Video Conference with family for Xmas!

[audreyh1]

Well, yesterday we did our first "video conference". I had sent my Dad a laptop (macbook) for Xmas, and it has a built in camera for video iChat. My brothers and wives/girlfriends were at Dad's for Xmas which is why I sent the laptop - I new my youngest brother would be able to set it all up for him.

They called last night and wanted to try video iChat from GA to NM. Our laptops don't have cameras but I do own a couple of videocameras, and I was able to connect one of them and get video from us. And low and behold we had two-way video and audio over wireless internet without obvious delays! 2 people on our end and 5 on theirs.

My Dad has DSL, and we are able to use cellular broadband here in Albuquerque, so we both had enough bandwidth to pull it off!

It was a blast! So funny. Couldn't believe we got it to work right away, especially when you consider how many pieces we went through and different communications technologies we used.

Audrey

[wabmester]

Cool. We do a videoconference between grandparents and grandkid once every couple weeks via Skype. Works fine, and you can't beat the price (free).

[audreyh1]

Ours was free too. The capability is built into the Mac OS.

Audrey

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

One time we set up the Powerbook and iChat at an empty seat at the kitchen table. Then we ordered pizza while our kids and gkids did the same thing from their home in Missouri. Everyone was in their "regular seat." The kids thought it was hysterical having dinner together from 1200 miles apart.

The image and sound are still a little rough but it gets the job done. Not like the real thing but better than a phone call.

[JDARNELL]

I use a D-link portable system (Eye to Eye) that hooks into the TV and rides over the net. This way I don't have to have a computer with me and the family can use the big screen. I used it last year when I was deployed and it works great.

Tomcat98

[Dreamer]

I can't believe how technologically behind I am! Kudos to all of you guys! I am impressed.

I am going to Hawaii 1/3 and I am going to try to figure out my MP3 player that I received when I retired 6/2/06. I really hate trying to figure new things out. Hopefully, I will be able to do it.