Video-phone: Who is calling?

I have fielded the idea of the smartphone. That worked out. I fielded the idea of the tablet computer. That is now a thing. I told Google to make Google Glass. They did. I spoke about a video-phone for many years, when I finally got my hands on an iPhone to test it as a user, I came up with the improvements to make the smartphone into a kind of video-phone by adding the front camera so Skype users would be able to see who they are talking to and show themselves (and told Facebook to field an app for the smartphones which included video calls), besides telling Apple to add fingerprint ID as a security feature, diversify sizes and colors, make an iPhone in Gold and put in a flashlight into the device. They did that. Then on the 100th's Anniversary of the Grand Central station in New York City, a flash mob with the flash lights on their new iPhone 5's (product which fielded all these improvements) showed up and did a show... with the smartphone flash lights. And yet... the smartphone still isn't a videophone. When you answer the call... you still ask: Who is calling?

Reasons for the phone not becoming a videophone I'll leave alone. I have my suspicions as to why people didn't go for it. Technology creates more possibilities than people can innovate into products. The "2001 Space Odyssey" videophone was possible since the invention of the personal computer got software that allowed users to make their webcam and messengers like Yahoo's of Skype into one. And yet, a webcam, a PC and Skype... doesn't make the device into a video phone. Why? You can't call phone numbers in a video call. A smartphone still only calls a phone number as a phone. No data. No video. It's that simple. However, virtually all smartphones can make video calls for various applications... and yet... this still is not a "real" video phone. You can't activate your video feed when calling other smartphone users' phone numbers. When some call center person or a business calls you, you don't see the person on the other side.

My challenge to the telecom industries is this: innovate! Make the smartphone into a video phone by combining the 'standard' voice phone call that's processed to a PHONE NUMBER with an APP that lets you see the caller. Next time someone calls you on your video phone, you won't have to ask: who's there? Where are you calling from? What company are you with? You'll see who it is. You'll figure out where they're calling from based on the video. You'll see the company logo behind the person calling you. Time to make the phone into a video phone is NOW. Any PC, laptop, tablet and smartphone that has a camera should be able to make video phone calls.

A video call increases utility. You can show and transfer images and files. You didn't get that bill? The collector can give it to you right then and there on your smartphone via the video call file transfer. Want to discuss a charge on your credit card statement? You can show it to the person at your bank without going to the bank. Need help setting up that modem? You can show the modem and the tech guru on the phone can see for themselves which damn lights are on and off. I will spare you the explanation on how video calls can create better business practices, improve customer service, increase corporate responsibility to a new level, prevent identity theft etc. The problem is simple to fix: link the voice phone call to a phone number with an application that will make it into an internet call automatically that makes the smartphone into a video phone.