[wordup] A window between cities

[Adam Shand]

One interesting thing is that some malls in New Zealand have been doing 
a simple version of this for years. In a mall in each city there's a 
kiosk with a large TV and a camera in it which shows the kiosk in 
another city.

It's kinda fun to watch kids at each end play with each other.

Via: John <jcw at oraclegeek.com>
From:http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_830469.html?menu=news.technology

A window between cities that allows people hundreds or even thousands of
miles apart to meet and talk could make its debut in Britain next year.

Tholos, named after a type of circular ancient Greek temple, consists of 
a large round screen nearly 10ft high and 23ft wide.Its designers hope 
to see one of the first two in the world become a new tourist attraction 
in the centre of London.The London Tholos would be linked to an 
identical one in Vienna. Through them, people in both cities will be 
able to see and hear each other in real time.The cylindrical structure 
contains technology that simultaneously transmits and receives high 
definition live moving images.

People standing in front of London's Tholos would see a wrap-around 
picture of the scene in Vienna. At the same time, a similar London image 
is displayed in the Austrian capital.Citizens in both countries would be 
able to face each other and talk via an array of directional microphones 
and loudspeakers, which keep conversations private.Effectively, it is 
like meeting up in the town square - except that you might be on 
different continents.

Given the necessary sponsors and planning permission, Tholos screens
twinning London and Vienna could be up and running by the second quarter 
of next year.

There are ambitious plans to expand the system into a network linking at
least 16 European cities by 2008, and then others in North America and Asia.

Each Tholos is expected to cost about £1.4 million to build and install. 
Public access would be free, and running costs paid for by advertising, 
which will take up 13% of airtime.