132 Years of the Videophone: From Futuristic Fantasy to Flops to FaceTime
A visual history of the science and sci-fi of phone calls you can see. (No, it didn't start with The Jetsons.)Posted by Benj Edwards | Monday, June 14, 2010
Enter the Webcam
While highfalutin business executives were hamming it up with their $100,000 ISDN videoconferencing systems, consumers were busy too. In 1994, a small company called Connectix shipped the QuickCam, now considered the first webcam. The first model could only capture a 320-by-240 image at 16 shades of grey — and then only on a Mac–but its $99 price blew the market wide open.
Inventive users combined the QuickCam, the emerging Internet, and videoconferencing software like CU-SeeMe (seen here) to take part in the first Internet video chats in the mid-1990s.
Photos: Logitech/Yvonne Marie Andres
18 Comments For This Post
13 Trackbacks For This Post
-
Nokia’s N8 Hands On: The Game of Catch-Up Continues Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 5:10 pm[…] also a front-facing camera, and while Nokia doesn’t seem to be working on its own FaceTime killer, it did tell me that video calls would be supported via Qik and […]
-
The 132-Year History of Videophones [Videocalling] | Hottest Gadget News & Reviews | GadgetInferno Says:
June 15th, 2010 at 12:22 am[…] the 132 year history of videophones, one that’s littered with wild concepts, a few success stories and a ton of failures. […]
-
The Interesting News Thread - Page 212 - StrafeRight Forums Says:
June 15th, 2010 at 6:38 am[…] The Interesting News Thread 132 Years of the Videophone: From Futuristic Fantasy to Flops to FaceTime […]
-
[TG] The 132-Year History of Videophones. - Overclock.net - Overclocking.net Says:
June 15th, 2010 at 9:47 am[…] […]
-
The 132-Year History Of Videophones | Gizmodo Australia Says:
June 15th, 2010 at 12:02 pm[…] the 132-year history of videophones, one that’s littered with wild concepts, a few success stories and a ton of failures. […]
-
Top Posts — WordPress.com Says:
June 15th, 2010 at 5:24 pm[…] 132 Years of the Videophone: From Futuristic Fantasy to Flops to FaceTime Last week, Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 4 with FaceTime video calling capabilities brought the videophone […] […]
-
makin257 - 132 Years of the Videophone: From Fantasy to FaceTime Says:
June 16th, 2010 at 8:28 am[…] sci-fi of phone calls you can see. (No, it didn't start with The Jetsons.)Source:https://www.technologizer.com/2010/06/14/videophones/ var stLink = jQuery('a:last')[0]; stLink.href = 'javascript:void(0)' […]
-
The Android thread Says:
June 25th, 2010 at 2:54 pm[…] as Motorola and HTC are. That points to a certain trend which I like. And regarding video calling: 132-year history of video calling. ____________________________ Bridge to Gantry time: 11:07 I think we can put our differences […]
-
Enterprise Efficiency - Matthew McKenzie - Does Video Chat Really Serve a Purpose? Says:
August 18th, 2010 at 5:04 am[…] to play with videophone technology over the decades. AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) tried repeatedly in the 1960s and 70s to get videophones off the ground, and it tried again — and again, and again — in the 1990s. […]
-
Enterprise Efficiency - Matthew McKenzie - Does Video Chat Really Serve a Purpose? Says:
August 18th, 2010 at 5:05 am[…] tried repeatedly in the 1960s and 70s to get videophones off the ground, and it tried again — and again, and again — in the 1990s. Every one of these products was a flop, plagued by high prices and usability […]
-
FaceTime on iPhone 4 : du and Etisalat Says:
September 29th, 2010 at 10:22 pm[…] Esp. for a feature that works only on iPhone 4 (so far). And given the long history, viz 132 Years of the Videophone: From Futuristic Fantasy to Flops to FaceTime Cheers, -Michl Reply With Quote + Reply to […]
-
Editorial #66-132 Years of the Videophone: From Futuristic Fantasy to Flops to FaceTime-A Guest Editorial by Technologizer (A Blog) « Dr. Z and You Says:
October 14th, 2010 at 7:20 pm[…] to FaceTime-A Guest Editorial by Technologizer (A Blog) Is a videophone a new invention? This link will link you to a slide show on a well-known blog (Technologizer) which shows 14 slides of 132 […]
-
And That’s What You Missed on Technologizer Says:
December 31st, 2010 at 12:37 pm[…] Benj looked at 132 years of videophone history. […]
June 14th, 2010 at 3:02 am
Personally I don’t care about facetime :/
seriously: when are people actually gonna use this? I bet people owning an iPhone 4 will use it a few times at the beginning, but then drop the feature because it’s not really convenient (keeping the phone up before you).
The scenarios where it is useful (like people being separated wanting to see eachother), the mobility of the iPhone isn’t really 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 😉
June 14th, 2010 at 3:51 am
Video chat 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 video is possible, you get a video call. People are already communicating with their smartphones, so video chat belongs on the smartphone as video 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 video. If you get a call from a soldier overseas and it includes video that is what you want, you don’t want to tell them go get a notebook and webcam and call my Skype handle.
If you are already an iPhone user like many people, Facetime is free. iPhone 4 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 video 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 video 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.
June 14th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Skype requires that the person you’re calling also be a Skype member, so does iPhone facetime.
Mobile video calls using phone numbers is the standard. Even with unlimited 3G data plan in Hong Kong, video 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 video chat standard for years. I doubt that Apple facetime can really break the deadlock.
June 15th, 2010 at 5:00 am
Don’t forget the Atari Videophone.
http://www.atarimuseum.com/ataritel/index.html
June 15th, 2010 at 6:05 am
I think people are ready for video chat..I have a 3GS and wanted to get the new 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.
June 15th, 2010 at 7:23 am
Until a system is designed that puts the camera behind the screen, in the approximate location of your recipients eyes, video calling will continue to appeal only to the niche. Eye contact is hugely and ultimately important in visual conversation and even a small deviation away from the camera makes the experience of communication drastically different.
June 15th, 2010 at 11:44 am
What about the n 95?
June 16th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
I actually remember talking on the phone pictured in the photo on the far bottom left hand 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 video phones in early 2000’s.
Apple may be the key to actually getting this technology off the launch pad and used by many.
June 21st, 2010 at 3:12 am
And just by the way, I don’t see why iPhone 4 wouldn’t support Skype video chat as well. The hardware and the OS frameworks are there, and Skype will probably have their software ready within 3 to 12 months.
June 21st, 2010 at 9:23 am
About 10 years ago our mobile phones have video calling in G3 at Australia, europe and Asia, but in all America banned for video calling, SMS and MMS in G3 mobile phone now.
June 21st, 2010 at 9:36 am
iPhone 4 , Apple always steals a lot of copies from HTC, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Motorola & etc , they have twin cameras for video chat calling.
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:38 pm
the number one reason for the continual failure of the video phone will be the fact that very few people want to show 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 video, such as in the Mens Restroom or the Womens locker room at the gym. (EEK, YOUR SHOOTING VIDEO NOW, IM NOT DRESSED, YOU BEECH!)
August 21st, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Couldn´t agree more!
I´m getting somewhat fed up with how intrusive new tech is becoming…
July 9th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Is really strange to see how much imagination was put into communication in the last 2 centuries.
And is amazing to see how much is closer to what we are using in our time.
Thinking at a reduction factor by 10 (means we are about 10 time faster in obtaining the results), I wonder which will be our way of communicating between next 20 years.
I think of 3d communication (olograms & co), immersive augmented reality and nearly doubled transmission speed.
What's your opinion?
October 14th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Whats wrong with you people, deaf peiople has using Videophones, it is closer to 1 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….
October 15th, 2010 at 11:24 am
I am very disappointed with this slide show, and they are no mention about specific videophones or video relay services for the Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. YOu have presented 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 video clip which I've created which really shows the deaf perspective of the videophones.
Amy Cohen Efron
November 16th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
The funniest thing about this article is that in 1910 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 video screen are never seen holding a handset to their ear? How does that work?
January 31st, 2012 at 9:02 pm
Look at what we have now. From a simple videophone to an innovative gadget. Who would have though that a gadget such as an iPhone will be created?