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Asia Minute: Dressing Up Video Conference Calls

youTube Via CC Commons
youTube Via CC Commons

Video conferencing has been around for decades, but its use has exploded in recent years. As the business practice becomes more common, certain challenges have emerged. And one in particular has drawn the attention of a major Asian company. HPR’s Bill Dorman explains in today’s Asia Minute.

Supporters of video conferencing say it can cut business travel expenses and provide better communication than old-fashioned telephone conference calls.  But what if you’re working from home---and you don’t really want to get all gussied up just to stare into a camera on your computer?

Shiseido
Credit Shiseido
You be the judge: Shiseido's example of the Telebeauty technology.

No worries—where there’s a market need….inevitably there’s a company chasing a solution, with a profit motive attached.  This is where the Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido enters the picture.  Shiseido has collaborated with Microsoft Japan to develop an app that will make users look as if they’re wearing makeup.  You can choose from among four styles: natural, trendy, cool or feminine.

But it’s not just for women—the company stresses the TeleBeauty app can also brighten anyone’s facial appearance—and may even help with bags under the eyes…although men do still have to shave.

Shiseido executives say they developed the app in part because many business people are dealing with an increasing number of international video calls—which can come at odd hours.

There’s one other helpful feature with this app—it can also blur your background….so you don’t have to tidy up the space within view of your computer’s camera.  It’s not on the market yet—a final round of testing begins next week with a series of corporate clients on Skype.

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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