Gearing up for Japan – Technology

Technology sure has changed since 1998 (our last time living in Japan). Here are some of the technology decisions that I will need to make, hopefully with some guidance from my husband’s employer:

Long Distance Calling – Should we use a callback service as described at dial-abroad.org or a VOIP (voice over IP) such as Skype which I am currently testing with my family in Canada? Computer to computer calls to other Skype users are free, as is the software, and I have found the instant message feature very handy for sharing quick links, files, photos and notes. There are also some paid options, one of which will allow you to get a local number, almost anywhere, that your friends and family can use to call you without incurring international charges. I’m still researching this….

Cell phones - There is a company that called YouMail that I found by searching Ask MetaFilter. It allows you to listen to voicemail over the web without using your minutes– how cool! I also have to decide if I will get a cell phone in Japan and whether or not I will need to get a land line as well.

Internet – There are so many choices and apparently, depending on where you live you may need to get internet installed or some apartment buildings offer a wireless connection that can be utilized. I’m a little confused by all of the terminology and what I will actually need but here is a comparison of the different options by Asahi-net.

Television – Did you know that you can purchase a Slingbox and watch your local TV on your PC anywhere in where you have internet access? This sounds very cool and there is no monthly fee, only the purchase of the equipment. Do I want to get Japanese cable too? I remember how much we enjoyed watching Sumo Wrestling and Japanese Baseball last time even though we couldn’t understand the commentary. We just made up our own which could be quite entertaining!

I’m sure that there are more things that I haven’t thought of yet and some that I will forget completely….