Meebo Me!

I've been thinking of ways to keep in touch with the family while we're on vacation. Cell phone calls will cost almost $3 per minute in roaming fees, even though I've activated worldwide roaming service through my carrier. So I needed to find a way to manage keeping in touch without using a cell phone. Here's what I've worked out so far:

1. Skype - make voice calls using a computer, microphone and speakers. Adding a webcam allows live video, as well. My Skype ID is asowens51us.


2. Old-fashioned e-mail, the asynchronous way to communicate. It's not real time, but allows lengthy and descriptive communiques.


3. Meebo Me - I've created a Meebo widget in the right sidebar of this blog which allows you to send me a message in real time, even if you don't have an instant messenger account. You will see instantly whether or not I'm online. Just type in the lower box, and your message appears in the top box, along with my replies. You can edit your "nickname" so I know who you are. Even if I'm not online at the moment, you can still leave a message. Try it out!