Reading in the paper this morning that Toshiba, the Japanese electronics company, will introduce the first three dimensional television that can be watched without special glasses, struck me as particular interest. Because, by the time you read this, I have no doubt that 3-D will be quite standard, and probably old technology by then.
Some people question whether there is any need for 3-D TV, which is currently very rare and can only be seen with cumbersome spectacles. But I remember when colour television was first introduced in Britain, when I was a child. My parents, along with many other people, just couldn't see the point and thought that black and white television was more than adequate. I was very upset that they wouldn't buy a colour set.
It was in 1969, for the investiture of Charles, the Prince of Wales, when he was 20 years old, that the British Broadcasting Corporation first transmitted colour TV. I remember first seeing it in a shop window and being absolutely mesmorised. There was limited content in the early days, which probalby accounted for why some questioned its value.
Of course, now, almost everyone had colour television, and I am in no doubt that it will be the same for 3-D. I love new technology. It excites me. Wouldn't the world be a dull place if everything stood still?
I read the paper on my early flight from Singapore to Jakarta, just as I was crossing the equator for the second time in three days. Actually, I had to get up at 5pm and had gone to bed rather late last night. But when I am working hard, I really can survive on little sleep. So I am feeling quite energised because I have a busy schedule of meetings with many interesting people, including the Worldwide Fund for Nature in Indonesia. I visit Jakarta very regularly, so feel quite at home here.
Grandpa Jonathan
Jakarta, Indonesia
