Connecting with loved ones online

by Chris McGinn

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Connecting with loved ones has never been easier than with the benefits of the digital age. Family blogs, e-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing, and online photos and videos make staying in touch simple and fun; however, not everyone is ready to make the leap onto the information superhighway. So, take advantage of some low-tech or no-tech ways to reach out to grandparents and others you love. You might even upload a video greeting to YouTube for those close to you who live far away.

Here are some low-tech and no-tech ways to stay in touch:

Online photo sharing

Photographs have always been a great way to share events, and it has never been easier to do.  Sharing photos online is fun, and simple to do.

If you are like many people, you probably have a digital camera and you don’t always buy prints of every picture. Today, many people post pictures for online viewing at sites such as Flickr, Snapfish, Shutterfly, Kodak or even Walmart or Target. 

For a few extra dollars you can easily have photos printed and shipped directly to family that doesn't have access to online viewing or even let them pick them up in a nearby store or photo center. You upload the pictures once from home, and you can send them quickly to family all over the world, regardless of their connectivity. 

You can take sharing memories up a level by creating scrapbooks online and then printing them into beautiful hardbound books for gifts. Photography sites as well as scrapbooking sites have gotten into the digital book game and offer a wide selection of options for treasured heirloom-quality books.

Don't limit yourself to just family photos either. Scan in your child's latest artwork and send it along as a picture, magnet or other special gift offered by your online photo service.

Digital picture frames

Another popular option for photo sharing is digital picture frames. These frames allow you to easily share photographs stored on a memory card or even downloaded directly from a camera.

Make this your next gift for your loved one and then send updated memory cards with your latest snapshots so they can keep up with your lives.

Newer models will even download photos wirelessly from the Internet if you set up Wi-Fi capabilities for the location. With a wireless digital frame, every family member can get the benefits of online photo viewing without the challenge of learning a lot of new technology.

Photo CDs or DVDs

Another low-tech way to share photographs and videos is to use your computer to burn DVDs or CDs to send to family members. Yearly retrospectives or special-themed such as your latest family vacation are always a treasure. With simple programs you can add music, special effects and titles for a little pizzazz. It's like the old-fashioned slideshow so popular in the past.

Speaking of slides, you can help bridge the gap between the generations by converting old slides, filmstrips, photos, and videos to CD or DVD at many photo centers or through online services.  Host a family view-a-thon and share the stories from one generation to the next. Also consider giving a digital camera as a gift, so the memories can flow in both directions.

Sound recording

To help children stay in touch with family members, you can use your computer's microphone or webcam features to record special story time readings or songs.  The next time you visit a loved one, bring along your computer and spend time recording someone reading your child’s favorite nighttime story or other book with a USB microphone, such as Logitech’s USB microphone or Griffin’s new iMic, connected to the computer. Transfer the recording to your child’s mp3 player, or play it directly from your computer.

You can also record a digital video with your camera of someone reading the story and play it on your computer. Then, whenever your child wants to feel close to a faraway loved one, he or she can curl up with a favorite story and listen to it be read aloud.

Collaborate on a geneaology project

Preserving the past builds connections between generations. Have children interview their grandparents or great-grandparents and type up the interviews. Introduce the older generation to the wonders of online geneaology research.

Ancestry.com is a treasure trove of historical information, and now they make preserving family history even simpler.  A new feature allows you to preserve audio and video recordings on your personal family tree pages. In addition, you can actually record by telephone—no computer necessary. With the option of recording your own story or interviewing someone else, the service takes saving family history to the next level.

Word processing tips

Good old-fashioned letters are sure to be appreciated by relatives near and far. Your computer's word processing program can make these even better with a few simple tips.
For older loved ones, increase your font size to 14 or 16 and use double-spacing to make the letter easier to read. Also, avoid using colors like red or yellow that can be difficult to see.

You can also use the program to create easy family newsletters to print and mail. Most have simple templates that you can use to insert photos and have each person write a column about events in his or her life.

By making smart use of technology on your end, you can easily keep in contact with family near and far. Share the love this year and who knows, you might introduce someone to the digital life.