A world first: Teen girls actually using video calling
I have just taken delivery of yet another total shocker of a pinstripe suit. I’m a particular fan. The bolder the better. The slight arse, though, is transporting them home. You can’t easily sling the suit over your shoulder — and walking along with your arm held up holding the suit bag so it doesn’t drag on the floor. So it was with a bit of discomfort that I stood at the rail station this evening waiting to get picked up. I could have walked the 20 minute walk home looking like Jeeves out of Jeeves & Wooster. I decided not to.
This gave me sufficient time to work out what the racket coming from the photobooth was. There were three teen girls, I dunno maybe 15/16 years old, sat around the photobooth playing with their phones. One of the handsets was playing music to which the three were bobbing their heads along to, while another one had it’s speakerphone on — to what sounded like a phone conversation. When I looked round, I was astounded to note that the three girls were all nattering away at some other girl(s) via their friend’s video phone. Absolutely fascinating.
The call went on for a good 5-7 minutes or so — at the other end there were clearly at least two other girls, I think, at home — from what I managed to pick up.
Now that’s the first time — a world first for me — that I’ve seen ANYONE making a public video call, let alone ‘cool’ teenage girls using the technology. My immediate questions were:
1) What handset was she using. I THINK it was a fairly new Samsung.
2) What network? Now this would have been interesting. I was banking on perhaps Three or Vodafone. I’d imagine she was using her ‘free’ video minutes. I doubt very much that she was paying 50 odd pence a minute to make the call.
3) What price plan? Pay as you go or monthly? I wonder. I suspect dad pays it monthly and the price plan came with some video minutes.
I wonder, I wonder. Does that mean that there’s widespread acceptance of the technology, provided it’s a) reasonably priced and b) you’re doing it with a group of mates? I don’t know. Too many assumptions. I need to do some research on this.
[...] Or is it? Back in August, Martin noticed two otherwise average-looking people making video calls, and now, Ewan’s spotted some teenage girls doing it as well. [...]
Posted by Okay, So That’s Three Times People Have Used Video Calls… at MobHappy on November 16th, 2006 at 3:44 am.The perfect demonstration of the ‘Virtual Phone Booth’ - essential for video calling! You don’t see people videocalling in public, because it’s not (generally) a public event. Too much ambient noise to a. hear the other person, b. make yourself heard. Here are my favorite videocalling spots (btw I’m in the ‘Away-on-business,-want-to-see-the-kids’ videocalling demographic.
a. Hotel room - quiet and private - and the wife doesn’t get jealous of my jet-setting lifestyle
b. Hotel balcony - at a scenic location, to invoke jealousy in desk-bound colleagues
c. In the car - when the kids are playing somewhere cool - like building camps in the forest, showing me their muddy knees with the sunlight streaming through the trees giving radiance and colour to all god’s beautiful things.
When the operators wake up (like some already have) to making video costs the same as voice costs, my 5 & 3 year olds are already fully trained up video-callers. And when they hit the 18-25 bracket-> your business case is made! Only 13 years to wait then.
Note to the industry - my least favorite videocalling spots
a. Trade show floor demonstrations - too noise, no network capacity, punters who’ve been shown it a zillion times before
Posted by AAMARW on November 16th, 2006 at 10:49 am.b. The trade show floor again
c. You get the message
d. Anywhere public, where you shouldn’t be inflicting your ’speakerphone’ conversation to people trying to go about their daily lives in peace.
With you all the way on the pinstripe!
The little tag on the bottom of the suit bag is so you can fold it up by sticking the hook of the hanger through it.
Actually, I also have one with handles at each end so you can use it like a briefcase.
…unless you do this already and have extremely long arms/short legs!
Posted by Dan Lane on November 16th, 2006 at 7:59 pm.