Brave New World: Video iChat

Technology doesn't have to be the soul-crushing oppression some people like to portray it as. Look at how the Internet got people writing to each other who would never ever pick up a pen and write an honest-to-God letter. Then the social networks like Face Book and My Space came along. I have to add a new experience that has the promise of being the best ever for me.

Regular readers of this site know that I've just gone Mac after years as a PC guy, and I love it. Read all about that by clicking here.

Made simple by the new iMac has been their iChat configuration which, depending on what technology the person you're talking to has, can be as simple as an IM or an "audio chat" or a "video chat." Option 3, please.

That's my son, Jonathan, as he appeared on my computer screen a couple of nights ago. The thing that's wonderful here is that Jonathan is in Japan. He's there for four months studying gender inequality in the videogame business, taking Japanese, and getting credits as an undergrad at USC's School of Cinema and Television.

But there we were, talking to each other like we were in the same house. He's got an Apple PowerBook with iSight. My new Intel iMac came with the camera built in. The experience just rocked. Japan to LA!

The biggest hurdle to overcome is the time change. As he explains it to me, it's seven hours earlier there but tomorrow. Or something like that. But, really, who cares? The future is here! Let's do the Time-Shift!

Of course, in the interest of full-disclosure, I have to mention that trying to connect with my former CNN colleague Fred Saxon in San Diego yesterday was impossible. For whatever reason, we both kept getting messages that we had "refused the invitation" from the other.

So, it's not perfect, but when it works, awesome...