TLC: Talking Portraits Debut in Japan
Lonely people longing for pictures of their loved ones to speak will now have their dream answered by raising a finger. A Tokyo day care company will next week begin marketing a "talking picture," which can play messages for up to 12 minutes by holding up a pen-shaped scanner by using invisible barcodes on the photograph. "The pictures would be useful for those who hope to hear the voice of someone living far away," said Mayumi Fuji, a spokeswoman for the company, CombiWith...But it is also substantially more hassle than using a telephone. The talking picture requires a photo shoot with the company and costs between 17,040 and 17,990 yen, depending on the size of the picture and type of listening device.
