Christmas time, separately united
Christmas will be different this year than most people know it. Due to the pandemic and the definitely necessary social distancing rules, households can only meet with four other people over the age of 14 during the Christmas holidays, outside of the holidays, groups of people are also limited to five people from a maximum of two households in the private sector.
These regulations naturally cause discontent among the majority of the population. After all, we have been dealing with the pandemic all year round. Some more than others, but no one has been completely spared from the circumstances.
And after having to forego almost all major events this year, Christmas was a glimmer of hope for a nice celebration with the family.
But even that will not happen. At least not as we know it.
Despite the possibility of meeting in small groups, many have concerns. Especially older people, who fall into the risk group, think twice about whether they really want to meet their children and grandchildren in person.
Many decline for safety reasons. Because even traveling long distances with a face mask, if you can't drive your own car, is rather cumbersome and the possibility of overnight stay at the destination is often no longer available.
With this blog post, we would like to show you a few possibilities on how you can perhaps still spend a contemplative time with the entire family, without having to be in the same place.
Smartphones, the simplest solution to stay connected
A simple solution that probably everyone will come up with: just pick up the phone and call the relatives. Not everyone has to individually tell dear grandma or grandpa what Santa Claus or the Christ Child brought. If you simply turn on the speaker, everyone can talk to each other normally.
With a conference call, you can even talk to several households at the same time. This is very easy: Call the first person and wait until they have accepted the call. Then press the button with a plus, which is labeled "Add call", or similar, and call the next participant.
You may need to connect the two calls together. There is a suitable button for this as well. And then everyone can talk to each other.
For those who find voice insufficient, they can try a video chat. For this, all parties need a smartphone and a working internet connection on it. Many people who have a smartphone are now also using Whatsapp. It's very easy to connect with each other via video chat through the app. You simply press the camera symbol in the top right corner of the desired person's chat.
If you prefer not to use Whatsapp, you can download the Google Duo app. In principle, this is another feature from Google, just like Google Mail or Google Maps, which are pre-installed on most Android smartphones.When activating the Google Duo app, you will be asked if you want to give the app access to the camera, sound, and contacts. These are necessary for a functioning video call. You do not need to have a Google account. If the contact you want to reach is also not registered with a Google account, you can add them to your Google Duo contacts with one click and thus call them via video chat. By creating a group by clicking the "Create Group" button, you can also video chat with multiple contacts at the same time.
These possibilities can also be implemented with your less smartphone-savvy acquaintances. Because it only requires one person to invite all other people to a conference. The other people just have to press the accept call button.
Think bigger than smartphones
Smartphones are quite small and for families with many members, it can be a fiddly affair when every child wants to present their great Christmas gifts at the same time.
The functions mentioned in the last section can also be implemented via a tablet, a laptop, or a PC! Tablets and laptops usually have an audio in and out put, as well as an integrated webcam. The previously described apps can also be opened on these devices.
But above all, laptops and PCs offer even more possibilities for communication.
With Microsoft Teams, for example.The use of Teams does indeed require that you have an Office 365 license, but it is also worthwhile in terms of connection quality.
Perhaps you know the problem from New Year's Eve: It's midnight, you want to call your acquaintances to wish them a happy new year, and you can't get through because the telephone network is overloaded.
Something similar will probably await you this Christmas, as many will resort to the option of making phone calls. Teams offers the possibility of a stable connection even via video chat. Many companies already use this tool and it is included in the Office 365 license along with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more. So if you already have one of these tools on your computer, Teams is probably already installed.Simply open your start menu and enter Teams into the search bar.
If you own a Mac or have a Linux operating system, you can log in to Office 365 via the browser and use the simplified browser versions of the tools.
Perhaps you don't even have Microsoft Office and buying a license just for this one tool is not a valid argument.
With a one-month free trial, you get access to all the offered tools and can see for yourself whether you can use Office 365 in the long term.
We are also happy to advise you on other benefits, besides calling your family at Christmas!
Smart TVs
Do you actually know what your SmartTV can do? Among other things, you can easily play content from your phone on your TV!
With the help of a mirror app, for example, you can run your video chat through the TV! Depending on the mobile operating system and TV provider, different mirror apps are recommended, but to throw a few names out there, there are Miracast for Android devices and AppleTV for Apple devices. If you want to mirror from an iPhone to an Android TV, LetsView is a suitable app. Conversely, from an Android phone to an AppleTV, the Mirroring360 app can be used. These are just a few examples without guarantee. Test what works best for you individually.
Activities via video chat
If simple chatting with your relatives does not yet give you the necessary Christmas spirit, we have a few ideas for fun activities for you.
If you want something quieter, there is the possibility to watch a movie together.
Some streaming services now offer the possibility to watch movies simultaneously. Unfortunately, this is currently only possible via the browser versions of the providers, but it offers you the opportunity to watch a movie at several locations exactly at the same time. The host of the so-called streaming party has the power to decide on breaks and rewinding.Through an integrated chat, one could exchange reactions, but for those who find it annoying to type on the PC while watching a movie, they can simply continue a phone call on the side. By regulating the mute and unmute settings, one also prevents hearing the movie twice.
For those who still feel uncomfortable watching the movie on a PC or laptop, they can connect it to their TV with an HDMI cable, provided the necessary ports are available, and enjoy the movie "on the big screen".
It's almost like sitting together on the sofa, only that you have more space!
In addition to watching movies together, you can of course also experience the gift-giving together.Through video chat, family members who are not present can still follow the excitement and the joyful sparkle in the eyes of the recipients.
Or have you ever thought about inviting Santa Claus to join you via video conference? The poor man has also had a tough year and wants to maintain his existence! If it's too much trouble to set up Santa's background appropriately and perhaps you don't have a reindeer at hand when the children ask for it, some providers, such as Teams, offer a suitable function to change your video background.
So, the children still can't avoid having to recite a poem.
