What uuuhhhhh....you were expecting something else? you've probably seen this already, but i thought it was pretty cool. -- ZVRS to support live sign language translation via iPhone 4's FaceTime for calls between deaf and hearing users While SMS and mobile email are great, they still can't match the emotion, interaction, and intonation of a live conversation with someone -- that's why our phones still ship with microphones and speakers, apparently. Of course, this is much more difficult when one of the parties is deaf or hard of hearing, which is where video relay services come in. With the help of a videophone or your computer's webcam, you can make a call with a live translator, who speaks your signed ramblings out loud to the hearing person on the other end. Of course you're usually stuck at a desk when doing this, but now ZVRS is going to be supporting calls made from the iPhone 4 over FaceTime. It might not be quite as sexy as Apple's goosebump-raising iPhone 4 commercial, since the phone obviously makes two-way sign language calls possible, but if the person on the other end doesn't have an iPhone 4 or doesn't know sign language, ZVRS seems like the next best thing. The new service will launch on July 26th. Check out a video of it in action after the break, the actual call starts at 2:25. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GOhfL2y22mU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GOhfL2y22mU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>
I was going to be like "NOOOOO they posted my Marilyn Monroe picture again!" No, actually, I haven't seen this! Thanks so much for bringing this attention to me. This would be a godsend...no more crappy internet relay calls away from home. Just teeny problem, I don't know if the interpreter would be able to see my hands or would understand my signing with just one hand but this is in a work in progress. I want to upgrade my iphone but the antenna problem gotta be fixed.
I wonder on a related topic if someone would make a tactile screen on a smart phone for the blind that would post text messages in braile for the blind.
