Nortel SoundBeam - The Genesis of the Bluetooth Headset?
30. 05. 2024

Nortel SoundBeam - The Genesis of the Bluetooth Headset?

A highly unusual donation was made to the Mobile Phone Museum with the arrival of the Nortel SoundBeam. This novel wireless telephony device was developed in 1995 by Bell-Northern Research (BNR), Nortel’s R&D subsidiary in Ottawa, Canada. It was not a mobile phone per se, but a ‘wearable audio apparatus’, which was a new category of product described by BNR designers as a ‘neckset’. It comprised remarkable directional loudspeakers, designed to deliver a high-quality, personal, and private audio experience to the user. The initial configuration employed a 900 MHz radio transceiver to connect with a base unit that interfaced to a conventional fixed landline. These days, such a device would have undoubtedly used Bluetooth.

The key principle behind the SoundBeam was to provide the convenience of a hands-free speakerphone with the privacy of a headset. This was accomplished with advanced loudspeaker technology that sent sound waves upward (towards the user’s ears) but not outward towards other people in the vicinity. It provided an uncanny ‘private bubble’ of audio for the user, whose phone call could not be overheard by those nearby.  In addition, SoundBeam had a directional microphone. Since it was just a few inches below the user’s mouth, the transmitted audio was not contaminated by the usual ‘barrel effect’ (reverberation) and background noise common in speakerphones. The end result was a telephony experience whose quality was comparable to a conventional telephone handset, but with the convenience of mobility and hands-free operation.

Nortel Sound Beam Ben

Figure 1: Mobile Phone Museum Founder, Ben Wood, Wearing the Nortel SoundBeam

The original concept for the neckset dates back to 1983 at BNR’s design labs. Jim Bee, one of the first industrial designers hired by Northern Electric a decade earlier, came up with the idea as part of an initiative to develop next-generation integrated voice and data terminals (see picture below and also full document here).

Jim Bee Sound Bar Drawing

Figure 2: Original Design Drawing by Jim Bee of the "Neck Set" which became the Nortel SoundBeam

The Museum’s collection also includes one of the few remaining SoundBeam trial units, donated by Lisa Fast via David Cuddy who has provided a treasure trove of Nortel-related information and various key devices from the period. Approximately 500 were manufactured.

The SoundBeam was first demonstrated in the BNR Futures room at Nortel’s booth at Telecom’95, adjacent to the Orbitor demo (for more information see the Orbitor entry on the Mobile Phone Museum website). Subsequently, BNR undertook a comprehensive market trial to validate the design hypothesis, technology, and marketability. A pre-production run was commissioned, and trial units were provided to over 500 users in various settings: enterprise, small business, and residential. Feedback from the users was in general quite positive, although some found the notion of an odd-looking wearable wireless device to be less than appealing. On the other hand, several users in the trial responded with what BNR designers called the “gotta have it!” response. They were so enamoured that they refused to return their SoundBeam units at the conclusion of the trial. The private audio attribute was particularly valued in large open-concept offices, where conventional speakerphones were distracting to all.

At the end of the trial, Nortel product managers elected not to take the SoundBeam forward as a product offering, despite the encouraging trial feedback. Some months later, Nortel decided to exit from the telephone and cellphone business segment entirely. A US patent for the directional loudspeaker invention was later acquired by Microsoft. The SoundBeam remains but a fond memory for those who were fortunate enough to work on it.

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Half Price Offer To Visit “Going Mobile” Exhibition
08. 02. 2024

Half Price Offer To Visit “Going Mobile” Exhibition

For Mobile Phone Museum fans in the UK with a Vodafone subscription, there is exciting news if you would like to visit our exhibition showcasing some of the most iconic mobile phones in the Mobile Phone Museum collection which is currently being held at the PK Porthcurno Museum in Cornwall.

From 12th February to 12th April, Vodafone subscribers can access the Vodafone VeryMe app and get a 50% discount on entry to the Museum.

In addition to seeing the Mobile Phone Museum, you can also take advantage of all the other exhibits at the PK Porthcurno Museum which shares the rich heritage of communications through the ages since the inception of undersea cables in the 1870s. It’s a wonderful day out and in a stunning location.

More details can be found here: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/my-vodafone-account/vodafone-apps/vodafone-veryme-rewards

One more thing…. If you can’t visit the museum but would like to get a t-shirt celebrating the ‘Going Mobile’ exhibition you can check out the two designs here.

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New Collection Gifted to Mobile Phone Museum by Seybold Family
18. 12. 2023

New Collection Gifted to Mobile Phone Museum by Seybold Family

The Mobile Phone Museum recently received a notable donation of devices owned by Andrew “Andy” Seybold, Sr. A well-known writer, commentator and advisor in the connected devices space, Andy had quietly amassed an interesting collection of phones and other connected products over more than 40 years. These devices have now been entrusted to the Mobile Phone Museum. 

Andy had a glittering career in the communications industry – most notably his focus on ‘critical communications’ for public safety. During his career, he worked for leading companies such as BioCom, General Electric Mobile Radio, RCA Mobile Communications and Motorola. Following this, he became an analyst and consultant and was highly admired across the industry for the knowledge and thought-provoking insights he provided. He consulted to device makers such as Motorola, Nokia, Research In Motion (BlackBerry), and mobile carriers such as AT&T and Verizon. He also played an important role in events held by the industry body, the CTIA and others.

 His advisory services helped shape some key products in the industry including devices such as the HP Omnigo 700LX – a pivotal development in Nokia’s journey towards making a fully integrated smartphone, BlackBerry devices from Research In Motion, breakthrough products from Palm and even early two-way paging devices.

Andy also served on several advisory boards for major companies in the communications sector including Motorola’s Research Visionary Board and IBM’s Mobile Computing Advisory Board. This is reflected in the inclusion of the iconic IBM Simon phone within his collection which is widely regarded as one of the first devices that could be termed a “smartphone”. This pivotal product is a true rarity and a defining product in the evolution of mobile devices.

The trustees of the Mobile Phone Museum would like to thank Linda Seybold for her generous donation and we look forward to documenting the numerous devices that have been donated over the coming months so they can be shared with the widest audience possible. We hope this will provide a lasting legacy to Andy’s contribution to the industry.

Below is a personal tribute to Andy written by his wife, Linda M. Seybold

 Andy Seybold Picture

Andy’s penchant for communications in its various forms became evident when he strung two cans together, kept one, and gave the other can to a friend across the way. With the string stretched between their upstairs bedroom windows, they would talk well into the night when they could get away with it.

When he was about twelve, Andy was “home alone” while his parents were on holiday. They returned to find their television had been turned into a radio. His dad didn’t know whether to be upset or proud!

 In high school, he was a member of the audio-visual club, a group of students largely responsible for setting up equipment in classrooms for teachers. By this time, he had become quite the prankster. Perhaps his most forgettable antic was witnessed by an auditorium full of people who had come to enjoy the performance. Andy oversaw playing the accompanying music at the appropriate times. Everything went according to plan until the audience was taken by surprise as they were treated to the sounds of an aeroplane flying through the auditorium during the performance.

Andy passed amateur radio license tests and became a “ham” at a very young age. Of course, those who knew him already knew he was a ham. He found a local club in the outskirts of Philly. Its members were focused on the technologies and challenges of radio. These folks were largely responsible for the development of Andy’s interest in wireless communications and his extensive knowledge base. 

It was during this time that he became a DJ on a popular Rock & Roll station out of Philly. Going by the name, “Herman J. Fertinwangler,” he started his shows with the sound of a toilet flushing followed by the song “Charlie Brown, he’s a clown.”

After a time in Southern California, he moved to Silicon Valley then Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz mountains where he joined an informal amateur radio club. This was more of a social group, and they talked among themselves during their commute to and from Silicon Valley. Andy was a master punster and, in fun, they restricted his punning to Fridays.

Back then, many wives who concluded, “if you can’t beat them, join them,” became hams themselves. Gone are the days of banters when anyone was welcome to join in. Some say cellphones replaced amateur radio, but nothing can replace interactions between friends, especially since that’s how Andy met Linda (his wife and editor extraordinaire). Over the next few months they came to know each other through informal amateur radio conversation, and the rest is history.

Many of Andy’s peers have expressed their amazement at how he could attend a briefing, take no notes, and then write a detailed article with technical references. This was made more surprising since Andy was dyslexic, which made formal education difficult for him. Highly educated, his parents recognized the problem early on and arranged for specialized training. However, Andy discovered the solution on his own. He developed exceptional listening and comprehension skills.

Andy’s career began in the family business where computer typesetting was developed. TV Guide was the first publication to use this new technology. Eventually, the siblings identified their appropriate specialities and started their own companies. By this time, Andy had developed extensive computer skills. With the convergence of computers and wireless data, he found his place in wireless (radio) communications. What was next? 

Mobile communications and computing, and his dedication to the public safety community also began in high school. The chief of the Swarthmore volunteer fire department learned of this experience with computers and radios and said, “you are my communications director.” After that he became a volunteer fireman wherever he lived. He was a police officer at one point but decided he wasn't cut out for that. 

Along the way, he worked for GE Radio, RCA, and Motorola and developed relationships that lasted throughout his years. While working with the biggies, Andy had an opportunity to join Biocom developing and selling a communications system for EMTs to talk to hospitals from an incident. This “first” became famous when the “orange box” was featured in the TV series, Emergency.

Andy produced several newsletters, updating their focus as the industry matured. These started with “Andrew Seybold’s Outlook for Emergency Communications,” PC Computing, and more, culminating with “Andrew Seybold’s Outlook for Mobile Computing.” Along with his newsletters, he developed a successful consulting firm that grew to include seven or more partners with impressive credentials.

He finally knew what these experiences and more had been leading to when he received a call telling him about the FirstNet concept of a nationwide public safety broadband network. The caller asked him to join in their efforts. He also told him they didn't have any money. 

Whether Andy realized it or not, he had been planting seeds for the development of a special network exclusively for public safety. He joined these pioneers and spent a great deal of time in Washington DC in an effort to convince Congress to provide frequencies (the D-Block) and start-up funds. He worked exclusively with the FirstNet committee for two years or more without compensation. Linda was onboard and made it work.

Culminating with FirstNet, he wrote a weekly column entitled, the “Public Safety Advocate,” for the All Things FirstNet website. What could be a more appropriate? Andy was undoubtedly the premier Public Safety Advocate and FirstNet had become his life’s mission.

As his time drew near, Andy said it was too soon, he still had a lot to do…

 

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Mobile Phone Museum Featured on BBC Click
04. 11. 2023

Mobile Phone Museum Featured on BBC Click

To mark the launch of the BlackBerry movie in the UK, our founder, Ben Wood, was invited to speak to BBC Click’s Spencer Kelly and Lara Lewington about the history of BlackBerry devices.

BBC Click is the weekly flagship technology show from the BBC with an audience reach of over 2 million people. It covers the latest gadgets, apps, and trends, and explores how technology is shaping our lives.

Ben took some phones from the museum collection along with him and discussed the rise and fall of BlackBerry and some of the memorable moments such as people “squirrelling” on their devices while doing “the BlackBerry prayer”.

You can watch the BBC Click episode here (starts at 18 mins 20 seconds).

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30th Anniversary of the IBM Simon
02. 11. 2023

30th Anniversary of the IBM Simon

Today marks a major milestone as it is thirty years since the iconic IBM Simon was officially released. The device is hugely important in the history of mobile phones as it is widely regarded as one of the first devices that could be termed a “smart phone”. Although not described as smart phone at the time – that honour goes to the Ericsson GS 88 – the Simon was a breakthrough device combining a PDA (personal digital assistant) with communication capabilities via a cellular connection.

IBM worked with network operator Bell South to commercialise the device and the name, Simon Personal Communicator, was conceived by the BellSouth team. It was marketed using the slogan “Mobile Communications Made Simple.” This was derived from the children’s game “Simon Says” and was considered to be a name that was easy for consumers to remember.

Simon Says Brochure

The phone had a revolutionary graphical user interface and included applications that provided unique experiences such as an address book, email support (via Lotus cc:Mail), a calculator, a calendar, the ability to send a fax, a notepad, a world clock, a file manager, a sketch pad and even paging support, via a “paging card” that could be inserted into the PCMCIA slot on the device.

To learn more about this amazing phone, which is currently showcased at our in-person exhibition at the PK Porthcurno Museum in the UK, follow this link.

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"Going Mobile" Exhibition Launched
20. 10. 2023

"Going Mobile" Exhibition Launched

In another major milestone for the Mobile Phone Museum project, we have worked in partnership with PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global Communications to launch a new exhibition on the 40-year history of the mobile phone called Going Mobile”.

This is the first time that phones from the Mobile Phone Museum's extraordinary collection of over 2700 unique devices will be on public display. It includes important devices such as the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X (which is signed by its inventor, Marty Cooper), the first camera phone, the first phone with built-in GPS, the first phone with a built-in MP3 player, and more.

Img 0384 A

The exhibition, which is based in Cornwall, explores the amazing journey of this everyday communication device from an exclusive status symbol, used mainly for voice calls, to the most ubiquitous consumer electronics device on the planet.

Other highlights include a specially commissioned animation about mobile phone network technology and a "pigeon trail" quiz for kids which spans the entire museum featuring key devices from the phone collection with fun facts and a hidden message that has to be deciphered from Morse code.

The showcase opened on 20 October 2023 and will remain open for at least one year.

It is the culmination of over one year of work between the Mobile Phone Museum, the PK Porthcurno team and generous sponsorship from Vodafone UK.

More details can be found here.

Pk Poster

 

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