Is it Sunday today ? ( Note to self : Read this next Sunday 25th September, 2005 ) Today I get to have free videophone conversations for an hour all day today and every Sunday up until Christmas. I have only ever had two videophone conversations in my life, but one of them was one of the most interesting experiences I have ever had. I was called by a person who I could hear and who could see me, but I could not see him, and only realised that it was someone I didn't know after much investigation.

In any case, when he finally was able to work out how to get his picture up (this was after an almost 10 minute conversation, mind you), I had already started exploring how light both in the background and in the foreground affected the live image of me on my videophone. I also realised the what was behind me, my background, was aesthetically important too. By finding the correct position in front of the correct background with the correct lighting and camera (videophone) angles, I was finally able to see a picture of myself that appeared as though it had professionally filmed. And yet I was 'beaming' live.

My mysterious caller turned out to be a 13 year old named Josh, who finally worked out how the videophone worked and turned out to be quite ingenious in terms of the imaginative uses that he suggested putting the videophone to. I, in turn, found myself in the position of Teacher, explaining to Josh how to make sure that both he and I could see his live image on the screen at the same time as mine. I was then able to demonstrate to him, with my 'Remote Assistance', that he could determine how big his live image and my live image could be on the screen. He chose the option that I had, with himself in the botton right hand corner, and me occupying the rest of the screen with a much larger image.

As I was explaining these things, after much and surreal conversation attempting to ascertain my mystery caller's identity, I had seen how the lighting had such a dramatic effect on how the screen image appeared, and I began to play with different lighting effects. I saw that by positioning myself between the videophone and the ceiling light, I could acheive the illusion that I had a halo. By leaning in towards the videophone, I could adjust the perception of how my body appeared. The lighting, as I moved around the flat examining the lighting effects and turning lights and lamps on and lighting candles for mood and atmosphere, created many different faces for me, and it was like a treasure hunt to find the position with the perfect, most aesthetically pleasing and interesting background, as well as the perfect lighting, contrast and colour, so that I was portrayed in a flattering light on a great set.

Well, that's probably enough for me now. After all, this is only my first entry. You will see that my name is Sebastian Aristos, and I'm a blogger from way back. I'm also someone who's been dreaming of getting a videophone for years and years and years. So, when they finally came out here in Melbourne, Australia, I was one of the first people to get them. To me they are like a 'Marvelous Toy', a song sung to me by my parents in my childhood about a toy that could do everything. A videophone nowadays, apart from being a phone that you can see the person you are talking to with, is also :

1) A media player. (You can watch videoclips, play songs, watch Internet TV and heaps more)
2) A mobile 'laptop' (You can connect to the Internet)
3) A movie-maker (You have a digital camera, a video camera, and a recording system)
4) An Entertainment System.

And that's where you come in. I'm organising a treasure hunt. With an absolutely amazing prize including a week-long surprise holiday and a 3 day luxury, all-expenses-paid cruise to the Bahamas on the "Imperial Majesty" cruise liner. The objective of the treasure hunt is to put together an interactive virtual reality game with a team of other people with videophones. So put your name on my mailing list, especially if you're with Network 3, as you get to use your videophone free for calls of up to an hour this and every Sunday up until Christmas.

That was my friend Paul on the phone who has just inspired this new paragraph. Paul is buying a videophone this week, infected by my rampant enthusiasm for them, and the reason I am telling you this is because Network 3 have offered us $50 for everyone that we can bring into the shop, and they'll offer them the same deal. Anyone interested in a business partnership as well as a bit of fun ?

And don't forget to leave some comments about what sort of fun you're having with your videophone, or ideas that would be great fun. And if you haven't got one, you're no fun. Get one !