The first product I heard about was Skype. Then, Facetime. Note: Facetime, not Facebook. Then, Google Hangouts, Google Duo and Zoom. All allow computers or other internet-connected devices to make audio-video calls with the opportunity to see and hear someone on the other end of the call. Some of those products allow more than one participating site. We had a meeting the other day with 15 small pictures on my laptop screen, each a different person at a different site.
There has been plenty of publicity and interest in Zoom lately. Our local campus has jumped aboard and I have used the program three times. It is easy to use and works well. My usual computer setup has me sitting with my back to an outside window so I tend to be too brightly backlit to offer a good picture of myself. It is not a lot of trouble to switch a bit and have light from a window in front of me.
When I have had an invitation to make a call using Zoom, there was a link included to click on. The link is a URL (a web address) and opens in a browser. I use Firefox most of the time for most things. With Zoom, participants can have only audio, or only video or both on. Appearance is very important among humans and people do not always welcome being seen without warning or time to prepare. The success of the telephone since 1876 has emphasized the importance of the audio, which means of course, that things can work better if all participants speak the same language.
When we took greatgrandkids on trips, calling home to report that things were ok was especially important. Faces matter in communication but only sporadically while voices, both words and tone, matter steadily.
All of the programs/apps are available in free versions downloadable from the internet. The only product listed that works on only one platform is Facetime but that program is easy to use and comes with every iPhone or iPad. Facetime can be downloaded and installed on a Mac.
You can expect a small surge of pride when you successfully see others on a phone or tablet or computer. These are good days to see friends and family face to face and hear and see them speak.
