it.
Tell us, do you use any of the above programs? How do you like to stay in touch with friends and loved ones? Share in the details below.
Related links:
Tips to prolong your smartphone's battery life
Simple tricks for tech problems