Gadgets, services can keep you in touch

• Laptop computers aren't a requirement for reaching out without a phone call
• Some services are more private than others
• Many services are free or inexpensive if you already have the equipment

So, your son never calls from New York.

Or you tried three times to reach your granddaughter in Ohio, but you just keep getting voicemail.

Or maybe you're the daughter who moved away and doesn't reach out to Mom or Grandma as often as you'd both like.

As lives get busier and families more far-flung, families face plenty of challenges trying to stay in touch.

But fear not. You can overcome the distance and even some of the limits of time using technology, even if you don't consider yourself a whiz with a computer or mobile phone. All that social networking stuff isn't just for your kids.

Nana on Facebook

Yes, that's your grandmother on Facebook.

For a growing number of people 65 and older, especially those who don't live near children or grandchildren, Facebook is a lifeline to back home.

As of April 2012, 53 percent of U.S. adults in that age group use the Internet or email, according to the Pew Internet Project. And 18 percent of those use Facebook every day.

You can sign up in less than a minute, search for your children, grandkids or friends around the world. See and share pictures with them. Find out what they're up to, send them messages as easily as if you're emailing — and feel like you're having a family reunion even when you're miles apart.

"I try to make it fun," said Beth Doud, a librarian who teaches classes at two libraries on central Florida's Atlantic Coast. "The great thing, I tell people, is that there's more than one way to do things with computers."

FaceTime fun

If you can use a cell phone, you can use Apple's FaceTime.

That's all you need to have video conversations with anyone in the world. It works on the iPhone, the iPad, and the Mac. And it's free.

Alternatives exist, mostly notably Skype, but nothing can rival FaceTime for its ease of use.

You push the Facetime icon on your Apple device, choose the person you want to see and — as long as they pick up — you're seeing them and they're seeing you within seconds.

The person on the other end can even switch cameras with a simple touch of a button to show you what they see, such as your grandchild crawling across the floor thousands of miles away.

It's almost like being there.

A Story Before Bed

A Story Before Bed, www.astorybeforebed.com, is a service that lets you record a children's book online with audio and video.

All you need is the webcam and built-in microphone on a computer or iPad, the second generation and newer versions.

Create a free account, browse the online bookstore and record yourself reading an interactive book online. After making a recording, you can buy the book and share a link to your recording via email or Facebook. It's a great way for grandparents, parents and others to connect with young relatives around the country.

You can record several titles for free or you can purchase individual books for $6.99. Monthly subscriptions that allow you to record unlimited books start at $9.99 a month for six months.

The service is free for active-duty military parents who are deployed or about to deploy away from their children.

Keep it simple: text

Challenged by technology but want to keep in contact with the grandchildren over the holidays?

This idea doesn't require a computer, creating a Facebook account, or anything like that. It's called text messaging.

Most people have some kind of cell phone. And while it's very easy to pick up the phone and just call to say "hi," most kids don't answer.

Why? It's not the way they prefer to communicate.

If you want a response from someone a generation or two younger, sending a general "Hey, what's up?" text message with your cell phone is going to get a faster response.

You can even ask them to put on the pink, fuzzy, kitty sweater you sent them for Christmas, snap a photo and text it back to you. That way, you'll see it right away.

While some phone companies still may charge a per-text rate, most include a large or unlimited number of text messages in their plans. But it's always best to check with your carrier before starting.

Holiday-time Twitter

Twitter-savvy clans use a creative family hashtag, such as #JonesXmas2012, to track the holiday on Twitter.

Record all of your favorite moments with your smartphone — Uncle Bob's holiday toast, decorating the Christmas tree and your children opening presents — then tweet photos, videos or even a short descriptions of the events. By including the hashtag, your family across the country can search #JonesXmas2012 and find all the memories in one place.

Make sure the hashtag you choose is unique to your family — use a family name instead of just #Xmas2012 — so your moments aren't mixed with those of strangers.

Google+ Hangouts

If most of your family is out of state, Google+ Hangouts may be handy for you this holiday season.

Hangouts allow you to video chat with up to nine people. It's like Skype, but better.

Here's a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to start hanging out with your family and friends without paying for a plane ticket:

Get a Google+ account if you don't have one. It's simple — and free. Go to plus.google.com and follow the instructions.

After you're signed up, go to plus.google.com/hangouts.

Click the red button that says "start a hangout."

Install Google's Voice and Video Plugin, which takes just a couple clicks and a few minutes.

Click the blue "Join" button.

Once your hangout loads, click the blue "Invite people" button. From there, you can invite your friends by name if they have a Google+ account or by email address or telephone number if they don't.

Pinning it together

Pinterest is a social networking site perfect for recipe hoarders, wannabe crafters, artists, fashionistas and collectors of all sorts.

If you've ever run across a great recipe in a magazine, sworn you would make it, but forgot, with Pinterest, you can snag my friends' recipes, party ideas and fashion finds.

"Pinterest is so easy to use and helps keep my cluttered mind organized," said Marlyn Foell of Satellite Beach, Fla. "Another perk is that my crafting buddy in Michigan can find a great idea and send/show me almost instantly. … No photo downloading, no other research."

That's a perfect fit for the holiday season, when people are sharing ideas about gifts, food and just about anything else.

Pinterest is like an online filing system for cool ideas with the added bonus of letting you hook up with like-minded pinners so you can swipe their ideas.

Contributing: Britt Kennerly, Rob Landers, Susanne Cervenka, Erika Esola and Suzy Fleming Leonard, Florida Today; Scott Tilley and Susan M. Bearden, special to Florida Today.