A picture's worth more than a thousand words..

With my dad and sister back from their skiing holidays now, Kevin and I enjoyed Skyping wth them again this morning. I have to admit. It's wonderful to see my family on the screeen and not just to hear them over the phone. And it makes the world of difference to Kevin too who, at two, can recognize his family just as well as if they were living next door instead of across the ocean. He has no trouble talking to 'vava' or 'tante Joke'. He's even fond of his cousin 'baby Lander', who he's seen only once in real life.

For those not familiar with the technology. Skype.com is a an internet VOIP (voice-over-IP) service that offers free calls over the internet. The superb thing about the service is not just that it offers free dialing (though that's nice too, especially considering most of my calls to my family are international) , but the fact that it includes video-viewing with the call. This means that provided both parties have a webcam or a built-in computer camera, you don't just get sound, but also an live image when you call. Due to the bandwith limitations, the image isn't supersharp, but definitely sharp enough to be enjoyable.

The only downside with calls to Europe is that they are often done in the morning (due to the time difference). On weekends, chances are I'm still in my PJs then. Oh well....haven't heard too many complaints yet.