Something that hadn't occurred to me before - FaceTime makes the iPhone 4 the first mobile phone for deaf people. That's really great, that people who communicate using sign language will be able to phone each other from wherever they are (assuming they use the same SL dialect) because most SLs have a one-handed subset.

Yes, it does have tremendous potential ...

Although I do have to point out that video calls have been possible since, like, the 70's if not before -- but Ma Bell and later companies never really followed-through on the technology. I'm not really sure there's a demand for this capability, at least in a home setting, as people like me don't really want to have to make themselves presentable just to have a phone chat ;-) That, and you'd get busted pretty easily calling in sick from the ball park =D

Might be different now with the ubiquity of mobile devices ...

But yeah, for deaf people it could be a real boon!

I did just mean this is the first time there's a mobile handset that deaf people can use just as easily to communicate on as hearing people. I like to think of them calling customer services, and their phone provider having to provide signing staff .

I've got a Mad book somewhere from the 70's with a strip in it where the husband's waxing lyrical about videophones, and his wife keeps saying "I'll hate it" and when he finally asks why, she says she'll have to do her make-up and hair every time the phone rings.

I'm not sure how much I'd use it myself - I found video skype conversations very disconcerting being able to see myself in the window, it made me very self-conscious - so I stick with audio-only these days .

The EVO is already out and already doing video to video mobile phone calls . . . And not just on wifi.

I video chat all the time , I have no problems with it . I think its cool .

As for deaf people - I think its great .

However this must be a iChat or video Skype thingy ?

If software then not sure how that works ? I can see someone speaking on one end and their voice gets converted to hand signs ?

Converted to hand signs? On a VIDEO chat?

Uh...why would it have to be converted? I thought it was obvious? If you were deaf, then I would be using sign language to "talk" to you via video.

It's software in the telephone part. It's WiFi now for 2010 and until the networks get it right. My guess is that the rumors of Verizon are probably true since they seem to have their 4G up and running.

Well John its obvious , sign language , you need both hands to communicate . Kinda hard on a iPhone , unless its on a desk or something

The software part , I was thinking . For example a non deaf person (non sign language) calls a deaf one . That persons voice could be converted ? ? <-- that would be cool .

In that case the deaf person can likely read the other persons lips... if the video is smooth enough.

I thought about lip reading as well but I think that is a learned skill ? ? I dunno

Anyway hand language is much easier to pick up than lip reading , more so with people that have a heavy accent ?

Okay
Just watched Apple ad for that - seems one hand gestures and lip reading combined .