Thing #15: Skype

I have grown to love Skype over the years and its upgrades are amazing.  Skype is a tool where you are able to make video calls. You may Skype whether you have a phone number or not.  It is very easy to set up with an email address, a username, and a password you have a Skype account.  Upon registering it will take you through a quick tutoring and microphone, camera, and speaker check, then your ready to video chat.
I Skype all the time talking to my grandparents, family out of the country, and to others just to see their face.  I mostly Skype my grandpa who stays in Port Arthur.  The way his Skype is set up is it automatically picks up when I call and I am able to talk to him if he is in the living room.  The microphone sits next to him and the screen is located on another screen that sits right next to the television set. I love that Skype has the option of picking up without having to actually hit a button because for my grand parents they forget where they place things and that is a lot to keep up with as far as computers are concerned for them.  Its nice that he is able to see who he is talking to because their age is catching up to them and sometimes they are unable to remember who is who, so the video is a plus.  Skype also has the option of conferencing with more than one person at a time.
Skype is great for class/work conferences, meetings, or study groups.  It is also wonderful for a student who is unable to attend class but able to conference call so they will not miss anything.  Skype could be used for interviewing people for class projects, teacher-parent conferences, while also pen paling you may also have a day where you Skype your pen pal.