As several of you know, I have grandbabies in both California and the U.K. It really is time for me to set up some type of system whereby they can SEE me as well as talking to me.
I have broadband, and a Micro-cam which the son of a friend pushed me into buying about five years back, but it has not had much use. I am perfectly willing to buy another one if necessary.
Suggestions, please??? I freely admit I know nothing about this, but am very willing to learn.
Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.
Gizmo.
Bobbie Viorettio (sp) has used Skype for a long time to make herself known to her grandson, Kaito, born in Japan.
I am sure she will give you good info.
Gill
(My Japanese DIL, another Aya, kept me on the phone a half-hour today. A good thing they also live in Florida now.)
Our close friends have Skype. They have a large iMac at home with the built in camera, microphone, and bought the software for her parents in Conn - and I'm thinking it's on a PC. I'll get more details. But, I know they love it and use it every day. Especially as her dad had a stroke about 18 months ago, and the baby is now 14 months old. She -our friend- talks with her folks a couple of times a day, and with her multiple siblings. I believe that they all link up - but I could be wrong.
Anyhow, I think we're going to see them this weekend, I'll get more info. I know that on T'giving at their house, at some point she was up with the baby visiting with the family in Conn. Also, his family is in SoCal, and so they hook up with them as well.
ellice
My SIL in Arizona and my neice in Colorado keep in touch with each other and their daughter who lives in Switzerland and travels all over the world via Skype.
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I absolutely love it and have used it since 2004. Its primary appeal for me was that it had Japanese interface for my Dil. It allowed me to read bedtime stories to my grandson in Japan and now Aya brings Itty Bitty Rikuto to the camera so I can coo over him in Ca. Kaito goes and sits at the computer on the weekends and has learn to recognize when I come on. He then calls his mother to get the headphones. Aya has also used it to show me his boo-boo that wasn't healing and should she call the clinic?(DS was at sea at the time) She often will say to me "Mom, I have Question??"
It is great to see Kaito play Itsy bitsy spider. If I call on the phone. Aya has to tell "Nonnie can't see you" as he has a new dance or toy to share with me.
I think that my relationship is much stronger with all of them, Chris, Aya, and Kaito because of visually interacting with them. DH has only got to see Rikuto by Skype.
NAYA Bobbie V.
Go for it! We live in Australia and have used Skype for years to keep in touch with family and friends in England. My parents there see more of their granddaughter in Australia through Skype than they do of their local grandchildren. It means they can see and hear music performances, see certificates from school etc. Makes all the difference. You don't need an expensive webcam.
We also have a Skype phone which means we can make and receive Skype calls without having to have the computer on. We can use this for making Skype out phone calls - where you pay to ring another phone rather than ringing computer to computer. This was very useful when my dad was dying in hospital as the cost of calls to England was a fraction of what the phone companies here charge.
We always get a good laugh when the local phone companies ring and tell us they can get us a great deal for overseas calls. When we ask if they can give to us for free with a video they realise they are wasting their time!
Go for it! We have a camera and Skype - my DD talks to her Nanna & Grandpa reasonably reguarly on Skype and loves it - it means we can keep in closer touch than just phone & visits 6 or so times a year (we live about 5 hours away). It is quite easy to use I find - and I'm not the hotest PC user in town....
I've also used Skype to see my friends in far flung places now that I've moved - very useful.
HTH Sarah
Tell me more!! I am always interested in programs which do NOT harvest my info. How much does Skype collect?
Also, does the person with whom I wish to communicate also have to have Gizmo, or do the various systems interface?
Olwyn Mary in New Orleans
Thank you, everyone, for all the encouragement. Now, I need to know exactly what to buy and what to download, then how to operate it all. The camera I currently have is b/w. If they are available, I am perfectly willing (nay, eager) to invest in a color one, as it will be used for talking to the faraway grandbabies.
Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.
My son & DIL live in upstate New York. We "talk / see" each other every Sunday at 1pm my time. We have Logitech web-cams around $100 and use Skype, which, as you know, is free.
If, after you set up your software and connect to your family, the picture is "jumpy or jerky" you may need to up-grade your web-cam. There is a difference between them. My younger son in college received an inexpensive web-cam and his transmission is not as clear as ours.
Download Skype and get "talking" to your families - it's great!
Janice
PS: We have a 2 week old granddaughter to see as well.
Olwyn Mary wrote:
It not jsut the harvesting of, for example, BIOS date but also the fact that eBay (who own Skype) will happily pass over info:
Lizzy
Thank you, Lizzy, I see I have yet more homework to do.
Olwyn Mary in New Orleans
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