Computer Convergence

The integration of computers into our lives over the past 20 years has been amazing as you well know. Much of this, however, has simply (if one can use that term) been the replacement, improvement, or increased speeds of things that were already being done. Now we are seeing a convergence of some of these activities, assembled and operated on one machine, the computer.

At a time when many land line phones are being replaced by cell phones, it is interesting to see the convergence of the personal computer and the WWW to enable extremely low cost phone communications. I am speaking here of, among other approaches, the MagicJack (http://www.magicjack.com/.) With a $20 gizmo and a $20/year subscription you can use your computer, your standard phone, and the net to call anywhere in the US and Canada for free. Why pay Verizon more? (This is an even better question now that I experienced their fine Customer Service which required a wait of 2.5 weeks to get a simple repair completed to their phone line on the pole outside the house!)

Continuing with the convergence, I have recently begun using Skype. Don’t know what this is?

I am sure that I am not the only one who can remember the 1964 NY Worlds Fair. There, I remember seeing the TV Phone of the future which promised TV and audio phone connections and demonstrated such a system. Skype is one answer to this promised communication format. (http://www.skype.com/) For free, you can call, see, and talk with any similarly equipped person around the world. FOR FREE!

To improve my images, I just installed a new web camera as you can see in the picture below. This little $22 gem provides high quality digital and video images, voice and illumination by using the USB 2 computer connection. My earlier camera was working on a USB 1 connection and while functional, it did not provide the same level of clarity and speed as this new camera. The camera is on a flexible, gooseneck, suction-cup stand and I can easily adjust the light intensity which is helpful for close-up pictures and videos. I plugged it into the USB 2 jack and the computer and Skype took care of the details. Amazing!

Many laptop computers come with these cameras and microphones already installed. If you have not tried Skype, etc. you should. Download it and call me when you do. I’ll be dressed when I answer the “phone.”