I just got off the phone with my wife in Toronto. Well, sort of. We were using iChat AV instead of the phone.

I know this isn't a new technology, but this week marks the first time I've really "field-tested" iChat AV. The experience is almost unbelievable.

Consider this: I'm not plugged into anything. I talk into my PowerBook's built-in microphone. The signal goes through the AirPort (802.11) wireless network, through the Internet, to the iMac at home.

The sound quality is excellent, although there's a slight delay. At first, we were tripping over each other's sentences a bit, but it's possible to carry on a normal conversation.

I knew Lori was available to chat because her buddy icon lit up in my copy of iChat when I turned on the PowerBook. She can "see" me when I'm connected, and can request an audio chat at any time.

So. We've managed to avoid the long distance charges from San Francisco to Toronto all week, using the $10 per day high speed Internet service at the hotel and free hotspots at Macworld.

We could have gone one step further and used iChat's video phone feature, but I only have one iSight camera. To video chat, we need a camera at both ends. (Maybe next year.)