Super Video Conferencing

CBS News reports on a new multi-screen video conferencing system designed to make meeting from afar even more realistic:

Movie mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg helped Hewlett-Packard design the $350,000 multiscreen system that lets film makers across the globe meet face to face. “It’s not all smoke and mirrors,” says a smiling Katzenberg. “To be able to see the detail on your face, your expressions — that you’re understanding and connecting with what I say — you know, that is part of how we, as humans, communicate.”

…For businesspeople who have long wished they could be in two places at once, technology is making that almost a reality. The cost may be high — but for big companies, the savings in airline tickets from here to there can make the system almost pay for itself.

As these systems become cheaper (and they will), look for them to become more common outside of the large corporation boardroom. One big downside to telecommuting and remote working is that you lack personal contact with your coworkers, and during meetings you feel left out and have difficulty communication. Systems like this will help lessen this problem (found via Tim McGhee).