CSA Online Skype skype.com If you haven’t checked out Skype in a while, it might be a good time to give it another try. While the basics are still the same, a lot has changed. Where other communications apps can fairly claim to support most platforms, Skype beats all on this front. There are phone, tablet and desktop apps (Android, iOS, Windows and MacOS), of course. More though, there’s an Alexa skill and even an Xbox app. Taking cross-compatibility even further, there’s a web app that will run in any modern browser whichmeans true cross-platform compatibility. Given that we’re looking for something that can be the universal chat platform for all family chat, that’s a win for Skype. The instant messaging experience is a bit clunky by modern standards, but Skype is synonymous with video chat and still does an excellent job on that front. Facebook Messenger messenger.com The younger set tends to look down its nose at Facebook. However, with some 2.4 billion monthly active users as of Facebook’s last report, chances are that most family members and members of our circle of friends at least have an account. A Facebook account is all that’s needed to use Facebook Messenger, which is a stand-alone app. Facebook Messenger is a full-featured messaging platform which incorporates almost everything that you could really want. It features one-to-one or group voice, video and text chat, enhanced with stickers, animoji, photos, filters and much more. If you use PayPal, you can even easily send money for Christmas, birthdays or for any other reason. You can even play games on Facebook’s Messenger. Communicating through Facebook, whose entire business is basically data mining − and with its questionable privacy and ad targeting scruples − is a significant downside. WhatsApp whatsapp.com WhatsApp has a fair install base already. Ask around and chances are, you’ll find that many in your family-and-friends group already have an account (1.5 billion active users as of 2017). If not, the end-to-end encryption, platform agnosticism and overall ease of use should make it an easy sell − as will the iOS and Android, Windows and Mac compatibility. Heck, they’ve even got a version for Windows Phone, if you remember that. WhatsApp sets itself apart by requiring a phone number to use. That makes it easy to find the people you want to talk to and also makes it harder for spammers and scammers to get on the platform. When you first install WhatsApp, you can choose to give it access to your address book to discover which of your contacts are already using the platform. You’ll likely be surprised at the number of existing users you turn up. Group chat is where WhatsApp really found its niche. Whether it’s a group chat or a oneon-one, you can use animoji, stickers, pushto-talk in text chats or start a voice or video chat at the push of a button. While chats are encrypted end to end, the tinfoil hat-wearers among us will fairly note that WhatsApp is now owned by Facebook, who bought it for $22 billion in 2017. CSANews | WINTER 2019 | 57
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