One problem with videoconferencing is that the video does not stream continuously. Every few seconds the image freezes momentarily. Inevitably the frozen-on frame shows you with your eyes Ÿ closed, or in the middle of saying a “sh” sound, or some other stupid expression.

Occasionally the picture freezes for about 30 seconds, usually with your hand gesturing in front of your face in such a way as to make it appear that you’re sucking your thumb. Your only indication of this are the stifled guffaws from the other end of the line.

I propose that videoconferencing software store an “emergency still.” Just before your conference, you take some still pictures of yourself with your web cam, and select the best one. The other person does the same, and these pictures are exchanged between the two computers.

Whenever the other person’s computer detects an interruption in the live video, it switches to the emergency still, showing you looking sophisticated as you babble on.
-- AO, May 15 2003

Fe Lady exhibition http://www.msnbc.com/news/901178.asp
is this the one DC? [po, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Apparently there's a Margaret Thatcher themed art exhibit on in London right now that features a video of her giving a speech with her eyes closed. (The artist in question simply stitched together all the frames where she blinked.)
-- DrCurry, May 15 2003


+1
-- po, May 15 2003


Yeah, we can really use that. I remember at a computer convention 10 years ago, they were demonstrating the video capture ability for computers and projecting the pictures on a giant screen. It would capture a frame a second and hold it for 4 seconds. I was in the front of the crowd and very quickly a sneeze came on me. Not pretty at all. First it showed me with a wrinkled smirking face, then me trying to deflect spray hanging in mid air and finally hunched over with my hand in my face.
-- sartep, May 15 2003


Link to that Fe Lady video?
-- galukalock, May 15 2003


It would be fun to make it emergency photo of you half-naked, oiled up and flexing.
-- oatcake, May 16 2003


CU-SeeMe Frame Spoofing?
-- Shz, May 16 2003


What I want is a "Stupidexpressionator", call me simple but I gain much pleasure from seeing pictures of people pulling accidental stupid expressions.
-- RoboBust, May 16 2003


This is good and useful. Croissant.
-- saker, May 16 2003


The vet called it the Flehman Reaction {{{GRIMACE}}}
-- The Kat, May 16 2003


I like it, i think it could be very useful.
-- demo_nova, May 16 2003


[sartep] Can I see that?

[robobust] Yeah, they are funny. But I wouldn't like it if it were me up there so...

<Tarzan>This good idea, bad pictures bad idea<Tarzan>
-- smileydudette, May 16 2003


A nice idea, but what do you have for those of us who inevitably blink during the still-photo-taking? At least 5 photos from my recent WeddingMoon feature a stupidly-expressioned me.
-- XSarenkaX, Jun 11 2003


Great idea, however I am hopeful the technology will get much better soon. (no down time)
-- TimD, Jun 11 2003


+1

[Curry] - Where can I get hold of the thatcher video?
-- energy guy, Jul 16 2004


Funny how that works....I've shot tens of thousands of photos, and I learned not to show people the unflattering ones - you know, one eye closed, mouth open.....

But if I worked for the National Enquirer or some other rag I could get paid for shots like this of celebrities.
-- normzone, Jul 16 2004



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