Technology: Cameras in phones

Today, the latest mobile handsets have cameras for both still and motion pictures. These pictures can be used for video or photo calls. The phones are capable of both audio and video duplex transmission. This is another great way of communicating with a proper identity of the caller. For example the photo is the caller’s identity. With the video calling, the video is either stored in the phone or attached to a specific contact or the camera is placed focusing on the users (caller). It therefore transmits live pictures focusing on the user or a stored video is stored on a specific contact. Video phone calling was first tried a few years back over standard phone lines, but these lacked the bandwidth to support stable video calls. Now that more and more homes have moved over to higher-bandwidth broadband services, video calling is now possible in higher quality, and users of services such as MSN Messenger have been able to use webcams to do two-way video for a couple of years now. By simply installing a microphone and webcam, you can use your computer to communicate. Once the system is operational, you are able to see and talk to distant family members or, to have a video conference with distant colleagues. In fact, videoconferencing is rapidly gaining in popularity, and it’s hardly surprising. Basically, videoconferencing allows people to communicate in real time, no matter where they are located. The most obvious advantage is the enormous savings involved when people don’t need to travel. An average business trip usually involves at least one night spent in another place, and costs incurred include flights, transport, meals, accommodation, entertainment, and the list goes on. If you need ten people at a meeting, and add together all the costs involved, the total is staggering. There are lots of software and hardware packages you can use to do this, but the easiest way is to set it up using MSN Messenger, which is a free Internet chat tool which supports webcams and audio connections in its Windows version. People already have this set up for Internet chatting, where two people can communicate live by typing messages to each other in real time. Contact: eddiemukaaya@yahoo.com