| Using Skype to Stay in Touch with your Grandchildren |
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 Being a long distance Grandparent can be difficult. The costs of regular long-distance phone calls soon add up and you have to rely on photographs or infrequent visits to see how your grandchildren are changing as they get older. With Skype you can talk to and even see your grandchildren for free wherever they live and as often as you like.
What is Skype?Skype is a software program that allows you to use your computer to make voice and video calls over the Internet to anywhere in the world. A voice call is just like a normal telephone call whilst with a video call you can see each other as well. There are many other companies providing software that does broadly the same thing although Skype is by far the most popular and is used by millions of individuals and businesses around the world. Skype is owned by eBay, the online auction and shopping site. How much does it cost?
You can also use Skype to make calls to normal phone lines and mobile phones although there is a charge for these calls. You will also have to pay for extras such as voicemail and text messaging if you want these added to you account and you can even buy your own Skype phone number so that people without Skype can call you on your computer. If you are away from home but still have access to the Internet and Skype this means your friends and family can call you whenever you are online. To use these chargeable services you will need to either take out a monthly subscription or purchase Skype Credit, which is a bit like buying credit for a pay-as-you-go mobile phone. Depending on the type of monthly subscription you take out you will be able to make unlimited calls to normal phone lines within a single country, within Europe or anywhere in the world. So, for example, if you have grandchildren in Australia who do not use Skype you would need to take out a single country subscription with Australia as the nominated country to be able to make unlimited calls from your computer to their normal phone line. There is no minimum term for monthly subscriptions so you can cancel at any time. As with most services, the unlimited usage is subject to a fair usage policy. For most subscriptions this means that you cannot make more than 6 hours of calls a day, call more than 50 different numbers per day and or call for more than 10,000 minutes per month. These are quite generous limits which you are very unlikely to exceed. What equipment do I need?
Even if your computer has speakers and a microphone you may find that buying a headset (a set of earphones with a microphone attached) or a separate set of speakers and microphone is necessary to improve the audio quality. Headsets can be purchased from PC retailers and online from Skype and will cost anything from £10.00 up to around £80.00 for a top of the range wireless set. Spending around £20.00 will ensure you get a headset that is good enough for using with Skype. To make video calls you will also need to purchase a webcam. Again prices vary from £10.00 up to £80.00 although any webcam in the range £20.00 - £30.00 will be more than adequate. How do I use it?The first thing you will need to do is download the software from the Skype website, which has detailed user guides that take you through every step from downloading and installing the software to making calls to other Skype users and using the extra services such as voicemail and text messages. The first time you use the software you will need to create a Skype account by clicking on the Don't have a Skype Name link. Once your account has been created you can start using the service to make calls. A good idea is to have the Skype help pages open in your browser the first few times you use the service so that you can follow them step-by-step. Using the basic services such as adding friends and family to your Skype contacts (so that you can call them with a single click) and making voice and video calls is fairly straightforward so you’ll soon get the hang of it and before you know it you will be asking people “are you on Skype?” There are also forums on the Skype website where Skype users can ask for advice and share tips with each other. So, if you are having a problem with the software, the chances are you are not the first and there will probably be a forum discussion with the answer. Just try searching using some keywords to describe the issue. Is it Secure?
Whilst it is no substitute for being with your grandchildren if you are a long-distance Grandparent Skype is a great way of staying in touch with them. And if your grandchildren also have Skype installed then it is completely free. With video calls you see your grandchildren as well as speak to them, which will really help to develop and maintain your relationship. They can show you their paintings from school, new clothes and toys, a new pet or even their latest hairstyle and you can keep track of their progress as they grow. And there’s nothing better than sending them a present and then switching on your computer to see them holding or wearing it as they say thank you!
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 August 2009 ) |
Making voice and video calls to anywhere in the world sounds expensive, right? Not necessarily. You can download the Skype software for free from 
At the very least you will need a computer with a broadband connection and the Skype software. Skype will run on a PC running Windows 2000, XP or Vista or Mac running OS X. To make voice calls you will also need a sound card installed in your computer, speakers and a microphone. If you computer was purchased in the last few years then it is very likely that it will have all of these items built in. If not, you will need to purchase these items from a PC retailer.
Yes. All calls and instant messages transmitted via Skype are encrypted so that other users cannot eavesdrop on what you are saying or writing. You can also set Privacy Levels within your Skype account so that for instance you will only receive calls from people listed in your Skype contacts. You can also set-up a public profile that other users can view. This will make it easier for people to contact you but as with any publicly accessible websites you should take care not to publish any personal or confidential information such as your date and place of birth or your full address. For more information read 
SoGrand
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- Using Skype to Stay in Touch with your Grandchildren
