Staying Connected to Loved Ones back Home

Other than Facebook, Line and Twitter, the three best options for staying connected to people back home are Skype, Google Hangouts & Google Voice. This article will tell you about the various calling options available to you so you can be sure to stay connect to the people you love.

Skype

Skype gives users the ability to video call people anywhere in the world for free, if they also have skype downloaded on their computer. There are cheap pricing plans which allow you to call land and mobile lines as well. Check out the skype website for more information such as pricing on these services.

Google Hangouts

Another perhaps lesser-known service, is Google Hangouts. Google Hangouts gives users the same video calling capabilities as Skype -- and it is also a free service for anyone with a Gmail account, a computer and access to the internet. In addition, the service has other features such as screen-sharing and integration with Google Drive, which can make collaborating on projects a breeze -- no matter what the distance.

Screen shot of a conversation on gHangouts, utilizing the various features of the service, such as screen share and conference call.

Google Voice

Google Voice is Google's response to Skype's land and mobile calling capabilities. This service gives users the ability to call all land and mobile lines across the world for very cheap rates. Like Google Hangouts, the services is accessed through your gmail account. Calling rates from Japan to America are about 1 cent a minute. You can use your Google Wallet to add credits to your Google Voice account. $10 of credits would give you about 1,000 minutes of talk time if you are calling from Japan to America. It has been the best service for me to get in touch with my family.