With the help of Skype and other new technologies, military families are staying connected with friends and extended family members thousands of miles away. Skype is the most common tool we use. It’s so dominant that it’s become a verb just like “google”-as in “I am going to skype him tonight.” Through voice and webcam communication, it allows families to participate in celebrations and daily life despite the distance.
Navy wife Yvonne Galle-Bishop credits Skype, especially its webcam feature, for keeping her children close with their grandparents and extended family in Germany. Galle-Bishop, who is German, met her husband, John, while she was a nanny in Pennsylvania and he studied at the Naval Academy. They were married in 2002. Her family lives in Zwickau, Germany.
“It’s a great way to stay in touch and for them to see the little ones,” Galle Bishop said during a skyped interview. “They have a part of my life, even if I am far away.”
HOW MILITARY FAMILIES USE IT
Galle-Bishop’s family members send presents for birthdays, and then the children open them in front of the webcam. The remote relatives can share the little things, she said, like when she changes her hair color or when a family member loses weight.
She finds the iPad webcam especially helpful, carrying on a video conversation while cruising around the house caring for her young children. It’s super-easy, even for less-than-tech-savvy family members. Galle-Bishop’s 80-year-old grandmother uses Skype on a home computer. The family provided a cheat-sheet to help her log on, and family members help if an error message pops up.
ALTERNATIVES TO SKYPE
Skype currently dominates the world of VoIP (voice-over-Internet protocol) video chats. But there are many other providers who offer free or inexpensive video chat paired with other calling services. Just a few are:
–Google Voice and Google Chat: Mobile military families appreciate having one constant phone number that rings to cell phones and landlines. Calls in the United States and Canada are free. Video chat is available through the Google Chat service. Voice mails can be delivered as texts and texts can become emails. The downfall? It’s a largely free service and provides meager customer support.
–FaceTime: This beloved iPhone app is a favorite for anyone with a bevy of iPhones in the family and works beautifully with an iPad. The downfall is a lack of iPhone users.
–Voxox: Like Google Voice, Voxox provides a single phone number that rings both your mobile and landline numbers. It is designed to unite your social media programs, calling and video chat into one platform. There are charges for international calls and text messages. So far, there is an app for iPhones and a Windows-based program for computers.
–Oovoo: Can be used in Windows, on iPhones and Android-based phones. It focuses most on video chat and was named “the best video chat app for Android devices” in 2011by PC Magazine.
MAIL WITHOUT POST OFFICE
Sending your voice or your image via video to a loved one far away is wonderful. But sometimes you want to send actual, tangible stuff. Many services offer online digital greeting card, but some will also print and mail real, personalized cards to your mailing list. At Shutterfly.com, you can upload a photo, order one single card (or several) for a relative or your sweetheart, and specify where they should be mailed.
It’s a perfect option for holiday cards and moving announcements, too. After all, how can your friends stay in touch when they don’t know where you are? Try Cardstore.com or Hallmark.com.