A laptop is no longer just a way to keep up with work and assignments or to shop online and organise budgets. You can now use a computer to stay in touch with people all over the world in a variety of innovative ways. Say goodbye to traditional email messages and speak to your friends in real time and let them know where you are and what you’re up to.
- Blogging
Blogs are like online diaries where individuals rejoice and moan about their day to day lives. It might not sound like the most interesting thing to read online but blogs are a great way of letting a lot of people know what you’re up to. If you’re travelling or have moved away then blogging is a much nicer way of keeping people up to date rather than sending a blanket email to everyone in your address book. You can up load pictures, link to other websites, add music and create a community online all about you. Some successful blogs even gather a cult following if they’re particularly funny or contain juicy gossip and breaking news stories for example.
- Video calls
Sometimes an email, text or letter is just not enough and if you’re really missing someone then seeing their face can make your day. Video calls via the internet are usually very cheap or even free and can connect two people on opposite sides of the world so they can have a conversation as if they were in the same room. Video calls are easy to use and are much more affordable than long distance calls from a landline.
- Social networking websites
Social networking websites allow you to have your very own website which can be instantly connected to all of your friend’s websites. You can modify the pages of these websites to make them reflect your personality. With social networking websites you can search for old school friends or university friends, network with people in the business world or make new friends by joining interest groups. Many people upload their latest photos from holidays or nights out and store these online in albums, which is also a great way to back up your pictures if you’re travelling. Members of these websites can also share music and many bands have launched careers based on the response their music has received from social networking websites.
- Photo album websites
Sometimes a photo says a lot more than a 500 word blog post and specialist photo album websites allow you to upload your latest snaps from travels, nights out, special occasions or even your average work day. Some people use them to display professional images while others use them to let their friends see what they’ve been up to.
- Online chat
Although online chat is nothing new it’s one of the most effective ways of staying in touch via your laptop. You can invite multiple people into the same conversation so you can catch up with old groups of friends and share photos and music over the message systems.
The next time you want to catch up with your friends via your laptop, don’t just stick to emails, instead try some of the top ideas above.
About the Author:
Steven Holmes
