A Drink With Voyeurism

Published: 9 January 2002 y., Wednesday
Remote Lounge, based in downtown Manhattan, uses both audio and video technologies to put patrons in touch with one another on-site. Controlled Entropy Ventures blended a cocktail bar with consumer-controlled consoles aimed at breaking down personal barriers with what the company calls "Telepresence." "We really think of this bar as being a social lubricant," said Controlled Entropy Ventures partner Kevin Cebtanni. "People can interact with each other through the video systems and through the monitor, cameras, telephones, and it breaks down some of the barriers. It allows them to more easily talk to other people. Fear of rejection goes away." The bar opened in late September and has drawn generally positive reviews from New York's infamous nightlife critics. The consoles were developed by Cebtanni and two colleagues, and were mostly built right in the building. The lounge runs on a homegrown hybrid of digital and analog technology that was developed over the past year and a half. Despite the high tech base, the consumer sees a relatively simple interface. Each console can control one of 77 cameras located at various vantage points around the bar. A customer is assigned a console that integrates its own camera, an internal phone, and a joystick. The patron can then "surf" his or her way through the bar -- sending messages to the screen of any other user of interest. Then a conversation can be initiated over the phone if both parties agree. The technology itself all runs through a proprietary server. All communications are switched and routed there.
Šaltinis: techtv.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

Pet lovers embrace Mastiffs

For Chinese wanting to flaunt their wealth, owning one of these furry friends has become the way to do it. more »

Zombie in Brussel

Fans of horror and fantasy films stage a Zombie parade to promote the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. more »

Rare blue diamond fetches $6.4 m

A rare and flawless blue diamond was sold $6.4 million at the Sotheby’s Spring Auction in Hong Kong. more »

Japan baby dancing

It's never too early to learn to dance. At this dance class outside Tokyo, children are being shown the samba shuffle and other dance moves in an activity that's meant to help mother and baby. more »

Bruce Lee legacy revived in China

Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee’s legacy is being revived, decades after his death. more »

Easter egg production in full swing

With Easter just days away, chocolate egg production in this Belgian chocolate house is in full swing. more »

The Ice man’s tricks

The Ice man cometh. China’s Chen Kecai astounded tourists in the city of Xiamen by enduring more than 108 minutes in an ice-filled container. more »

The world’s largest house of cards

The world’s largest house of cards was built only to be torn down. Modelled after the world’s largest casino, the Venetian Macau, the replica made up of 218,792 playing cards took 44 days to build. more »

Invasion of turtles

Beaches in India’s Orissa state stirred as thousands of female sea turtles came ashore to lay eggs. more »

Surfing Alpaca

Hold onto your hats, it s the surfing alpaca. Peruvian surfer Domingo Pianezzi, not satisfied with catching waves with dogs, has now trained -- for lack of a better word... his pet alpaca, Pisco, to ride with him on his 10-foot long surfboard. more »