PadGadget Essentials: This Week’s Apps for Staying in Touch with Friends and Family
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Living away from friends and family can be difficult, but luckily, the iPad makes it much easier to stay in touch. There are plenty of app solutions available, for everything from video chatting to photo sharing. If you have far away family, check out this list of essential apps that will help you stay connected.
We kicked off the week with a guide to Photo Stream, which is a great way to share your photos with friends and family. Setting up photo stream is quick and easy, and it gives you a way to quickly send your iOS photos to everyone. On vacation in Mexico? Take a photo and it’ll be automatically uploaded so your family can see your trip in real time.
Don’t want to use Photo Stream? Don’t worry, there are several other photo sharing options available, with apps for sites like Flickr and Facebook. Make sure to check out our review of ScrapPad if you like to make photo albums and collages.
Grandparents and parents are sometimes notoriously slow to adjust to new technology, but it’s easy to understand the iPad. Check out our tips on how to set up an iPad for your grandparents and they’ll be able to email and chat with you in no time.
Online chatting is one of the best ways to stay in touch with family, and while Apple’s FaceTime and iMessages are great solutions, if you have family without an iPad, check out our list of chat client apps.
Chatting isn’t the only way to have fun with family on your iPad – you can also play social games. First you’ll want to check out our guide on how to use Game Center, and then look at our list of social gaming apps for some awesome multiplayer gaming solutions. It includes options like Words with Friends and Draw Something, but you also won’t want to miss this week’s hit game Letterpress.
Finally, sharing music is another perfect way to keep in touch with family. Take a look at our list of music sharing apps, which includes Spotify, Turntable.fm, and more.
Are there other ways that you like to use your iPad to stay in touch with people? We’re always looking for tips so let us know in the comments!
