Vide ofone

ther Reason to Phone HomeThey’ve talked about them in science fiction novels. They’ve shown them in science fiction films. But now it is finally here.British Telecom has launched the first-ever “video telephone”. The videophone works in exactly the same way as a conventional telephone. You plug it into a standard telephone socket, you dial the number and off you go.But whereas the old phone would just give you sound, the videophone will also give you pictures. People are already thinking of the benefits it will bring. Seeing your family to say goodnight to them while you are away from home is one obvious bonus. But what about all those people with whom you have regular telephone contact but have never seen their faces: insurance salesmen, telephone interviewers and business associates from overseas?The videophone will also be a help when you are forced to speak on the telephone in a foreign language. Dr. Guy Fielding, a researcher in communication, says that non-verbal behavior and visual signs, such as facial expressions, gestures and eye movements, are as important a part of communication as speech. And if you have ever spoken in a foreign tongue on the telephone, you know exactly what he means. As the telecommunication system in different countries will vary, there is not yet a guarantee that the videophone will work in every country of the world. But Britain, the U.S., Italy and Japan should all be within the system by the end of this year.(Tristan Ashman, Speak Up, October, 1993

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