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Ask Slashdot: Simple, Cross-Platform Video Messaging?

Posted by timothy on from the even-a-child-can-do-it dept.

DeathToBill writes: I spend a lot of time away from my kids (think months at a time) who are aged 3-8. I keep in touch with them by Skype, but the young ones are not really old enough to concentrate on it and we're often in quite different timezones, so it's not often it can be very spontaneous. We'd like to have some way that we can record short video messages of things we're doing and send them to each other. It needs to have an iPad app that is simple enough for a three-year-old to use with help and for a five-year-old to use without help; it needs to have an Android or web client, preferably one that doesn't require an Apple ID; it needs to be able to record a short video and send it to someone. As far as I can tell, iMessage requires Apple kit (there is an Android app but it sends all your messages through a server in China...) and Whatsapp works on iPhone but not iPad. What can you suggest?

4 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Skype by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    I believe Skype has the capability to leave video messages if the recipient doesn't pick up. I've never used it, but I've seen the option pop up before.

  2. If it's not broken..... by wkwilley2 · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you already use Skype, you might as well take advantage of the video message feature it has.

    --
    Have you ever fallen asleep at the keybhanusdiog?
  3. Skype... by FingerDemon · · Score: 5, Informative

    I think someone else already mentioned it, but Skype allows you to record a video message. Why not use that? Read a book to your kids, tell a joke, etc.

    --

    "Contrarily the lookaside buffer might not be the panacea... "
  4. Re:Oovoo by viperidaenz · · Score: 5, Informative

    No Linux app? That's short slighted of them, 2016 will be the Year of the Linux Desktop.