The history of video phones and their role in the media

Mad4Mobilephones wrote an essay a while back on the history of video phones and predicts the near future:

"... Video technology in mobile telephones will have an impact on society in many ways according to those who study trends in culture.

One impact will be in the number of people who will be on the scene during breaking news events and able to record those events on their telephones and transmit them, making news gathering quicker, more accurate, and increasingly more the realm of amateurs as first gatherers rather than of the reporters who cover news for a living. This of course goes along with the tendency for news commentary to be reported on blogs before the traditional media, causing a societal shift in the way the press functions.

... It won’t be long before memory cards and phones improve enough that large amounts of video can be saved and stored. Prices will continue to drop, according to most estimates, and more people than ever will become owners of mobile phones that include video technology. In many ways the days of Captain Kirk and George Jetson are upon us, as video messaging and video communication take place on our telephones.

emily | 9:57 AM | How people and businesses are using videophones |
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