Good stuff. Watching a video is always better than reading about it in a newspaper… JMO

L2

No hi-bandwidth connection available? No problem. This portable, wireless, and personal Telepresence unit by Pixavi fills that void. Full HD video conferencing on the fly.

Features full high definition video conferencing support. Check their website at pixavi.com for full specifications and details.

I personally thought somebody like Cisco, Tandberg or Sony would be first to market a personal Telepresence unit like this - Pixavi and their Xcaster appears to have beaten them all. How cool is this gadget?

I am just starting to think of all the field applications for this….

Portable Telepresence - Xcaster by Pixavi

Portable Telepresence. Wow.

Admin

“Telepresence”.

I get a kick out of seeing the so called “video conferencing experts” struggle to define this simple word. So far the most common and widely available definition of “Telepresence” is from Wikipedia. It states:

“Telepresence refers to a set of Technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance that they were present, or to have an effect, at a location other than their true location.”

That simple sentence says it all. Nothing more, nothing less.

Now, VC (video conferencing) experts all have opinions gained from their years and years in the VC industry. They’ve been there, done that and have gained all the knowledge required to become wizards of their industry. That same “vast amount of gained knowledge” they’ve amassed is also part of the reason we’ve been waiting for VC to prove itself since the video phone in 1964. Instead of running to a common goal, they’re running in circles. Smart people do that ya’ know.

I think they’ve all missed the point. There, I said it. That’s sure to make more than a few people cringe. Oh well. Here’s another observation. It’s probably not their job to “define” Telepresence anyway. They’re looking so past the point, kind of like a brain surgeon that can’t change a flat tire. They’re thinking it has to do with video conferencing, 3-D, Pepper’s Ghost, video over IP or even 4-D magic. Lenses, lighting, immersiveness, latency, HD, Plasma, Bandwidth, etc. The question lingers – at what point does video conferencing become Telepresence? Is it 70ms latency? Video over IP? HD immersiveness? Right?

Wrong. All wrong.

How about it doesn’t matter? Video conferencing (in all past and future reincarnations) is just a facet of “Telepresence”. 3-D imaging? Another facet. What we watched on historical CNN Election night with the “hologram” camera trick? Another facet.

Simply put: Tele – “to or at a distance” and Presence – “the impressive manner or appearance of a person”. Telepresence. End of story, case closed.

The companies that have figured out that the word “Telepresence” is more about marketing then an actual definition are going to soar, while others that are still trying to define it are going to get kicked to the curb. It doesn’t matter who invented it. It does matter who’s going to capitalize on it. Telepresence in its essence is the boss barking orders via a walkie talkie (or string and cup for that matter). It doesn’t matter if it’s 720i HD at 30 fps, or 3-D Pepper’s Ghost technology, or 300 cameras building a trick hologram. Those methods are just the means to convey Telepresence, not Telepresence defined.

Presently, Cisco is running with the ball because of their TV commercials and Internet play. Marketing 101. They didn’t invent Telepresence, but they’ve been marketing it. They’re not waiting on unified conferencing “Standards”, they’re not waiting on a definition and they’re surely not waiting on anybody or anything. They are forging ahead with their Telepresence related products. Remember, if you believe like I do that Telepresence is not about “video conferencing”, but about “all” the different technologies that can make up “Telepresence”, you can change the tire and get on down the road instead of getting your gray matter mired in the mud thinking up a definition that won’t please all of the people anyway.

Sometimes we’re so smart, we’re stupid.

Just my two cents worth. Take it or leave it.

L2 Lumpy (telepresent and accounted for)
Telepresence Forum

Tandberg T3 Telepresence explained.  3 65″ LCD HD monitors.

Simply fantastic!  There have been some huge strides forward in the Telepresence market over the last 6 months, Tandberg T3 included.

Admin

In furtherance of a this new industry called Telepresence, it was bound to happen:

Telepresent sex.

A former NASA Engineer has designed and brought to market a gadget he’s calling “Real Touch”.

Now before you run off and visit their website, know it’s considered pornographic and you’ll have to pass a disclaimer to see the video.

That being said, here’s the website link – Real Touch

They have a “straight” and “gay” version of the gadget that has an introductory price of $149.95 and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee.  The site says “Testimonials coming soon”.

I’ll bet….  Wow.

L2 – Admin,
Telepresence Forum

With time comes technology. First the telephone; then television; now telepresence. Through history, each respective technology mentioned above has brought human communication and interaction to a higher level then its predecessor. The telephone connected with voice and left Morse code in its wake. The visual sensation of television took over for radio. Today, technology brings us telepresence. History will write what this technology will leave behind it, but telepresence promises to not just write a chapter, but a full-fledged book on the history of human communications.

Note the word “human” in the last sentence – it’s important to understand just what telepresence is. Telepresence is the art of human presence without being there. I like to call it – the next plane of existence. Through real time, hi resolution three-dimensional sight and sound, telepresence makes video conferencing look like your black and white TV of the 60’s. Telepresence promises to take visual television and voice telephony to a completely new level, the “human” level. Interacting with humans is what we do. It’s why a CEO must fly to Denver and meet with his management team to impress and convey to them his visions for their future and it’s why a salesman must drive to California and meet eye to eye with his vendors to close a deal. Missing from television, video, telephone, Morse code, radio and almost all forms of long distance communication is “complete human interaction”. That is what telepresence is. Telepresence is a word coined from “tele” and “presence”. “Communication by presence”. Telepresence is the perfect technology at the perfect time.

The benefits of telepresence are tremendous. I’ll get into just a few here.

Green: Not just a lowered carbon footprint, but no carbon footprint! That’s about as green as it gets in this day and age.

Travel: No fuel cost. No airline tickets, hotels/motels, rental cars, etc. You say 100,000 miles a year for a normal salesman? Zero with telepresence. You see the unbelievable savings here – Billions and billions of dollars!

Lost time: No lost time. Hard to believe with telepresence there’s no lost time but that’s a hard fact. What is the CEO of a Fortune 500’s time worth? $10,000/ per hour? $1 Million a day? With telepresence that same CEO is able to stay put and do what he does best – run his company, get a return on his investment and not have to run around the world burning precious time and money.

These are just a few of the cost savings benefits of telepresence. I haven’t even mentioned the medical aspects, public at large savings and global ramifications! I’ll write about those benefits in upcoming Editor Views.

By the way….I’m no expert in the subject of telepresence. Far, far from it! I am fascinated by the technology and the benefits telepresence affords mankind. I’ve watched in amazement as the pioneers of telepresence have finally brought it to the forefront of usable technology. Recently, Internet bandwidth, cameras, sound, effects and even the name have all have converged to create the perfect storm, and we have a front row seat to see and feel this paradigm shift in our communication culture. Since 1972 when I became a Ham Radio Operator and in the 80’s dissecting Commodore 64 computers, I’ve witnessed first-hand the progress communication technology affords us and this very special technology – telepresence, is hands down the most fascinating, usable communication platform I’ve ever seen! I believe in my bones that telepresence will turn communications on its head soon, possibly in the next few months to a year. As you see on Telepresence Today’s home page, I’m not the only one. CEO John Chambers of 35 Billion/yr Cisco recently stated “I believe a new wave of innovation is coming that will make the first wave of the Internet seem small.” Marriott Hotels has purchased telepresence systems for their state-of-the-art hotels from HP in the last month, US World and News Report has written on the subject of telepresence, even the NBA has jumped on board to ride this tsunami wave. If I sound excited, you’re right! It’s here! See you in my next Editor View! Hold on tight!

L2 – Admin,
Telepresence Forum