Video chatting becomes a new family holiday ritual

In an age when you hear so much about how technology makes us absent even when we're present, I want to tell you how it can actually do the opposite and bring people together.

Recently while in England, the cell phone chip I bought came with unlimited Internet. So I was able to do unlimited Skype on my Android phone for free and keep in touch my wife while she rehearsed for her latest play. (Other video chat alternatives I've used in the past include Google Chat  -- a feature of Google Voice.)

The holidays are becoming increasingly dominated with stories about how technology keeps us together. For example, my executive producer Christa used FaceTime on her iPad to video chat with her parents who also have Apple products but live elsewhere in the country.

These capabilities make such a difference in so many ways. I was at a funeral that was being webcast for those who could not attend! You think about how many ways people are able to stay connected now when they would not have been otherwise.