Technologizer by Harry McCracken
Posted by Benj Edwards | Monday, June 14, 2010
Last week, Apple's announcement of the iPhone four with FaceTime movie calling capabilities brought the videophone back to the forefront of the media's attention. Steve Jobs' keynote made it sound like FaceTime will bring movie phone calls to consumers for the very first time. But the idea of a two-way communications device that transmits pictures as well as sound is as old as the phone itself.
Economic factors have kept it out of the average consumer's reach until the last few decades, and the public has repeatedly greeted the concept–in stand-alone form, at least–with apathy. Still, inventors and dreamers keep coming back to the notion that the videophone is the way of the future.
Let's take a stroll through videophone history to find out where things went wrong–and right–and how we got to the iPhone four and its rivals.
Legal Comments For This Post
- Bouke Timbermont Says:
Personally I don't care about facetime :/
gravely: when are people actually gonna use this? I bet people possessing an iPhone four will use it a few times at the beginning, but then drop the feature because it's not indeed convenient (keeping the phone up before you).
The scripts where it is useful (like people being separated wanting to see eachother), the mobility of the iPhone isn't truly required so people can just as well use a laptop with webcam and use skype. Which btw doesn't require an expensive AT&T contract ��
Movie talk via Skype requires that the person you're calling also be a Skype member. You have to know how to use Skype and track a separate contact list. Facetime uses phone numbers. You just call the same people you've always called from your same contact list and if movie is possible, you get a movie call. People are already communicating with their smartphones, so movie talk belongs on the smartphone as movie calls. Basically, you're arguing that they ought to be a hassle, you ought to have to get out a laptop and screw around with Skype. Not sure what the point of that is.
If you are traveling, that is when many people only have their phone, not a laptop and webcam. So I think you're wrong about the scenes in the movie. If you get a call from a soldier overseas and it includes movie that is what you want, you don't want to tell them go get a notebook and webcam and call my Skype treat.
If you are already an iPhone user like many people, Facetime is free. iPhone four costs the same as iPhone 3GS. It isn't like the lack of Facetime caused people to cancel their smartphone contracts. Facetime is an iPhone feature. If a smartphone contract is not for you, then of course Facetime is not for you.
The key thing to understand is that iPhone users don't have to do anything but upgrade their phone and keep using it exactly as before and movie happens. Almost all of my friends have iPhones. As we upgrade we'll see a lot more of each other. We'll see what happens when movie calls just work. It doesn't matter if not everybody wants to use it all the time. Not everybody uses the photo camera in iPhone either, or the camcorder, or many other features.
Skype requires that the person you’re calling also be a Skype member, so does iPhone facetime.
Mobile movie calls using phone numbers is the standard. Even with unlimited 3G data plan in Hong Kong, movie calls still have not caught on. I believe Bouke is right, the reason is the inconvenience to keep the phone up before you.
Companies talking about unified movie talk standard for years. I doubt that Apple facetime can indeed break the deadlock.
Don't leave behind the Atari Videophone.
I think people are ready for movie talk..I have a 3GS and dreamed to get the fresh phone but there's no wi-fi in my area..hopefully in the future it will be and I'm there! I just hope people don't do it while driving..there's enough idiots out there texting and driving as it is..we don't need any more accidents.
Until a system is designed that puts the camera behind the screen, in the approximate location of your recipients eyes, movie calling will proceed to appeal only to the niche. Eye contact is hugely and ultimately significant in visual conversation and even a petite deviation away from the camera makes the practice of communication drastically different.
What about the n 95?
I actually recall talking on the phone pictured in the photo on the far bottom left arm side at the Hemisphere in San Antonio Texas in 1968. It was pretty hitech back then. One of my friends was instrumental in a company called 8×8 that was a leader in introducing movie phones in early 2000's.
Apple may be the key to actually getting this technology off the launch pad and used by many.
And just by the way, I don't see why iPhone four wouldn't support Skype movie talk as well. The hardware and the OS frameworks are there, and Skype will most likely have their software ready within three to twelve months.
About ten years ago our mobile phones have movie calling in G3 at Australia, europe and Asia, but in all America banned for movie calling, SMS and MMS in G3 mobile phone now.
iPhone four , Apple always steals a lot of copies from HTC, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Motorola & etc , they have twin cameras for movie talk calling.
the number one reason for the continual failure of the movie phone will be the fact that very few people want to display their faces when talking. their hair or makeup is not right. the lighting is too dark, or they are having a bad wrinkly face day. There are lots of places where you cannot take pictures or movie, such as in the Mens Restroom or the Womens locker room at the gym. (EEK, YOUR SHOOTING Movie NOW, IM NOT DRESSED, YOU BEECH!)
Couldn´t agree more!
I´m getting somewhat fed up with how intrusive fresh tech is becoming…
Is truly strange to see how much imagination was put into communication in the last two centuries.
And is amazing to see how much is closer to what we are using in our time.
Thinking at a reduction factor by ten (means we are about ten time swifter in obtaining the results), I wonder which will be our way of communicating inbetween next twenty years.
I think of 3d communication (olograms & co), immersive augmented reality and almost doubled transmission speed.
What's your opinion?
Whats wrong with you people, deaf peiople has using Videophones, it is closer to one million users. The standard for videophones used by the deaf people already has been established, they can communicate with different brands of videphone (crossover brands). Check the websites, sorensonvrs.com, zvrs.com, purple.com, conovo.com, (for informative website) zvrs.com….
I am very disappointed with this slide display, and they are no mention about specific videophones or movie relay services for the Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. YOu have introduced pictures with products for the customers in general, but nothing mentioning about deaf people who feels that the videophone is a godsend to the community. Please check my movie clip which I've created which truly shows the deaf perspective of the videophones.
Amy Cohen Efron
The funniest thing about this article is that in one thousand nine hundred ten they thought that women would still be wearing big feathery hats and floor-length dresses in the year 2000! LOL
Also isn't it odd that on the videophones with handsets the people shown on the movie screen are never seen holding a handset to their ear? How does that work?
Look at what we have now. From a elementary videophone to an innovative gadget. Who would have tho’ that a gadget such as an iPhone will be created?
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