Mac Archives - The Online Mom

If you’re like me, your family and friends are spread out over several states and even internationally. But, one of the good things that have come out of our shelter in place or self-quarantining orders is that many of us have a little more time on our hands to reach out and catch up. The descriptions of the options below refer to the free version of each of these platforms. The paid versions offer more features.

Depending on the purpose of your chat, some platforms are better suited than others. Zoom surged in popularity once everyone started teleworking, but has been plagued with security concerns in recent weeks. Don’t worry – there are plenty of other options for you to choose from.

My office has been using Jitsi for our team meetings but is a solid option for non-work related chats too. Compatible with Android, Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux systems, you can join a meeting through the Jitsi app or directly from your browser without creating an account – the meeting organizer simply sends a link to the “room” you’ll be meeting in. Users can customize the meeting URL and exchange messages and emojis during the video conference through an integrated chat.

Google Hangouts allows you to video chat with up to 25 people, with up to ten of you visible onscreen at once. It’s arguably the most user-friendly. seamlessly integrates with Google Calendar and Gmail, and doesn’t cap the amount of time you can chat where others set a time limit. Zoom, for example, limits you to 40 minutes if there are three or more people on the call. Google Hangouts has an app on iOS and Android but works just as well on your desktop or laptop. It also

Your family and friends are likely familiar with Facebook’s Messenger app which we primarily used for sending messages. But it also offers a video chat option, making it a solid choice for those who are on the social media platform all the time anyway and may not be comfortable with creating another account or figuring out a different platform. To start a chat, simply go to Messenger, type the names of your Friends you’d like to chat within the “To:” field, then click on the video camera icon in the top right corner. Facebook will call them, all they have to do is answer the call.

If you’re an Apple device user, FaceTime that wants to chat with other Apple users, FaceTime is the way to go. If you have an iPhone, iPad or Mac, it operates seamlessly, letting you start a video chat with up to 32 of your contacts (remember, iOS users only) just as you would a phone call or text message. If your Wi-Fi or data connection is weak or you have a poor phone signal, you have the option to do an audio-only call.

Skype, the granddaddy of them all, is available for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, offers video and audio calling, and a messaging feature. Its user-friendly interface supports up to 50 people on the same audio call but the number of video callers depends on what device you’re using. You can also record, save and share your video calls, and even incorporate live captions and subtitles.

Houseparty is currently the third most downloaded app on the iOS app store in the United States — behind Zoom and TikTok — and comes top in the United Kingdom. Available on Android, iPadOS (for iPad users) and macOS (for Mac users), the app allows “partygoers” to chat, take quizzes, and play games like “Heads Up,” and “Quick Draw.” Once you’ve downloaded the app, you can add your “friends” via your contacts or by pairing with Facebook or Snapchat. Users can invite up to eight friends to join their a “party” and there is the option to “lock” the party so that only invited guests can join.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

By Tracey Dowdy

Three very important, world changing events happened last past week:

1. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club voted to admit female members;
2. The TV networks launched their new fall line-ups and season premieres; and
3. Apple released iOS 8.

Granted, in the grand scheme of things, numbers one and two may not actually count as world changing, but humor me. You can at least see the importance of #3.

Here are my favorite features from iOS 8:

1. Siri can now “name that tune.” Shazam has long been everyone’s go-to music search app but now Shazam is integrated into Siri, so you can more easily identify music whether it’s playing on your device or part of a movie soundtrack.

2. Family Sharing allows up to six users to share purchases from iTunes, iBook and the App Store, without having to share the same account. Kids under 13 can now have their own account linked to yours for billing purposes via “Ask to Buy,” so all purchases are pre-approved by you. If you’d prefer your children not have access to your collection of hardcore rap albums, you can choose to hide individual items.

You can also take advantage of the Family Photo album, with anyone in the circle being able to curate and add to it. Perhaps my favorite feature is the Family Calendar, so I can keep track of work schedules, appointments and plans from one central location. I’ve had a dry erase calendar on a cabinet door since we moved in to our current house – and it still says “October 2013.” Kudos to Apple for finally getting my family on the same page.

3. “Find my iPhone” has been around for a while, but with iOS8 you now have the added Send Last Location feature, which syncs with iCloud to send a “distress signal” when the battery is about to run out.

4. I would say my single greatest complaint about my iPhone 5 is how quickly the battery drains. Now, iOS 8 identifies which apps are the worst offenders, so users like me can decide what to keep, what to delete, and what to adjust. (Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage).

5. One of the best new features in Messaging is the ability to name, mute, or leave a conversation that involves more than two participants. Simply click “Details” in the top left corner and run away.

6. Some of the biggest changes are to the Photos app. When you open your Photos, you will note a change in how albums are organized. Tap the new search tool and you are presented with auto-populated categories for your current location, photos shot one year ago, photos shot at your home address, photos tagged as favorites, and a list of recently found images. There are also enhanced editing categories: Light, Color, and B&W, with over a dozen additional manual editing features between them.

7. Being able to take a time lapse photo has been an option via third party apps but now it’s integrated into the iOS 8 camera functions. Swipe all the way to the left on the camera mode dial and set the timer for three or ten seconds. There are also options to set exposure levels.

8. Finally, continuity between devices will be a big feature going forward. OS X Yosemite (projected for release in late October) will pair with iOS 8 for seamless integration between Apple devices. You’ll be able to answer iPhone calls on your Mac, receive texts on your computer, and even pick up where you left off in a document by a simple one touch sweep of an icon.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

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8 Favorite Features from iOS 8