A Precious, Family-Oriented Holiday Gift
This is for those folks that want to stay in close communication with far-away loved ones.
Nowadays, nearly everybody has a high-speed Internet connection. Most folks now have computers fast enough to handle video-chatting. The price of the hardware has dropped like a rock. 2007 IS the year of buying everybody in your family a cheap webcam and building better links of love across the miles. I can’t think of anything more meaningful that will pay off throughout the year.
Once the hardware is paid for, the video-chatting is FREE, forever. What are you waiting for? The holidays are coming! Wouldn’t you like to open presents at the same time as your family on the East Coast, and show each other what you’ve received? Wouldn’t you like to be able to show up at family reunions and already know who everybody is, rather than guessing because your nieces or nephews got all big and grown-up since the last time you visited? Years go screaming past, and there’s no telling how long it may be before you see each others’ smiling faces.
Mac users used to have only one choice for a webcam - The iSight, which hasn’t been in production for years. If somebody has a recent iMac or Mac laptop with a built-in camera, then their needs are handled.
The following advice is for folks who DON’T have a computer (PC or Mac) with a built-in camera: Ever since Apple came out with OS X Tiger 10.4.3, there has been built-in support for non-Apple-brand USB webcams, but they have had to adhere to the “USB Video Class device” standard.Last time I wrote about this topic, there was only one choice. Now, there are lots and lots of choices as various manufacturers are adapting to the new, driverless plug-and-play standards.
At the moment, I have ONE recommended favorite, because it has a built-in microphone, it’s highly-rated for PC’s AND Macs, and it’s inexpensive. It works on all Macs running OS X 10.4.3 or later, or any Windows computer running Windows XP SP2 or Vista. No software to load (unless you’re on a Windows computer and want to activate some snazzy, extra features that I don’t see much use for).
“So, Tony - I’ve got my camera and microphone: now what?”
On the Mac
If you haven’t already done so, go to your Address Book software, pull down the “Card” menu and choose “Go to my Card”. Click on “Edit” on the bottom of the window and UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION. Be complete, including the “(AIM)” field, which needs your new AIM screen name. Once your loved ones have acquired new AIM screen names, edit THEIR cards in Address Book and add the salient information. You can get by without doing this sort of thing, but I’d be a lot happier if everybody actually used the Address Book! It’s one of the most useful programs on every Mac, and all of that information transfers so nicely into the iPhone that you’re undoubtedly going to get sooooon. Then, fire up iChat, and give it your AIM screen name and password. Then, pull down the “Window” menu and choose “AIM Buddy List”. Click on the “+” sign at the lower left and add the screen name of one of your loved ones.
On a Windows PC
Download the newest version of the AOL Instant Messenger software - Fire it up and give it your screen name and password. I’m a little hazy on HOW to “Add a Buddy” in order to add each of your loved ones, or how to initiate a chat from your end, but it’s what you need to do. I haven’t done it in a few years on Windows, but I remember that it’s awfully simple to do. Make sure that the webcam and microphone are in full working order.
Once you’ve done your one-time setup…
Call your loved ones on the phone (after they’ve done THEIR setup) and warn them that it’s video-chatting time! Or, set a date for a mutually-agreed-upon time when everybody will be available with combed hair and stylish garments. If they’re ready on their end, from now on, you can text-message back and forth, or audio-chat, or video-chat.
In iChat, just click once on the buddy’s name and then click one of the icons at the bottom of the Buddy List to choose your method of connection. If you have multiple Mac buddies that are anxious to give it a try, you can actually video-conference with up to three other people at the same time! To do this, click once on the first buddy, then hold down the Command (Apple) key and choose some more, and then click on the camera icon at the bottom of the Buddy List. It’s a really cool effect.You can have a simultaneous audio-only conversation involving up to NINE people if you use the same command-clicking technique and then click the “phone icon” at the bottom of the Buddy List.
In fact, for Mac users running Leopard, you have so many additional goodies, it would require three more feature-length articles. You really, really want to try pulling down the “Video” menu and choosing “Show Video Effects“.
Yesterday, I was chatting with a buddy and he could see ME perfectly normally, but the background behind me showed video taken from a roller-coaster… I reacted to the video as if I was being whipped around curves and screaming down the slopes. It was good for some giggles, I didn’t have to care HOW I looked, and he didn’t pay attention to a darned thing I was talking about, because it was too distracting!
