The beauty of all the technology that surrounds us these days is that it has brought us all closer together.
Whether it’s an aunt in Australia or a brother in Thailand, no relative or friend is ever too far away that they are out of reach.
But while most of us have all the technology in the palm of our hand to speak to anyone, anywhere, there are a few tips and tricks, apps and gadgets you need in your life if you want to be a true communication pro.
Apps
Skype app
You’ll probably be aware of Skype, it’s one of the original and certainly one of the best VOIP apps that will allow you to chat to friends anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Also supports video chat.
What’s app
Similar to Blackberry’s BBM service, What’s app is essentially an instant messenger that will let you messages to your friends free of charge. You can also send pictures videos and emoticons.
Gmail app 
Although most Android phones will come with the stock Gmail app, iPhone and Window users will have to go to their respective app stores and download it. Don’t worry it will be time well spent.
The slick interface makes firing off emails to your friends and family really simple; you can easily send group messages to let everyone know what you’re up to.
Facebook Messenger
Pretty much everyone is on Facebook right? Well use that to your advantage and download the standalone Facebook messenger app; it will let you know which of your friends are online and ready to chat, and also fire off messages to those who are out and about.
Voxer Walkie-Talkie PTT
Voxer is a little different to the other apps on this list in as much as that it allows you to make Push To Talk (PTT) ‘walkie talkie’ calls at no cost whatsoever, chat to friends, text, call and message multiple friends at once. In fact, there’s not a lot it can’t do when it comes to communicating.
Gadgets
Samsung Galaxy S3
There are so many different mobile phones out there that it is almost impossible to recommend just one for communicating and staying in touch – but perhaps the best combination of tech gadgetry and price is the Samsung Galaxy S3.
This phone will let you download all the apps you want, text call, take video and pictures to send all without breaking a sweat.
Motorola DP3400 Two-way radio
Great for communicating at virtually no cost whatsoever, modern two-way radios are perfectly capable of communicating over large distances.
Great for the great outdoors and keeping in touch with your friends, with a set of Motorola DP3400 radio’s you won’t go far wrong.
Alessi Digital Telephone
Yes home phones still exist and when they look like this you remember why.
The Alessi digital telephone is something to behold in terms of design while the colour screen is dazzlingly good. Plenty of people reach for their mobile phones without thinking it could be more cost effective to use the land line.
Blackberry
Although Blackberry’s are viewed as slightly old-fashioned compared to smart phones, the later models combine their usual brilliant functionality with top-end tech like a massive capacitive touchscreen. Email, BBM, text and calls are all seamless.
Laptop
These days the laptop is king and a modern model such as the Asus VivoBook S200E or Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 will put a whole world of communication at your finger-tips. A built-in web cam will open you up to a whole new world; Google hang-outs, Skype chat, instant message, email, text-to-phone, the world is your oyster.
