WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:13.420 --> 00:00:16.640 So how are things in Big Horn, Grandma? 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:20.570 Back in the old days, you used to have to pick up the phone, call long distance, and 00:00:20.570 --> 00:00:23.580 pay by the minute if you wanted to talk to Grandma in Wyoming. 00:00:23.580 --> 00:00:25.830 I've got to go, Grandma. 00:00:25.830 --> 00:00:26.910 You hang up. 00:00:26.910 --> 00:00:30.140 No you hang up first! 00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:35.690 Now, with Skype, you can call anyone in the world for free. 00:00:35.690 --> 00:00:38.210 You can even talk to each other live over video. 00:00:38.210 --> 00:00:40.840 All you need is a computer, and internet acess. 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:42.500 Hi, I'm Bronwen. 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:46.210 In this video, I'm going to show you how to set up your computer for Skype. 00:00:46.210 --> 00:00:49.070 We'll also take a look at a couple different equipment options. 00:00:49.070 --> 00:00:50.070 To get started, you'll need: 00:00:50.070 --> 00:00:52.500 A computer or a laptop... 00:00:52.500 --> 00:00:56.629 A high-speed internet connection, like cable or DSL… 00:00:56.629 --> 00:00:58.780 Speakers and a microphone, or a separate headset… 00:00:58.780 --> 00:01:02.620 And, finally, a webcam if you want to make video calls. 00:01:02.620 --> 00:01:05.390 You might find these features already built into your computer. 00:01:05.390 --> 00:01:10.640 It depends on the type of computer you have (for example, a laptop, PC, or Mac), and how 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:11.640 old it is. 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:13.060 Let's take a closer look. 00:01:13.060 --> 00:01:17.229 Like most new laptops, this one has everything you need to make calls on Skype. 00:01:17.229 --> 00:01:20.689 Some of the features might be hard to find at first, because they're designed to blend 00:01:20.689 --> 00:01:21.689 in. 00:01:21.689 --> 00:01:26.450 For example, we have a pair of speakers hidden under here… and this tiny little pinhole 00:01:26.450 --> 00:01:29.189 is actually a powerful microphone. 00:01:29.189 --> 00:01:31.860 This laptop also has a built-in webcam. 00:01:31.860 --> 00:01:36.700 To find out if yours has one, look for a small dot above your screen or computer monitor. 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:40.299 It may have a lens cover like this one; or it may be flat, which will make it harder 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:41.399 to see. 00:01:41.399 --> 00:01:44.679 If you don't have these features built into your computer, don't worry. 00:01:44.679 --> 00:01:49.289 Now I'm going to show you how to attach a separate webcam, and a separate headset. 00:01:49.289 --> 00:01:53.369 Many people on Skype prefer to use a separate headset when making calls, because you can 00:01:53.369 --> 00:01:55.369 hear each other more clearly that way. 00:01:55.369 --> 00:01:57.719 They’re also fairly inexpensive. 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:00.890 This headset attaches to your computer via USB. 00:02:00.890 --> 00:02:04.299 So all you have to do is plug it in - and you can use it with Skype. 00:02:04.299 --> 00:02:08.819 You should find at least two USB ports on your computer, wherever the internal components 00:02:08.819 --> 00:02:09.819 are housed. 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:11.540 In this example, they're on the tower. 00:02:11.540 --> 00:02:13.500 Now I'm going to set up my webcam. 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:19.920 It also attaches via USB, so I'm just going to plug it into the second port. 00:02:19.920 --> 00:02:21.990 See how it works? 00:02:21.990 --> 00:02:25.220 Place the webcam on top of the monitor, and make sure it's secure. 00:02:25.220 --> 00:02:28.390 You'll also want to install any software that came with the webcam, if you haven't done 00:02:28.390 --> 00:02:30.049 that already. 00:02:30.049 --> 00:02:31.290 That about covers it. 00:02:31.290 --> 00:02:35.740 Remember: you need a computer with internet access; speakers and a microphone, or a separate 00:02:35.740 --> 00:02:39.420 headset; and a webcam if you want to make video calls. 00:02:39.420 --> 00:02:44.379 Once your computer is set up, you can download Skype, create an account - and call anyone, 00:02:44.379 --> 00:03:07.999 anywhere in the world, for free.