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Free Video Chat Options While Social Distancing

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.

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Play a Game and Improve Your Brain!

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By Robyn Wright

Games can entertain us but there are also lots of ways that games can actually help improve our brain function. Now granted, if you just play games all day and do nothing else, that’s not going to help, but taking some time to play a game can give your brain a boost through cognitive training. Here are some good examples:

Fit Brains

Fit Brains combines brain games with tracking tools to help users, of all ages, maximize and round-out brain skills in a fun way. Their games have a broad collection of personalization tools to adjust your training based on your skill level.

Cost: free and paid memberships
Compatibility: iOS, Android, Web

Mind Games

Mind Games works by exercising multiple types of cognitive skills. Your scores are tracked and you can compare your progress with their large scoring database.

Cost: free
Compatibility: iOS, Android, Windows

Brain Train Challenge

Brain Train Challenge provides a fast paced challenge within 24 mini games. The games include words, numbers, memory, logic, observation and spatial awareness.

Cost: free
Compatibility: Windows

Lumosity

Luminosity is one of the most popular brain training services online. They have over 60 million registered users worldwide. Lumosity’s games are designed to challenge core cognitive abilities. Premium members also have access to performance reports.

Cost: free and paid memberships
Compatibility: iOS, Android, Web

While the above are specific “brain training” games, playing other traditional game apps can help improve your brain as well. Look for puzzles, logic, word, memory, and the like. Playing a variety of these different types of games that make you think in different ways works to keep your brain sharp and flexible.

What are your favorite brain games?

Robyn Wright is a social media specialist and blogs on her own blog, RobynsOnlineWorld.com, as well as several other sites. Robyn has a love for family, technology, food and lots of apps!

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Using Docs and Spreadsheets to Monitor Health and Fitness

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By Robyn Wright

When we talk about our mobile devices, we almost always mention some of the latest and greatest apps. However, apps are not always the answer. It’s still possible to use old-school computer programs to get a result that is just as good. With the cloud and the ever increasing power of today’s mobile devices, we can now create, view, and edit these programs from any device just about anywhere we choose.

Health and fitness monitoring is a great example of how we can use these more traditional programs. Tracking our exercise routines and dietary information can help us evaluate what we are doing (or are not doing), and assist us in setting realistic goals. Our doctors will also appreciate this information, so they can spot potential problems and develop treatment plans.

While many document and spreadsheet programs work across different platforms, there are programs that are optimized for specific operating systems. One of the benefits of using these more traditional tools is that you can easily print them out, create reports, and edit the layouts. While apps may offer some of these features, they are generally not as flexible as documents and spreadsheets.

Windows Operating Systems

Microsoft Office has options that let you use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote from virtually anywhere. There are basic versions included with your free OneDrive cloud account or, if you are a more robust user, Office 365 might be a better option. Along with the base programs, Microsoft has an extensive collection of free templates that include health and fitness, or you can create your own from scratch.

Android Operating Systems

Google Docs includes word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs, as well other collaborative tools. With Google Docs, you can create, view, edit and store in Google Drive, Google’s cloud storage service. Google Docs also has a large selection of templates if you need help getting started, or you can create your own customized products.

Apple iOS Operating Systems

For Apple users, there is iWork for iCloud, a web-based office suite that includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. All of these can be stored and accessed through iCloud. iWork comes with many templates and there are a number of community websites that offer an even greater selection.

If you’re not a big fan of apps, you can still track and manage all your health and wellness needs in this more traditional format. Regardless of how you chose to manage your information, the most important part is that you are actively moving towards a healthier you!

Robyn Wright is a social media specialist and blogs on her own blog, RobynsOnlineWorld.com, as well as several other sites. Robyn has a love for family, technology, food and lots of apps!